Fresno Unified plans to double down on teaching students about the many aspects of racism and the urgent need to keep campuses safe, following an uproar over racially offensive social media posts that included a Bullard High student posing in blackface.
“It was incredibly heart-wrenching to listen to the stories of our students who shared their pain, not only about the video but about their ongoing need to feel safe and feel heard.” — Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson
District Superintendent Bob Nelson, standing alongside 15 people from inside and outside Fresno Unified, said at a news conference Tuesday that the district led community meetings Monday to address the problem.
“It was incredibly heart-wrenching to listen to the stories of our students who shared their pain, not only about the video but about their ongoing need to feel safe and feel heard,” Nelson said.
First Reported to District by Bullard Student
The offending posts were first reported by a Bullard student on May 24. Freshman Amya Wilson saw the blackface post on Snapchat on May 23. After talking to her mother, she decided to go to the school’s office to report it.
“They were very upset, and as concerned as I was,” said Wilson, who attended the news conference. “They told me it would be handled.”
Nearly a week later, a version of the blackface video, along with a video clip of a student saying a racially offensive word outside what appears to be Bullard High, appeared on Facebook and went viral.
Nelson said Tuesday that “appropriate disciplinary procedures and actions” were imposed against the student Monday. He declined to identify the student, citing federal and district privacy policies.
“We should like cultural competency for students, for staff, for administrators, and the district office,” said Stacy Williams, a community activist who attended the news conference.
Williams also had a hand in bringing the video to light. She said that a student sent her the video last Thursday and she posted it the next day.
Steps Fresno Unified Is Planning
Though Nelson emphasized that racism and cultural insensitivity were not just a problem at Bullard, he laid out initial steps that are planned at the high school.
- Conduct training in cultural sensitivity for the roughly 300 incoming freshmen students at Bullard. The training will happen at a summer “bridge program.”
- Revive a parent advisory board at Bullard that hasn’t existed since 2014.
- Ensure there’s a Black Student Union on campus so “like-minded people can get together to discuss the issues they’re grappling with.”
- Work to double the number of students involved in leadership development.
Parents of Bullard Student Ask for ‘Forgiveness’
Meanwhile, a statement said to be from the parents of the Bullard student who made the racially offensive posts asked for “forgiveness for the pain it has caused.”
According to the statement, the girl was visiting a friend’s home when she painted her face black, then made a video in which she used a racial slur. The video was posted on social media.
“We know the actions of using blackface and racial slurs are not only offensive and hurtful, but also have originated from a terrible history of oppression against African-Americans.” — statement from parents of students who made racist social media posts
“When we learned of this situation, we were distraught,” the statement said. “We know the actions of using blackface and racial slurs are not only offensive and hurtful, but also have originated from a terrible history of oppression against African-Americans. Because of what we teach in our home and the values and faith in God we hold dear, we never thought we would be in a position to see our child say or do something that would cause so much anguish.”
The parents said they “not only imposed consequences in our household, but have submitted to the consequences given by both the school and the district last week.”
A counselor is meeting with the family for training on cultural sensitivity, the statement said.
(GV Wire’s David Taub contributed to this story.)
Leslie
June 5, 2019 at 7:14 am
Black Face Ministrels performers were part of the American culture, it’s IN HONOR of the great early American folk lore. Many performers to honor early black performers would paint their faces black -singer Al Jolson who was Jewish performed in black face as a form of protest and honor of great American Black singers.
African Americans are American History they are a part of it, how about honoring the great white performers like Al Jolson who decided to perform in black face in honor of these great African American performers? Instead of making this into a racial divide lets honor those great American folk songs many of which were written by black slaves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhavaXOynO8
https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-jolson-letter-20150726-story.html
https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/jews-and-blackface-its-complicated/
Its a deep honor to be able to HONOR the GREAT African American performers in black face showing that we are in fact ONE race of people the human race.
Patty
June 5, 2019 at 8:51 am
I don’t think so Leslie.
Dennis Randle
June 5, 2019 at 8:58 am
Some people just don’t get it. Or don’t want to.
Jim
June 5, 2019 at 9:13 am
I guess the Confederate statues honor the brave soldiers as well? Why do you feel the need to push hate, and claim it is “honoring history”? Surprised you didn’t claim they were “very fine people”
Kim
June 5, 2019 at 1:54 pm
Leslie: Have you asked anyone in that community if they feel honored?
Karol
June 5, 2019 at 4:14 pm
I know you can’t possibly believe this girl’s behavior was honoring the black community. I am not sure what your point is about historical prejudices. They were bad at that time, and as we have evolved as a society, we know better today. Read what you have written, and be ashamed.
Leslie
May 24, 2020 at 3:57 pm
The girls behavior was horrid, and her friend egging her on. But you have taken this and covered for this privileged cheerleaders behavior as an attack on the lone white man on the school board who sought to get the cheerleaders to stop their behavior.
Yes, the honoring of black performers by white performers in form of protest was common if any of you know anything about theatrical history or Al Jolson.
Form of protest for those black entertainers that had to flee to Europe (France) to become top billing performers.
The great josephine baker, nicolas brothers etc., all were banned from American theaters had it not been for the protests of the white entertainers.
none of you get it.
The girls parents should be ashamed of them .
Candice
June 5, 2019 at 4:46 pm
Leslie that was not the intent of the Bullard student. Their intent was not to honor African Americans. If you want to honor someone, you must honor them according to their perameters otherwise it’s not honor.