MARILYN HALSTEAD
The Southern
MARION, Illinois â More than three dozen people met Monday at the Harry L. Crisp Sports Complex to protest the treatment of a Black Marion High School track athlete by a white female track coach.
The crowd, led by Akeem Petty, a former Marion High School athlete, and Korshawn Johnson, who led Black Lives Matter protests last summer, chanted things like, âBlack students matter!â and âMrs. Baker must go!"Â
Track Coach Sara Baker allegedly called a 15-year-old Amari a âBlack barefooted African from the third worldâ on Wednesday afternoon, according to Amari and her family. The Southern Illinoisan is not reporting the athleteâs last name at the family's request because she is a minor.