School apologizes after teacher wore blackface during African history lesson
John Huffman, superintendent of the Victory Christian School system
in Sacramento, Calif., explained to Yahoo Lifestyle in an email: “Last
Thursday our elementary chapel speaker dressed up as a Central African
native woman in order to tell the life story of missionary David
Livingston and his work in Africa in the late 1800s. In an effort to
bring authenticity to her role, she wore a typical native dress and
headdress. She also used makeup to darken her skin tone on her arms,
shoulders and face.
“I
was wrong to allow the use of makeup no matter how innocent the
intentions as it has offended some of my students and parents,” he
wrote. “I should have anticipated that this could be offensive, and I
apologized to my students and parents asking to be forgiven for hurting
them.”
On Jan. 24, the teacher visited the district’s lower school to teach about missionary David Livingston, who visited Africa in the late 19th century, and she darkened her skin for the lesson, according to Sacramento news station Fox 40.
A local California school under fire for allowing the use of Blackface during a presentation. We’re getting reaction from the school superintendent as outrage from students and parents grows. Details at 10 p.m. on @FOX40 pic.twitter.com/M97HSpbcLR— Bridgette Bjorlo (@bridgettebjorlo) January 27, 2019
“I recognize the woman who wore blackface — she is oblivious,” a 19-year-old former student who wants her name kept private, told Yahoo Lifestyle. “It was very upsetting, especially because the kids in that class are so young.”
The former student told Yahoo Lifestyle that an African-American student spoke to the teacher after class to educate her about blackface, and she apologized the next day. “A mother said she would pull her daughter from the school,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
Huffman tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he apologized in an email to families that day and confronted the matter in a school-wide assembly. “I wanted to assure them that I am planning future open discussions about this in our chapels and Bible classes in order to help students and staff understand each other’s sensitivities,” he wrote. “There will be other opportunities scheduled for staff as well as teachers as we all learn from this together.”
The former student told Yahoo Lifestyle that an African-American student spoke to the teacher after class to educate her about blackface, and she apologized the next day. “A mother said she would pull her daughter from the school,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
Huffman tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he apologized in an email to families that day and confronted the matter in a school-wide assembly. “I wanted to assure them that I am planning future open discussions about this in our chapels and Bible classes in order to help students and staff understand each other’s sensitivities,” he wrote. “There will be other opportunities scheduled for staff as well as teachers as we all learn from this together.”
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