White Teacher Reprimanded

[Poplife]

Who: Ms. Ruth Ann Sherman. Age 27, white, 3rd grade teacher.

Where: Brooklyn's P.S. 75 in the Bushwick neighborhood, mostly black and Hispanic.

What: Taught her kids about accepting racial differences, as well as accepting their own unique racial traits. Used critically acclaimed children's book in her lesson plan.

Problem: She read "Nappy Hair" - a book about a little girl with the "nappiest, the most screwed up, squeezed up, knotted up" hair. Critically acclaimed as an excellent childrens' book both for (a) black children for teaching about self-acceptance; and (b) all children (and adults!) for teaching acceptance of racial differences.

Sherman said they loved it so much 'they clamored for copies to carry with them'. As an eager new teacher, she made some.

The school board convened a public meeting on Monday, November 23, 1998 at which residents of the Bushwick neighborhood, mostly black and Hispanic, hurled racial epithets and profanities at Ms. Sherman as well as verbally and physically threatening her.

The outraged parents had two things in common: (1) They had not read "Nappy Hair", and (2) They were not parents of Ms. Sherman's students. But they had read the flyer and the note about "the white teacher" that had been distributed throughout the neighborhood.

(Taken from http://www.adversity.net)


So how would you all, as black women and men, feel if a white teacher read this book to your 9 year old child?

[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited May 01, 2001).]