by WorldTribune Staff, April 6, 2018
The mother of a second grade student in Raleigh, North Carolina said it was inappropriate for the school to send her child home with a worksheet on “white privilege.”
“He’s 8-years-old. What does he need to know about racism or white privilege?” Amber Pabon said, according to Raleigh’s WTVD.
Pabon said the two-sided worksheet from Hunter Magnet Elementary was in her son’s folder when he came home last month.
According to WTVD’s report, on one side the worksheet discusses white representation in government, the military, media, and education. On the other side, it lists examples of white privilege in society.
Pabon said she believes the content is not proper for such a young child.
“I think the message itself is inappropriate because yes there is racism out here, and they need to learn about it. But let the parents do that,” Pabon said. “Because like I said, if she’s teaching him the way she knows, it could be completely different from the way I know. And me being part of the black community, I know different from how the white community sees it.”
The sheet is titled “Step 3: (Begin to) Understand the Concept of White Privilege.” Pabon said she did not receive any previous steps or forms about the topic.
A brief note at the top of the sheet indicates it is part of an initiative led by the school’s PTA Advocacy Team, the WTVD report said.
It states that the initiative is “focusing on generating awareness and empathy to create a safe and equitable Hunter Community.”
A school district spokesperson told WTVD the information on the sheet is not part of the school’s curriculum, and the sheets are handled by the school’s PTA.
The PTA told WTVD that steps are sent home weekly, and are also e-mailed and posted to the PTA’s Facebook page.
Parents have the choice to opt-out of receiving messages on the subject, which Pabon has since done, the report said.
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