It seems as if #PenceBlackHistory is catching on in the schools. On a serious note, a Georgia mother says that her son was kicked out of school after she questioned an “American history” display that featured white historical figures, along with black history icons, during Black History Month, WSBTV reports.
Kendra Molden, of Lithia Springs, Ga., said she believed that the display, which read “Celebrating American History,” should have focused solely on black history, given the time of year that it is and all.
Instead, there was no mention of black history in a display that showed icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman, but also white figures like George Washington, Jimmy Carter and Walt Disney.
“It really is a slap in the face. It didn’t sit well with me,” Molden told the news station. “We learn about everyone else’s history 11 months out of the year. We have one month.”
On Thursday morning she questioned the display and the message it sent, posting a picture of the display on Facebook. By Thursday afternoon, Molden said, she got a call from the Neighborhood Learning Center, telling her that that day would be her son’s last at the school. Both Molden and her 4-year-old son were escorted out of the school. Molden recorded a video of the incident, in which she can be heard saying, “’Cause I need a reason!”
According to Molden, she never got a reason as to why her son was removed from the school.
“They never gave me a reason, and I asked several times,” she said.
The school declined to respond to WSBTV’s inquiries about the situation, telling the news station that the police would handle it. The sheriff’s office was involved, according to the news station.
And the incident doesn’t end there. Apparently, the teacher who designed the display, who is also black, jumped in on Facebook to respond, writing, “The door states ‘Celebrating American History.’ Pre K has Guide lines that must be followed and news flash Abraham Lincoln freed black people. GO STUDY YOUR HISTORY. We are in a diverse learning institution and we do not discriminate. Dont let ya mouth write you a check that you can’t cash.”
Molden told the news station: “It really hurts me because my son loves school. He’s smart, he’s really smart. He deserves better than that.”
According to WSBTV, the school is privately owned but is a state-funded lottery pre-K, which does accept subsidies from the state’s child care and parent services program.
Read more at WSBTV.