Activism

NAACP Call for More Data Collection: High School Students Taught a Lesson for Holding ‘Mock Slave’ Auction

African American students make up a small fraction of the student body at River Valley High School, which is predominantly Hispanic. According to school data, there are only 31 African American students at the school out of an enrollment of 1,801. There are 760 Hispanic/Latino students enrolled.

Published

2 years ago

October 15, 2022

Oakland Post

“Mock slave auctions and other racist actions on the sports field have been occurring with an alarming and increased frequency in schools throughout California,” said Rick L. Callender, president of the California/Hawaii NAACP.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

Athletes at a northern California high school are the latest group of students to be punished for a racially insensitive prank.

Football players at River Valley High School in Yuba City were seen in a video acting out a “slave auction” involving their Black teammates. In the video, which was posted to Twitter, the African American students are seen stripped to their underwear and paraded into the locker room where their teammates are yelling and jeering at them.

This prank cost the football team its season because the players featured in the video have been barred from participating in games. The football team now doesn’t have enough players to field a team.

Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi said the video reflected poorly on the school district.

“Re-enacting a slave sale as a prank tells us that we have a great deal of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact,” said Osumi in a press statement.

“They may have thought this skit was funny, but it is not; it is unacceptable and requires us to look honestly and deeply at issues of systemic racism,” she said.

These kinds of incidents happen regularly. Earlier in the month, Amador High School, also in northern California, had to cancel its football season after school authorities found several players were involved in a Snapchat thread called “Kill the Blacks.”

A similar event happened back in 1997 when a Torrance teacher tried to enact a slave auction. Student Natalie Jackson complained to her mother, who took the issue up with school administrators and the press.

Jackson said she went public with a video because she wanted to inspire change.

“Some say that I am overreacting, but they didn’t have this experience,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t want to go back to my U.S. history class, but I am going back. I am going to do my work and everything that I am supposed to do, be strong and face the music. Maybe my action will break some barriers.”

“Mock slave auctions and other racist actions on the sports field have been occurring with an alarming and increased frequency in schools throughout California,” said Rick L. Callender, president of the California/Hawaii NAACP. “The CA/HI NAACP will be pushing the State to collect data statewide so that we can understand the prevalence of how often the activities are occurring in schools throughout California.”

Callender called on California high schools to ensure the safety of Black students and continue educating all students about the importance of Black history.

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Activism

Obituary: Social Justice Leader, the Rev. Cecil Williams, Passes at 94

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family. He was 94 years old.

Published

24 mins ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

The Rev. Cecil Williams, civil rights activist and social justice leader was the head pastor of San Francisco’s non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church.

By California Black Media

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family.

He was 94 years old.

The reverend was a civil rights leader who advocated for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in the Bay Area.

Williams was the head pastor of the non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church. The church welcomed individuals from the queer community and people struggling with homelessness, housing instability and substance use disorder (SUD).

Through his work, Rev. Williams attracted national attention. Prominent political and cultural leaders such as Maya Angelou, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton all attended church services at Glide.

Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) said she is deeply saddened about the passing of her dear friend.

“The Reverend changed the lives of millions through radical love, support, inclusivity, and a commitment to service to the most marginalized,” Lee said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the reverend inspired people across California to embody the values of generosity and acceptance.

Rev. Williams was, “a visionary leader whose legendary compassion and love for his community transformed the lives of people from all walks of life,” Newsom said.

Rev. Williams served as the chief executive officer of the Glide Foundation until his retirement in 2023.