Queens Parents Say Their Kids’ Reports On Malcolm X Were Rejected Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Queens Parents Say Their Kids’ Reports On Malcolm X Were Rejected

NOTE: This is why we need a structured curriculum and teacher training that centers on Black/Latino Culture and History. Demand that the new Chancellor implement this progressive education policy by the Fall of 2014!!

 

Added by daphne R on February 11, 2014.

By David Bloodsaw

The New York Daily News reports that fourth grade teachers at Public School 201 in Flushing Queens forbade their students to write about Malcolm X for Black History Month. The educators termed that Malcolm X was “violent” and “bad.”

The unofficial mandate came from fourth grade teachers at the Flushing, Queens’ elementary school. A parent complained to the principal at the school that her son was unable to write about the assassinated civil rights icon upon his teacher’s behest. The parent Cleatress Brown, informed the principal Rebecca Lozada of the details of the incident. Brown said that the teachers are imposing their own opinions on the students. Ms. Brown instructed her son to write about Malcolm X anyway and submit the report. She said, “That’s called learning.”

Another student from a different class was given the same aforementioned mandate. He was very upset that he couldn’t pen a report about Malcolm X.  Angel Minor, the student’s mom said that this was disrespectful to our history. This particular student is in a Technology Class and the teacher looked up some information on Malcolm and deemed he was too violent and not age appropriate. The educator has since apologized to the parents.

The children were given a list of individuals pertinent to black history they could write about for Black History