in South Carolina, students get teacher's AP lesson shutdown because it makes them uncomfortable

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

A South Carolina teacher's lesson was shut down after students complained they were uncomfortable.


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This past spring, Chapin High School English teacher Mary Wood included Coates' book in her lesson plan before the AP English Language exam, according to lesson plans and documents obtained by The State.

The lesson asked students to analyze Coates' arguments in "Between the World and Me," specifically around systemic racism in America — but students complained that videos they watched before reading the book made them "uncomfortable," according to the documents, The State said.

"I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian," one student said to the school board, The State reported. "These videos portrayed an inaccurate description of life from past centuries that she is trying to resurface. I don't feel as though it is right because these videos showed antiquated history. I understand in AP Lang, we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss."

Another student wrote to the school board that Wood told students she hoped she wouldn't get fired for the lesson, while a third student said the discussions around systemic racism were likely "illegal" in South Carolina, The State said.


The students' complaints prompted the school board and principal to step in, leading to the book being removed from the lesson plan, The State said.

Wood said in the documents that she had taught Coates' memoir the prior academic year with no issue, The State added.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-south-carolina-teacher-had-her-ap-lesson-shut-down-after-students-snitched-that-she-planned-to-have-them-read-ta-nehisi-coates-memoir/ar-AA1cxZ0L

[yardwork]

1. "This topic is too heavy to discuss."

A bunch of spoiled brats who don't want to do their homework and are probably being manipulated by their parents.

[jimfields33]

2. I wanted to write this too.

But English is not really the place to discuss history. Leave that to the expert history teachers. Teach Shakespeare or Chaucer which is in the same subject.

[yardwork]

13. The book is an autobiography.

[keithbvadu2]

6. "...too heavy to discuss." --- for little children. Not so for advanced students.

[intheflow]

12. Too heavy for WHITE students.

The Black kids know full-well this history, and don’t have the privilege to erase it from the curriculum.

Honest to god, why do people learn history and feel guilty? I’m part Italian but don’t get all weepy about Columbus. The problem here is that that’s the way they’ve been treating Black people their whole lives.

[Ray Bruns]

3. The students then suggested viewing the Disney film "Song of the South" as an alternative.

[3Hotdogs]

11. Yeah, That Uncle Remus dude was a fun guy.

And the way B'rer Rabbit handled himself in the briar patch....

Oh. And the crows on the telephone wires in Dumbo. Who could ever forget that one.


Thanks for the memories.

















Yes, Tim. It's sarcasm.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Well, one student should never be allowed near an AP class:

"antiquated history".

[TheRealNorth]

5. "The Odyssey" has implied castration in it....

And that makes me uncomfortable. So, obviously, we must ban Homer as well.

[Beastly Boy]

7. My grandson tells me he is OK with addition, subtraction and multiplication, but division makes him

uncomfortable.

I think I should bring it up with his math teacher, and the teacher better do something about it, or else!

[3Hotdogs]

9. Fractions -- yeah.

FUCK FRACTIONS.

[yardwork]

14. It's too heavy to learn!

[dembotoz]

8. is it safe to assume that Hemorrhoids will never be taught again

they tend to make many people uncomfortable

[llmart]

10. Kid should be ashamed.

For being such a mamby pamby if this is what makes him "uncomfortable". More likely it's the parents speaking through him.

My son took AP English and had to read "The Handmaid's Tale". Then he urged me to read it which I did. This was in North Carolina. I don't remember him ever complaining about anything he had to read, but then again I wasn't a helicopter Mom either.

[gratuitous]

15. All right, one student, I'll play

"I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian," one student said to the school board, The State reported. Elaborate, please. Why did you feel ashamed to be Caucasian? What specific points made you feel that way, and what have you personally done that now makes you feel ashamed to be Caucasian?

"These videos portrayed an inaccurate description of life from past centuries that she is trying to resurface." What is inaccurate in the videos? What did you see in the videos that you know didn't happen? What is your statement based on?

"I don't feel as though it is right because these videos showed antiquated history." Can you please re-cast this sentence so that it makes a lick of sense? Perhaps take a breath and compose yourself and express your feelings in a more coherent manner.

"I understand in AP Lang, we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss." It seems you haven't done very well in developing an argument and I'm not seeing any evidence that you've presented in support of your argument. (You may have been assigned to the wrong class.) But what is too heavy for you to discuss? Would you feel more comfortable expressing yourself in a room of only White people?