Just as America’s heroes are born and raised into their power, so are its cowards. The children of this country that display and spew hatred towards anyone unlike themselves are evidence of this fact. This past week, a video began circulating of a student using racial slurs while wearing a white hood resembling those commonly worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The video, which included students from Knoxville, Tennessee’s Grace Christian Academy, was later obtained by local NBC station, WBIR. In the video, one student is seated in a chair while hooded, while others can be heard off camera. The word “Grace” can be seen written on the back of the hood, apparently as a nod to the Christian school. At some point, the seated student is commanded to talk by someone outside the frame.
“Who do we hate?” the off camera voice can be heard asking. It seems that both the individual seated, and the voice posing the question both respond with a racial slur in reference to Black people.
The head of Grace Christian Academy, Tony Pointer released a statement on Thursday via Facebook.
“Immediately upon being made aware of an extremely inappropriate and deeply disappointing video yesterday afternoon that violates everything we value, the administration of Grace Christian Academy has taken swift action to meet with all students involved,” he wrote. “Severe disciplinary action has been issued as GCA does not condone this behavior or any form of racism. We will continue to seek truth and enact appropriate discipline.”
Pointer did not specify how many students were involved in the making or distribution of the video, nor did he make clear what type of disciplinary actions would fall upon them.
Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Knoxville area Democrat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, called the video “distressing.”
“The fact that they were so bold and not even a bit embarrassed about this is just shocking,” she tweeted on Thursday. “That they felt comfortable sharing it, means that they thought everyone else would think it was funny also. Who taught them this?”
We certainly have a few ideas.