Blackface Incident At OPRF High School: Officials, Black Student Leaders, Schedule Talks On Race

OAK PARK, IL — In the aftermath of student sending a Snapchat in blackface, Oak Park-River Forest High School has pushed back a presentation about sexual misconduct to make space for a community discussion on race later this month. The Black Leaders Union also has a student forum slated for early next week.

The student discussion held by Black Leaders union will take place Monday, October 16, at 3:15 p.m. in the school's Little Theatre. It is described as an "open discussion for students who were impacted by recent racially charged incidents and are in need of support in processing and healing."

The school's Community Discussion on Race will be held on Tuesday October 24 in the OPRF Auditorium at 7 p.m. A release from school officials says that more details will be available later.

These scheduled events come after a tumultuous week of outrage, concern, and frustration from parents, community members, students, and teachers. Oak Park-River Forest High School teacher Anthony Clark is often the person students and parents reach out to when faced with difficult matters such as this at the school.

In fact, it was a concerned parent who first shared the photo —depicting a student in blackface with the caption "Vote me for BLU (Black Leaders Union President)"— with Clark in the hopes of raising awareness and sparking discussion.

Tuesday evening, Clark was suspended after sharing the blackface photo on Suburban Unity Alliance, a group of community organizers who advocate for public discussion and equality.

Earlier that day, the mother of the student accused of posting the blackface photo contacted Clark to help address the issue with her son. They met with Clark at his home and reportedly talked about ways the student, who had marched with Clark at Suburban Unity Alliance events, could accept responsibility for his actions. The student later penned an open letter of apology.

Immediately after the news of Clark's suspension, students, parents, and residents took to social media to demand his reinstatement, posting photos of the teacher posing with them or speaking at various events throughout the community. The photos included the caption "I stand with Anthony Clark."

The school's upcoming discussions on race hope to address what many students and alumni say has been an ongoing problem at Oak Park River-Forest High School. This past August, the school's lobby was defaced with a drawing of a swastika.

>>Image via Pixabay