N.J. School's 'Slave Auction' Project Inspires Parent Outrage

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — It hasn’t been a good week for race relations in South Orange. The same week that a middle school in the suburban New Jersey town reported multiple incidents of racist graffiti in its bathroom, an elementary school in the district set off a firestorm of controversy when its fifth graders put mock advertisements for a “slave auction” on display inside the building.

The South Mountain Elementary School slave auction project was part of a larger unit on Colonial America and has been going on for at least a decade, school administrators said. [Read school administrators' explanation about the goal of the project below]

Posters depicted “Wanted” slaves – complete with hand-drawn illustrations of the “slaves” drawn by the students. Parents at the school were greeted by the controversial display during teacher conferences this week, one of the offended guardians wrote on a Facebook post.

“These images were on display for all students to see, including those that would lack any context of the underlying lesson or purpose,” an incensed parent wrote after visiting the school. “Educating young students on the harsh realities of slavery is of course not the issue here, but the medium for said education is grossly insensitive and negligent.”

The parent wrote that it broke his heart that students of color had to witness these images as they walked the hallways of their own school.

“It is completely lost on me how this project could be an effective way to teach any student in any age group about American history,” he wrote.

RESEARCHING COLONIAL AMERICA

The goal of the project was outlined to parents in a March 8 letter from South Orange-Maplewood Superintendent John Ramos.

"For the past decade, South Mountain 5th grade classes have culminated a unit on Colonial America with a three-part project," Ramos wrote. "The assignment asks students to select a colony to research, and then create 'primary source-type documents' that reflect one of the colonies and time period of Colonial America.”

Students then are given a menu of tasks from which to choose, including creating a "colorful poster advertising an event that might occur during your time period and colony."

Examples of such a colorful advertisement include a "poster for a lecture or a speech, protest or slave auction," the letter states.

SCHOOL DISTRICT: 'WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE UGLY PARTS OF OUR PAST'

"After the assignment was sent home this year, concerns were raised about the appropriateness of the
slave auction poster example," Ramos wrote.

Administrators discussed the assignment and the concerns internally and also consulted with several experts in the field of anti-bias education, he stated.

"One of the anti-bias experts highlighted the fact that schools all over our country often skip over the
more painful aspects of American History, and that we need to do a better job of acknowledging the
uglier parts of our past, so that children learn the full story," Ramos wrote.

Reaction among parents was split, the superintendent wrote.

"Some families are supportive of the example of a slave auction poster included in the assignment, because they see it as an important opportunity to examine this shameful and too-often ignored chapter of American history," he wrote. "Others are disturbed that elementary students were being asked to put themselves in the virtual shoes of people who subjugated others."

"We completely understand how disturbing these images are, and why parents were upset," Ramos continued. "This was exacerbated by the fact that the displays did not include an explanation of the assignment or its learning objectives."

The posters have since been taken down and district officials have apologized to the offended parents. The school is planning a town hall meeting to discuss the project, Ramos stated.

"In terms of plans for the next year, we will review the full project over the summer, with the feedback from this year in mind, and make sure that next year’s culminating project on this unit still offers choice, but does not include controversial examples," a district spokesperson told Patch on Friday afternoon.

RACIST GRAFFITI AND SWASTIKAS

South Orange has seen an increasing list of apparent bias crimes in the past year.

For two consecutive days this week, South Orange Middle School has seen racist graffiti appear in its bathrooms, according to school officials.

Officials labeled the first incident – which included the words “Naughty N------ Get Lynched” scrawled into a bathroom stall – as a “hate crime,” TAP Into SOMA reported.

South Orange police are investigating the incident, which Principal Lynn Irby said was “extremely disheartening and concerning, especially following our ongoing lessons and discussions about racism, bigotry and Anti-Semitism.”

But the lesson may not have sunk in for some students; the next day, similar racist graffiti was discovered in another bathroom stall in the school, authorities said.

The area has seen other alleged instances of racism and anti-Semitism in the past year, reports say. In May, two students at Columbia High School in Maplewood reportedly posted an Instagram photo of themselves in what appears to be blackface makeup.

In late February, an explosion of anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered near South Mountain Reservation, prompting officials to label it a “disgusting” and “senseless” act that has no place in their community.

• See related article: ‘Disgusting’ Swastika Graffiti Appears At South Mountain Reservation

The Jewish Community Center in West Orange has stepped up security in the wake of repeated, nationwide bomb threats, including one made to the center on Jan. 31.

• See related article: Support Grows For West Orange Jewish Center After National Wave Of Threats

A cane-wielding teen allegedly smashed up a menorah display hanging in Spiota Park during the third night of Hanukkah last December, South Orange police say.

• See related article: South Orange Menorah Display Trashed By Cane-Wielding Teen

South Orange police arrested an 18-year-old Orange resident and four juveniles after they allegedly shouted racial slurs at a passing family and assaulted a teen in February of 2016.

• See related article: Bias Crime Reported In Downtown South Orange

THE FIGHT AGAINST HATE

Despite the mounting list of alleged bias incidents in the area, many residents in South Orange have also been vocal against discrimination and hatred in their community.

In February, South Orange — following on the heels of their neighbor township, Maplewood — unanimously approved Resolution #2017-027, a sanctuary city declaration that local activists lauded as a resounding victory for immigrant rights in North Jersey.

• See related article: South Orange Offers Immigrants Sanctuary, Passes Resolution (PHOTOS)
• See related article: Maplewood 1st N.J. Town To Offer Immigrants ‘Sanctuary’ In 2017

In January, students at South Orange Middle School and Columbia High School held walkouts in protest of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, marching peacefully out of school and chanting “Love Not Hate.”

• See related article: South Orange, Maplewood Students Hold Walkouts To Protest Trump Inauguration

Photo: Google Maps

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