Another ‘Slave Auction’ School Project Reported In South Orange-Maplewood

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Less than two weeks after a South Orange elementary school hosted a classroom project that included posters of “runaway slaves” being put up in the school’s hallway, reports of another “slave auction”-related incident have surfaced at another school in the South Orange-Maplewood district.

While under the supervision of a substitute teacher last week, students at Jefferson Elementary School in Maplewood "used creative license" to present a project on the Triangular Slave Trade, including filming a mock slave auction, according to a recent note sent home to Jefferson School parents.

"The activity was not part of the curriculum, not part of the teacher's assignment, not condoned by the teacher, not authorized by the district," SOMA spokesperson Suzanne Turner told NJ.com.

The teacher, who viewed the video after returning to school, wrote to parents that she was “concerned about the students who viewed and participated in this re-enactment” and wanted to “convey this event to you so we can address the students' perceptions as a whole,” NJ.com stated.

Other recent student projects at the school have included:

• Holding a school-wide assembly and month-long celebration in honor of Black History Month, including fourth grade classes who took the stage to sing “We Shall Not Be Moved”
• Creating and implementing a service project in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Turning cereal boxes into creative displays that captured the life accomplishments of distinguished African-American figures in history
• Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by researching a culturally significant aspect of a Hispanic country, teaching about it and sharing a visual

SLAVE AUCTION APOLOGY

Earlier this month, SOMA school officials issued an apology to parents and guardians, asking them to avoid taking on an “us versus them” mentality in the wake of a controversial “slave auction” project at South Mountain Elementary School.

The project– which was part of a larger unit on Colonial America and has been going on for at least a decade – took place the same week as South Orange Middle School reported multiple incidents of racist graffiti in its bathrooms.

“The South Orange-Maplewood School District and our two towns pride ourselves on our diversity and commitment to inclusion,” Elizabeth Baker, president of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, and Superintendent of Schools John Ramos Sr. wrote in a joint statement.

“In an increasingly divided America, we have consciously chosen SOMA as the community to foster our children’s social and educational growth. In doing so, we must embrace all the opportunities and challenges inherent in striving for an inclusive and equitable community… As issues of intolerance and exclusion continue to plague our country, the reality is that schools are a microcosm of society, and are not immune to what goes on around us.”

• See related article: SOMA District Reaffirms Its ‘Diversity’ After School ‘Slave Auction’ Project
• See related article: N.J. School's 'Slave Auction' Project Inspires Parent Outrage

Photo: Google Maps

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