NAACP Blasts TCSS After Hillcrest Walkout Over Censorship Of Black History Program

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Less than a week after more than 200 students walked out at Hillcrest High School to protest alleged censorship of the school's annual Black History Month program, there was only one student facing numerous cameras on Monday.

This emotional scene came just moments after discussions between the Tuscaloosa branch of the NAACP and Tuscaloosa County School System officials reportedly broke down, resulting in nothing resembling a compromise.

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Jamiyah Brown, a senior at Hillcrest High who led the walkout, fought through tears and grasped for words as she addressed members of the media in front of the TCSS Central Office in downtown Tuscaloosa on Monday. Still, her message was a powerful one.

"What I want to see from the administrators and the Tuscaloosa County School System is to first admit there is a problem, because through the whole meeting we just had, no one admitted that there was a problem," she said. "There is a problem. I just want to ask everybody to help and for them to stop discriminating against me."

As Patch previously reported, students claimed that they were told by school administrators the student-led program would not be allowed to address any issues in American history prior to the 1970s, namely slavery and the Civil Rights Movement.

The tensions were slow to boil over ahead of the walkout, but the Tuscaloosa branch of the NAACP got involved and began to hurl additional accusations at the school and county school system over the culture at Hillcrest and the lack of diversity among school administrators.

When asked by Patch about if the controversy was the result of any specific administrator at the school, Young quickly responded that HHS Assistant Principal Cheryl Morrow was who told students they could not mention slavery or discuss the Civil Rights Movement as part of the Black History Program. Still, these were not the only accusations of racial insensitivity levied against the administrator.

"Students have alleged she had also used an analogy about the Black Panther Party ... that she was being scared of the Black Panther Party when she was a little child and it made her feel uncomfortable," Young said.

It's also worth noting that TCSS officials, despite releasing two separate statements following the walkout, have yet to publicly refute the claims made by students that they were told by an administrator to censor parts of their Black History Month program.

Young went on to say that Monday's meeting with school board and central office officials focused on two things: the cultural issues within the school and the decision to block Jamiyah from participating in the Black History Program and walking at her graduation following the walkout.

Talks seemed to hit an impasse, according to Young, when TCSS officials said the school system intended to bring in an independent individual to investigate the entire matter.

"We asked who would select that independent person and we were told [TCSS] would select that independent person," Young said. "We were not invited to participate in that selection process, so I guess we are going to have to leave it up to them to investigate themselves."

Young then explained that the decision regarding Jamiyah's participation in her senior graduation was made at the discretion of Hillcrest Principal Jeff Hinton, who has declined to comment on the controversy since it began last week.

"I just want to say I'm very disappointed in the TCSS school system," Jamiyah said. "The outcome and the decision that they made to continue to discriminate and belittle students' cultural expression. For them to deny all of the allegations ... by all of the students being spread at Hillcrest High School. The lack of support that administrators and TCSS have given the student body is really disappointing, even with the walkout and us taking it to a national level. We just ask that everyone keep standing with us and supporting us and letting us know there is still a problem that needs to be fixed."

With a crucial property tax increase to provide additional funding to the county school system on the ballot for Tuesday, the Young and the Tuscaloosa NAACP encouraged members of the community to vote against the property tax, in order to send a message to central office officials.

"While we want a quality education for all students in Alabama, we cannot trust the funds received would be used to benefit all students equally," Young said.

In an effort to continue driving the dialogue forward, Young said the Tuscaloosa NAACP will host its second community forum on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m., which will be open to all students in the Tuscaloosa County School System. The forum will be held at Greater Faith Church in Moundville, located at 16357 Alabama Highway 69 South.

The following day — Sunday, Feb. 19 — will see the Tuscaloosa NAACP host a block party from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. in Freeman Park.

Lastly, Young encouraged members of the community to provide their thoughts and feedback on the school system's cultural issues by visiting the group's Facebook page.

"The idea of censorship of this nature in 2023 in unbelievable," she said. "And although the administrators at Hillcrest High school have tried to paint a narrative that discredits the accounts of these students, we want the students top know that we believe you."

Tuscaloosa Patch has spoken with Tuscaloosa County School System officials following Monday's press conference and will have more on their response when it is made available.

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