Fifth Grader Made into a “Slave” in Classroom Slave Auction
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
A black fifth grader in Gahanna, Ohio was used as a slave in a social studies class in order to teach a lesson to the children. Since that time, the mother of the boy, Aneka Burton, has demanded an apology, citing the psychological damage that was being done to her child. The principal at the school, Scott Schmidt of Chapelfield Elementary, called the mother to offer his most sincere apologies for the incident, stating that no harm was intended.
According to 10-year old Nikko Burton, the students were divided into two groups: “Slaves” and “masters,” with the other black student in class being made into a master. The teacher then had the audacity to do a simulated slave auction, which the boy refused to be a part of. At that point, he was sent back to his desk.
It’s interesting that this event occurred in the Ohio School System, which has been ruled unconstitutional several times without the State Supreme Court actually asking legislators to do anything about it. This is also the state where the Kelley Williams-Bolar case took place, where a single mother was sent to jail for sending her kids to the “wrong” school district.
This incident is reflective of the sloppy manner by which many teachers lay out sensitive issues that relate to racial diversity. It is also a reminder of the inability of many teachers in our schools to properly teach and discipline African American males. Had this boy not taken the issue to his mother, nothing would have been done, and many children would have simply internalized this psychological abuse and allowed it to undermine their self-esteem. I have yet to see any teacher, anywhere, separate out Jewish children and allow the non-Jewish kids to haul them off into simulated concentration camps. Such an act would be rightfully deemed outrageous, sick and disgraceful. But when it comes to black folks, we are supposed to simply thank our lucky stars that we’re not slaves anymore.
It should also be noted that by speaking up for his personal liberties and rights to self-respect, this boy was punished by the teacher. This incident is not disconnected from the fact that one study after another shows that black boys are far more likely to be disciplined than white children. This dynamic is a large part of the reason that our public schools have become pipelines for penitentiaries. Rather than educating black kids, we are criminalizing them, which is why this horrible system must be confronted at all necessary costs.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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This is simply apalling! i cannot believe that a teacher can be so insensitive as to place young children’s psyche in danger by re-enacting an event that was so traumatizing to our race!
This (so-called) teacher should vbe severely reprimended.
And you are correct, Dr. Watkins in your ascertations about our schools targeting young black men in disciplinary actions far more than white children. My sons have experienced it in the Euclid public school system. But believe me, I do not tolerate it and have confronted the issues when they arose, especially if I knew they were being treated unjustly.
Now lately, here in Euclid, there has been an issue with the Euclid police department forcing young black teens from the high school out of the library for the most ridiculous reasons.
My youngest son experienced this just last fall, when he was sitting at one of the tables with his friends waiting for a compputer to become available. He had a small comb that he was using briefly to comb his hair. A white female officer approached him and told him to put the cmb away. He complied. He then stated that she came back to the table and told him to leave. He got up and walked to the vestibule of the library near the doors. It was raining and he said that he was going to wait until the rain slackened up.
She then approached him again and grabbed his arm, again saying that he had to leave.
Now my son admitted that he did snatch away when she did that, which was a natural reaction. But then he left and walked home.
I called the library and asked to speak with that officer. When she came on the line, I began explained what had transpired with my son, and she immediately cut me off, and stated that these kids are always misbehaving and that I had no idea how many kids that she had to throw out that day. I went on to say, that I understand that if a child is doing something distracting to the other patrons, ie being loud, or obnoxious, then of course they should be asked to quiet down or leave. But she tried to overtalk me so I ended the call.
My son is NOT some young thug, and I will NOT allow them to make him out to be so. He is in Navy JROTC at the school and at the top of his class. He’s polite and mannerable and fun to have around.
We discussed it, and I told him not to go to the library for a while, since we have a laptop at home that he can use.
But i have frequented the library all summer and have witnessed how they try to criminalize our young people. I wish that I could get together a group of parents to band together to protest this abuse of our young people. It needs to stop.
Thank you Dr. Watkins for your enlightening articles on topics that are important to us.
As a Social Worker, I am absolutely appalled at the IDEA of a “slave auction” and the isolation of the two black students to partake in this minstrel show. Then to add insult to injury, disciplining the student that decided to speak up for himself. I agree with your analysis that “we are supposed to simply thank our lucky stars that we’re not slaves anymore.” The Jewish community would NEVER tolerate such portrayals and I can’t imagine a teacher in this country that would think such was appropriate. I find as African-Americans we are expected to “get over and move on” while the Jewish community is embraced for the “know your history and never let them forget so that it is not repeated” ideology. Thank you for bringing this news article to light. Ohio has some problems they need to figure out. Where are our supposed leaders? Where are your rap starts and NBA players? Where are your CEO’s? Where are the protesters? This entire world is under siege and this country is on track for hell in a hand basket with gasoline hot pants.