I remember sitting in geometry class in 2005 and the kid in front of me had a “heritage not hate” shirt on depicting 4 “confederate heroes.” One of the “heroes” was Nathan Bedford Forrest. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he knew who Forrest was. (1/6)
He had no clue. I politely informed him of Forrest’s role within the KKK. He said “yeah? so?” and turned back around. This was a school that was extremely racially diverse; however, many of the white students would come to school flying confederate flags in their truck. (2/6)
I also remember that same year standing in the cafeteria before school and a black student bumped into a white student. She apologized but the white student still called her the n-word. Naturally, a fight broke out. (3/6)
A few years after I graduated, a friend who was still a student there told me about rising racial tensions and associated threats of violence that ultimately caused all Dixie Outfitters apparel to be banned from the school. (4/6)
When I attended school there, the school dress code already had banned bandanas on school property due to gang affiliation and associated violence. It took things to escalate to an extreme level, but ultimately the same decision was made about confederate flag apparel. (5/6)
My point is... it is the obligation of the school board to ensure policies create a safe environment where students are comfortable to learn. Sacrificing safety and security for or children in the name of alleged “healthy dialogue” is absurd. (6/6) 🧜🏻♀️
(Sidenote: I did not attend Albemarle County Schools. I attended a school district in the metro Richmond area). 🧜🏻♀️
💄I attended a private school in Richmond City (graduated in 2005) and flag clothing and accessories (belt buckles etc) were commonplace. I remember a group of black students discussing it and on several occasions asked our flag repping “friends” why they chose to wear them
And we were told a cornucopia of excuses. “It’s heritage. The school mascots of sorts are confederate players, why you tripping?” When we further pressed we were told “no body tells y’all to go back to Africa or whatever when y’all wear Kente?! It’s just a shirt”
I’ll never forget, during one of these discussions over lunch, one junior boy cooly glanced over the table at me and flatly said “this isn’t a public Sch, you can certainly leave and go to one of them [public sch] where you feel comfortable”
I remember thinking they’re [the flags] are there too so that underhanded insult landed clearly where he intended. You’re not welcome here anyway and we’re not changing our anything to accommodate your “feelings” and the same had been my experience at all the Schs I had attended
Back then I was 2 steps away from a troublemaker anyway, so since it was “just a shirt” myself & my trouble making male friend decided to go get us some confederate flag gear to sport. Needless to say, his gigantic flag belt buckle got just as much attention as my chambray shirt
If it was just a shirt shouldn’t be an issue right? WRONG asf. Teachers even had something to say. By the end of the week I had a nice little chapel talk lined up to defend & explain our little social experiment & soon after a “cultural sensitivity” speech followed. Just a shirt?
So miss me with that bullshit about it’s just a shirt or it’s heritage. It’s deep rooted in shit that a lot of white people still believe in and cling strongly to. Still. That “heritage” is the same slice of history that demanded society see black people as animals and property.
That “heritage” is the from the same slice of history that called black people niggers and oppressed them. It’s not logical to me that you would hold so strongly to one part of that “heritage” and not sympathize with the “other” parts of it too. Miss me with that bullshit.
But ok, keep defending your treacherous “heritage” in the form of your flags, monuments and whatnot and we’ll keep calling that shit out for exactly what it is... 💄
