Those are good points Erika. I have no doubt that the teacher had good intentions and I cannot imagine the play's message was in any way supportive of the Klan. And it is true learning through active participation is valuable.
But this is a manifestly stupid idea. It shows a complete blindness to the sensitivities and feelings of people in the community. If the Klan were merely a relic of some distant past, perhaps no one would be upset about this. But they're not. They're active today and people are still being victimized by their bigotry. Those white hoods and sheets are still very much capable of striking terror into the hearts of many of us.
It is important for children to learn about some of the more uncomfortable subjects in history, but it is also important to remember that both children and their parents have feelings as well. The educational value of an exercise like this seems pretty dubious in relation to the potential harm it could cause.
Ms. Black was absolutely right to raise objections, and I congratulate her for doing so in such a level-headed and thoughtful way. The school made the right call to cancel the play, and I hope they will think more deeply about the emotional impact of such "muscular" learning exercises in the future.
Please explain the inappropriate content below.
