A Virginia teacher is under fire after they forced their students to pass around raw cotton during a history lesson, WUSA 9 reports.
The incident unfolded earlier this month at Riverside High School in Loudoun County during a U.S. history lesson about the invention of the cotton gin and slavery. Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) confirmed that a teacher passed around a piece of raw cotton during the lesson.
Pastor Michelle Thomas, the president of the Loudoun County NAACP, said she received calls from several parents of Black students who were humiliated and embarrassed by the situation.
“The kids began making jokes about Black people being enslaved, and it was humiliating and deeply embarrassing for the students involved,” Thomas said. “That’s why they reported it.”
As the cotton was being passed around, some students in one section of the class refused to hand the cotton to their Black peer, according to Thomas. The students called the incident “disgusting.”
“It was a poor demonstration. If she was going to demonstrate or show symbols of, you know, Swastika, she wouldn’t bring in a sticker,” Thomas said. “I’m not bringing in the Klan hood, I’m not bringing in, you know, the robe of the Klansman. I’m not gonna do that. So, the demonstration, it was, it was of poor taste and judgment, and not only that, it was culturally insensitive.”
LCPS acknowledged the incident in a statement.
“LCPS Administration is aware of a history lesson at Riverside High School which occurred last Thursday. The lesson was in a US History class and involved a discussion surrounding cotton, the invention of the cotton gin and enslavement. As part of the discussion, the teacher passed around a piece of raw cotton. The lesson was upsetting to some students. This is contrary to what we believe the teacher – and LCPS – strive to accomplish in our classrooms. It is the division’s intention to achieve a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. That is not what happened here and we must and will do better.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.
