A school board member in Arkansas is receiving criticism in his town and online after photos surfaced that showed him in blackface. Ted Bonner is a school board member in Blevins, AK, and he supposedly dressed in blackface and held a sign that read, “Blak Lives Matter” for Halloween, Fox 16 reported.
Parents in Blevins are upset because they think Bonner was mocking the movement and their black children. The international activist movement is titled “Black Lives Matter” and was started in response to police shootings of black men and women. U.S. cops have killed 243 black people in 2016, according to a project by The Guardian that tracks police killings in North America.
“Number one, it’s appalling. Number two, it’s inappropriate for a school board member to disrespect students that he’s over, who are black,” explained Faye Smith, whose two sons attend Blevins High School. “I don’t appreciate the fact that you’re mocking the thing that I’m teaching my boys is something to be proud of,” the mother said. “Being a black man, and then you do this to make them feel like ‘well you’re a joke.'”
The photo was supposedly taken at a Halloween party a few weeks ago. Since then, Bonner apologized at a recent school board meeting, according to Superintendent Billy Lee. For Smith, though, it wasn’t enough. “If you blacken my eye and come back and tell me ‘I’m sorry’ the black eye is still there,” said Smith. “It’s always a reminder of what you did.” She’d like to see Bonner fired. “It’s a little bit hurtful in the way to think my children are being supervised by a person who feels like that is all they’re worth,” Smith added.
Superintendent Lee released the following statement to media outlets following the release of the photos: “This district is deeply committed to creating and maintaining a strong and healthy school culture free of bullying, and any form of discrimination. I have no personal knowledge of any actions by district staff or elected officials. Please rest assured that if it comes to my attention that any staff member has behaved in a way inconsistent with this district’s values and policy of anti-discrimination, a swift investigation and response would be forthcoming.” Bonner can step down on his own, or he can be removed from the board when his term is up in 2018, Lee said.
The issue raises several questions about community standards and expectations of educational professionals. What do you think of the board member’s decision to dress in blackface? Do you think there should be certain standards in place for school board members regarding similar actions? How would you handle this issue in your school district?
