‘Hangman’ at Middle School
Published: 2/19/2021 4:30:32 PM
As children, many of us played the spelling game hangman. It seemed innocent enough then, but a clearer look at this seemingly innocuous sketch of a lynching reveals how racism is buried so deeply in our consciousness.
Recently, a teacher at the Greenfield Middle School led a classroom in the game of hangman. The words to be spelled, under the image of a lynching, were Black Lives Matter. The teacher called on a child of color to read the words. The shaming, humiliation and threatening of children of color in their classroom is unacceptable.
Greenfield schools probe lesson critics say was racially insensitive
Greenfield Middle School. Staff File Photo/PAUL FRANZ
Published: 2/19/2021 4:14:44 PM
GREENFIELD An incident alleged to have happened while a Greenfield Middle School educator was virtually teaching her students a unit on Black History Month has prompted a student’s grandmother and a local group to write letters to school officials asking that Greenfield schools focus more on social justice and anti-racism and to respond to the incident.
Assistant Superintendent Judy Houle said the incident, which occurred in early February, involves a personnel matter so she cannot talk about it at this time. She said, “We are aware of the situation and are conducting an active investigation of the matter.”