A school has come under fire after telling students to pretend they are slaves working on a plantation.
The incident takes place in Mississippi where eighth-graders at Purvis Middle School were asked to pretend they were slaves and write a letter to their families in other American states or Africa as part of the bizarre assignment.
As the Daily Beast reported, the children were also encouraged to tell their families about their “journey to America” and explain what they’re doing when they are not working on the plantation.
The assignment, which was titled ‘Slave Letter Writing Activity’, read as follows:
“Pretend like you are a slave working on a Mississippi plantation. Write a letter to your family back in Africa or in another American state describing your life.
“You may discuss the journey to America, as well as the day-to-day tasks you perform.
“You may also want to tell about the family you live with / work for and how you pass your time when you aren’t working. Write at least 3 paragraphs in your letter.”
After the news of the assignment went viral, people were quick to condemn the instructions and brand the teachers as offensive and insensitive.
Speaking of the matter was also Jeremy Marquell, an activist who works as the social media manager for Black Lives Matter Mississippi.
“I don’t know how a logical person teaches this. Like someone who went to school to teach children could think this exercise was helpful in any way,” Marquell told the Daily Beast.
Meanwhile, however, Lamar County School District appeared to defend the assignment by saying its purpose was not to discriminate but to make students realize just how terrible slavery was, WDAM reported.
As Superintendent Dr Steven Hampton also confirmed, the issue surrounding the assignment has already been taken up with the school’s administration.
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Replaced!