The Minstrel Classroom
On Thursday February 9, 2017 a Sacramento County Office of Education(S.C.O.E.) teacher, Ms. Ju Park working in a classroom at Bannon Creek Elementary in the Natomas Unified School District played the 1922 version of Little Rascals Our Gang for her 4th through 6th grade Special Education Emotionally Disturbed students.
If you are not familiar with Our Gang the 1922 version of what we know now as Hal Roach’s Little Rascals, it is racist propaganda that exploited black children and assisted in creating negative stereotypes and racist ideology. This episode with a white child in black face was shown to those S.C.O.E. emotionally disturbed students without regard for their emotional safety and well being.
This episode shows the differences between a white child and a black child. The white child is “working hard” learning an instrument, grooming himself and engaging with his loving mother; in contrast the black child is sleeping on a bed of hay, caring for a young black sibling that sleeps under his bed in a box and all without the presence of any loving parent. The black children are also shown devouring watermelon!
Why would an education/mental health professional show this film to black children? Why would ANYONE show this film to ANY child?
On Thursday February 9, 2017 I received a text from my best friend, it included the picture of a black student watching Our Gang with his fist raised in protest. I couldn’t believe it and I desperately needed to understand the context of what I was witnessing. Was there some sort of educational message that I was missing? A black history presentation? I needed answers.
Mrs. Cory has been an educator for 16 years. She works as an intervention specialist and has worked with over eight different intervention youth programs throughout the country. Mrs. Cory is a Para-educator; a teacher’s assistant with S.C.O.E. and was in the minstrel classroom witnessing first hand the racism and bigotry that the students were subjected to watching this film. Ms. Ju Park was the instructor in this classroom that played the film with three para-educators and six students (five of which are students of color). Mrs. Cory is the only instructor of color in the classroom.
Mrs. Cory is the younger sister of my best friend, whom then sent me the photos with a caption “This is happening in 2017!” When I received these pictures, I immediately went to my social media community to demand answers. I included @NatomasUSD @sac_coe @SacCountyCA in those tweets. On Friday morning I called Bannon Creek Elementary and explained what I saw and asked to speak to the principal. The secretary was shocked that this happened and informed me that it is not a Bannon Creek class and gave me the phone number to Eric Crawford, principal of the S.C.O.E. I called him and told him what I knew. Crawford didn't seem to be as shocked and demanded how I got his personal cell phone number. He also asked which child in this class was mine? I exclaimed to him that I am an advocate for all youth and all of those children are mine. Crawford stated he would call me back when he received more information from his staff, I am still waiting over a week for that phone call. Later that day I received a call from Jim Sanders Director of Communication for Natomas Unified School District stating that this is not a Natomas Unified School District class and although he agreed it was inappropriate for children to watch this film that he would like to make sure that @NatomasUSD is not implicated on social media for this incident. Sanders then gave me the number to Tim Herrera Director of Communications for S.C.O.E. and suggested that I reach out to him. When I called Tim Herrera he stated that he had heard all about what happened and offered to investigate the incident and get back to me with a report. I received a reply via twitter from @SacCountyCA that S.C.O.E. is not one of their programs and they tagged @sac_coe in their reply. This is the report Herrera sent me later friday evening.
I shared this report with Mrs. Cory and she broke out into tears stating that this report was all false and that Hererra had not even reached out to her to get her side of the story.
On Friday, the day after this incident Mrs.Cory was harassed and called a snitch by students and teachers. She was also interrogated by Ms. Park asking “Do you know Faith McKinnie?” because “Faith McKinnie reported the incident” to Crawford and “sent a tweet with a photo of buckwheat” Mrs. Cory has been suspended from her position and revoked all access into the S.C.O.E. employee portals for substitute job assignments. After repeated unanswered phone calls to principal and S.C.O.E Administration she has been without work. It is unclear if Ms. Park or the other para-educators in the class were also suspended. Update: As of 2/21/2017 Ms. Ju Park is still instructing in this same classroom and Mrs. Cory is still suspended without a job.
Mrs. Cory received an email four days later from Effie Crush, S.C.O.E. Chief Administrator of Human Resources that stated: due to the ongoing investigation she was suspended from all work with S.C.O.E., but the email never explained to her why she was under investigation. Exactly one week after the minstrel classroom incident Mrs. Cory had a 3-hour “fact finding meeting” with Crawford. Mrs. Cory explained to him what happened and what has been happening for awhile under Ms. Park’s instruction. I was shocked to learn from Mrs. Cory all of the trauma that these students are subjected to on a daily basis by S.C.O.E. staff and administrators.
As of today Mrs. Cory is still suspended from S.C.O.E. without receiving any pay with no return to work date mentioned. Mrs. Cory would like Ms. Park, Mr. Crawford and Mr. Herrera to understand how important this incident is and why it can never happen again.
We must protect our children from bigotry, racism and harmful stereotypes that impede their ability to learn and grow in the classroom. Mrs. Cory and I are working on behalf of the rights of all children to have a safe space for education which is free from systemic racism. We are asking that S.C.O.E. make a formal apology to the students, families and the community. We would also like to see S.C.O.E. further educate the administrators, instructors and para-educators so that no other student is subjected to the pain from a minstrel classroom.
