What’s up with New Jersey lately?
High schools in the state have faced charges of censorship, and an uproar ensued at a middle school when staff permitted a student to participate in an end-of-year celebration wearing blackface.
Following the latter’s example, the Morris School District’s Frelinghuysen Middle School is facing heat due to its spring chorus concert flyer.
A local clergyman claims the flyer depicts one child in blackface, “rekindl[ing]bad memories of white Morristown teachers reading Little Black Sambo to him decades ago.”
However, others are saying the pamphlet is merely the result of reproducing a color image via a “bad printer,” according to MorristownGreen.com.
District Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast and Frelinghuysen Principal Joseph Uglialoro were quite apologetic at a two-hour public meeting at the school on Thursday: “I am deeply sorry for distribution of the chorus flyer program. I am committed to do better,” Uglialoro said.
Going forward, a supervisor or administrator must approve all materials distributed to the public, a policy that’s overdue, the principal said.
But there was no explanation of who was responsible for the incident, or how it came about.
Pendergrast said he has asked the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights for help with the investigation, and told a questioner he legally could not discuss any disciplinary actions in the matter. He promised four community meetings annually, in response to public requests for followups.
Thursday’s predominantly black audience of several dozen people included representatives of the Morris chapter of the NAACP, the Morris County Human Relations Commission and, Black Lives Matter Morristown.
The Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center and Melanin Minds, an African American student group from Morristown High School, were there, too. …
Morristown High School senior Nicole Williams, co-president of Melanin Minds, suggested [staff] attend “workshops on diversity training and race relations.
“I don’t believe the teacher should be held responsible,” Williams said. “It is a bias our society encourages.”
Army veteran Carl Chiofalo, a parent who is white, said he was “disgusted” by the low turnout of white people at the meeting.
Perhaps, Mr. Chiofalo, that is because many do want to partake of a grievance fest for what is more than likely an honest mistake. I mean, the superintendent is actually seeking assistance from the state civil rights department for an investigation of this matter?
Here’s what most likely happened: If you take a look at the original (color) image in the MorristownGreen.com article and then compare it to the black and white copy (printed on pink paper), you will see that everything got darker, notably the students’ hair. As color printing is rather expensive, the school probably sought to save cash by making black and white copies of the original.
Should whoever made the copies have exercised better judgment? Probably. Getting administration approval from this point forward on such materials is a smart move. But it’s a good bet there was no racial animus behind the flyer.
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