Racist Homecoming Poster Resurfaces In Schools
A racist homecoming poster has resurfaced in a Ohio school, making it the third year in a row similar signs have been used by students.
The beginning of a new school year is a celebratory time for many students. It is met with fall sports, team spirit, and long-standing homecoming traditions. An Ohio school district was ringing in the new school year excited for the upcoming homecoming season, but much of the joyous time has been grimly overshadowed. A student from the Swanton Local School District created a racist homecoming poster in order to ask a girl to the dance.
“If I was Black I’d be picking cotton but I’m white so I’m picking u 4 hoco,” the racist homecoming poster read. The picture was circulated across social media and the district was made aware of it. School officials have condemned the act, taking the opportunity to remind students of lessons on racism, hate, and discrimination. More worrisome to others is the fact that this isn’t the first time this type of poster has popped up in the school setting, as similar homecoming proposals have been reported in the past few years.
Using large poster board signs to ask students to homecoming is a growing trend all across the nation. Many students scour the internet for sweet, witty, and sometimes hilarious ways to ask someone to the big event. But this racist homecoming poster was neither of these things and has left many community members outraged.
Decrying the act, a spokesperson for the Santon school district told WTOL News that school officials are “deeply shocked” that a student and possibly his family would think it okay to make this racist homecoming poster. The district expects local students and their families to view the hateful sign as a lesson and a reminder of respect for all. But given the official statement on how the incident will be reprimanded, some fear the punishment will do little to teach any lesson whatsoever.
The district announced that they contacted the student’s parents and that they would speak with him at school. Given that statement, it is insinuated that he will receive no disciplinary action from the school for creating the racist homecoming poster. Responding to the news story on Twitter, one user noted that they will never take the district seriously if they don’t expel the student. However, another user replied that it isn’t a school issue, adding that it’s the parent’s fault instead.
Similar concoctions of this racist homecoming poster have been documented in the news before. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, an Olathe South High school student in Kansas did the same exact thing. The photo circulated on social media, and the Kansas school principal similarly denounced the action.
The girl seen in the photo holding the sign allegedly received death threats following the incident. Her mother spoke with KSHB News in an attempt to clear her family’s name of any wrongdoing. The mother said that the boy who made the racist homecoming poster was black and added that her daughter was simply caught up in the excitement of being asked to the dance.
The year before that, a group of four students were photographed holding two similar racist homecoming posters in Virginia. One member shared the photo with a friend, who was both saddened and shocked when the girl tried to brush it off as a joke. Left hurt, she felt compelled to share the picture on social media and denounced it.
The racist homecoming poster has resurfaced across America for the third school year in a row. It shed’s light on the growing, contentious debate between those who feel the need for more social justice awareness in schools, and those who object. Despite the debate, these acts make it clear that not everyone is on the same page and understanding of America and its racist history.
