To climax Black History Month, students made posters of prominent African Americans selected by their teachers for a parade at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary.
There was a whole list of people, said student Jocelyn Diaz.
"The one that we did was Scott Joplin and Sam Cooke," said Diaz. "There were a lot of them."
There were many options, yet three teachers chose figures that have the community in an uproar: A felon, O.J. Simpson; flamboyant cross-dressing performer RuPaul; and Dennis Rodman, former professional basketball star.
African American leaders want the three teachers, who are Caucasian, fired. The teachers teach first, second and fourth grades.
Rev. Eric Lee, president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, said the teachers' choices make a mockery of black history, and at a school where the majority of the students are Latino, activists said that only reinforces racial stereotypes.
"Their selection goes beyond ignorance. It speaks to arrogance and racism," Lee said. He added that the teachers' choices were approved by school administration, and said it's clear they conspired.
Mocking Black History Month in the classroom? Not somethin' I'd do. But, hey, outside of the classroom? That's another story. Actually, no one comes off looking so great here, least of all the three teachers. But notice that they're "Caucasian," a convenient fact that adds somethin' extra for the all-purpose civil rights outrage. It makes sense, though, that when a third of the black community is in poverty, and when less than half of black students graduate from high school, civil rights leaders are quick to hail the great movement icons of the past. Naturally, to buck that line'll bring down the wrath for blasphemy. And fire these people? God, that's ridiculously vindictive. But look how fired up folks are at the viddy. Man, it's like NEVER ever step out of line on race, yo!
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