A photo of a Mississippi middle school teacher’s assignment posted online Wednesday went viral, sparking outrage with many saying the assignment trivializes the effects of slavery.
What We Know:
- The homework was given to eighth-graders at Purvis Middle School. The “slave writing” assignment asks students to “pretend they are a slave” and write to their family back in Africa or elsewhere “describing your life”. The viral photo was first posted on Twitter by the Black Lives Matter Mississippi chapter with one person voicing their displeasure at the notion slaves even had the ability to read and write or contact their family members.
This is at purvis middle school. Someone needs to explain 😡 #Blacklivesmattermississippi pic.twitter.com/PZeGOB55ZR
— Black Lives Matter Mississippi (@BLivesMatterMS) March 3, 2021
- Lamar County School District Superintendent Dr. Steven Hampton noted that the photo was of the last slide in a 12-page PowerPoint presentation. He added that the purpose “was to show our students just how horrible slavery was and to gain empathy for what it was like to be a slave.”
- Frank Bunnell, the principal of Purvis Middle School apologized to parents, saying the slide was taken out of context and could give an unrealistic view of what slavery truly was. “Intent does not excuse anything. There is no excuse to downplay a practice that (even after abolished) spurs unjust laws, unfair economic practices, inhumane treatment, and suppression of a people,” said Bunnell.
- Jarrius Adams, the president of Young Democrats Mississippi called the assignment “tone-deaf,” saying that, “If I were a parent of a student in the classroom I would be pissed. There are proper ways to educate students about the history of this nation. This was not one of them,” said Adams.
According to the Lamar County superintendent, the issue had been addressed with the teacher and further discussions over the incident will take place at the district level.
