[Editor’s Note: Two perspectives, the first an op-ed, on an unusual event, second graders in a charter school protesting the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson.]
As we try to raise more socially aware children, one question comes to mind: Can you put a minimum age on social activism? A father of a second grader at a New Bedford charter school in Boston wishes he could.
George Borden, a police officer in New Bedford, was furious when he found out that his second-grade daughter was protesting on the school’s sidewalk on Friday. The group of children – between seven and eight years old – were seen holding signs and rallying against police brutality in relation to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.
Mr. Borden has been alerted to the protest when a friend passed by the school and saw the young students around 11:30am, while other students were taking recess. The protest was the work of teacher Shabrina Guerrier, who had gotten permission from principal Emily Stainer. Ms. Stainer agreed to the protest, so long as it would be a peaceful demonstration and could be conducted during recess.Ms. Stainer explained:
“We went over a few things first. Obviously, their safety was our first concern.”
[img]2936|exact|Photocredit: WHDH Screengrab||no_popup[/img]
Will Gardner, the founder of the school, said that a “handful” of students had asked for a protest after they received a lesson about citizenship and the First Amendment. Within the lesson, topics such as racism and diversity were covered – including media events such as Mr. Brown’s death. Parents were informed of this lesson via a notice sent home with the children, and were given the option to excuse their children from it. After the lesson, several students felt inspired and wanted to protest, Mr. Gardner said:
“It wasn’t something the teacher planned. It was something the kids did.
“We discourage our teachers from sharing their own political and religious views with their scholars. We certainly want our scholars to engage in activities that help them to understand what it means to be citizens and what it means to be a democracy.”
Although Ms. Guerrier told her students that they didn’t have to protest if they didn’t want to, Mr. Borden doesn’t believe the idea came from the students.
“I don’t think seven-year-olds can come up with the idea to go out and protest on the street.”
The students were seen holding signs such as “Honk if you want justice” and “Please don’t shoot me.” Mr. Borden, who has been a police officer for 15 years, took offense to the protest – although Mr. Gardner said the protest was not aimed against police.
Mr. Gardner added:
“She was very clear with the scholars that this was not to be an antipolice event in any way.”
Mr. Borden claimed that after the protest, his daughter asked him, “Daddy, do you shoot people?” To add to his fury, Mr. Borden said he found an invitation to a different protest against police brutality in his daughter’s backpack. While Mr. Gardner denies that the school had anything to do with the invitation, Mr. Borden intends to address it with the school further.
Other parents were not so upset. Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent, whose son was also protesting, embraced the demonstration. She said:
“I appreciate the conversation and the discussion at school. I think it’s a relevant topic and I respect the teacher.”
What do you think? Do you think these kids were too young to be educated about topics such as racism and police brutality or do you believe that by informing children early, we help them become more tolerant and socially aware individuals?
Headline: Taking a Second Look
AWR Hawkins of breitbart.com adds:
When cars in Massachusetts drove by New Bedford’s Alma Del Mar Charter School around lunch on Dec. 12, they saw an unusual sight: seven and eight-year-old students standing by the roadway holding signs in support of deceased strong-arm robbery suspect Michael Brown.
School founder and executive director Will Gardner claimed the students came up with idea themselves.
According to The Boston Globe, Gardner said the students came up with the protest idea “after a lesson on citizenship and the First Amendment.” Students from Shabrina Guerrier’s class asked school head Emily Stainer if they could hold the protest.
Ms. Stainer said she went over some things with the students — “obviously, their safety was our first concern” — and then allowed the protest to go forward.
According to NBC’s WHDH, a parent who is also a police officer, Officer George Borden, drove by the school and saw the students lined up in protest. Mr. Borden said: “Having the children off school property without any parental permission slip is inexcusable.” He said he’s spoken to other parents and they were outraged when shown photos of the event.
Mr. Borden said that when his daughter got into the car after the school she looked at him and asked, “Daddy, do you shoot people?”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. He may be contacted directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
