Underground Railroad Reenactment During Field Trip Enrages Parents

[Penny Lane 8,159]

A Connecticut school is facing backlash from parents following a controversial school trip that took place last year.

James and Sandra Baker, parents of a student at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy, said that their daughter was forced to participate in an uncomfortable presentation about slavery.

Testifying at a Hartford Board of Education hearing on Tuesday night--as the Hartford Court reported--the Bakers said that during the "Underground Railroad Reenactment" activity on their then-7th-grader's class field trip, students were called the "N-word." They also said that the children had to pretend to be "picking cotton, like a real slave," hold their heads down and "not make eye contact with the white masters."

The Bakers said that the reenactment was incredibly traumatizing for the child, who is black. They've been fighting the school's decision to participate in the program ever since, according to Hartford's WFSB.

The field trip took place at Nature's Classroom, a 40-year-old residential environmental education program.

Sandra Baker testified that reenactment was so realistic that, at some points, her daughter "did not know if the leaders were joking," and said she was particularly troubled because, "as an African American parent, I carefully consider how my children receive messages about racial identity." According to WFSB, the Bakers had previously filed complaints with Connecticut's Department of Education, Commission on Human Rights, and Office for Civil Rights.

The Baker family isn't the first to express concern about Nature's Clasroom. In 2008, a Nature's Classroom field trip sparked a similar debate in western Massachusetts when Jefferson Street School fifth graders participated in the Underground Railroad activity, according to Teaching Tolerance, a magazine published by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Parents of Jefferson student Maya Saakvitne, who is also black, were upset that white facilitators played the role of "masters" and "bounty hunters." At the time, Gwen Agna, principal of Jefferson Street School, told Tolerance that "at least 50 percent of graduating 6th graders cite their Nature's Classroom trip, specifically the Underground Railroad activity, as one of their favorite school experiences."

Nature's Classroom is a longstanding program that has received several educational awards for its programs.

John Santos, the Executive Director of Nature's Classroom, told The Huffington Post that, while he regrets that the Baker's child had such a negative experience, "we are not in the business of creating harm, physically or emotionally but the legitimacy of the activity needs to be judged by individual participants at all grade levels." He also pointed out that the Underground Railroad activity is just one of over 500 programs available; the school chose to participate in it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/19/underground-railroad-reenactment-field-trip-james-sandra-baker-hartford_n_3956232.html

[RGinWA 816]

I mean what do you say to that? LOL

If I worked at the school there is no way in hell I'm not complaining about that idea at the teachers planning session. "Excuse me, yeah...um you're all batsh!t crazy."

I hope the school has some deep pockets.

Good stuff...

[Danno 1,228]

It would seem with each passing year the need to dig open wounds and scabs becomes an even greater obsession, I keep waiting for it to crest but I doubt it will be anytime soon.

If people want to know what real slavery was why not read the words of real slaves whose storied were documented by the library of congress?

Hundreds of these people told there stories under this project and very few reflect the dramatics we see in programs like this and movies being released.

You can get these testimonies for almost nothing (used on amazon) in a series of books.

http://www.amazon.com/We-Lived-Little-Cabin-Yard/dp/0895871181/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379702159&sr=8-1&keywords=we+lived+in+a+cabin+in+the+yard

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I was trying to leave this one alone. Since I know if I post it, I'm race baiting. Glad you read it.

[decocker 7,198]

there's a ton of civil war history around here. tons of battlefields/old buildings that are now tourist attractions. when i was in middle school we went to the hollingsworth mill. on our tour, they took us out back and started talking about how the slave living conditions, etc. At the very end the guy starts telling ghost stories, odd happenings from the employees who now work in the main house. then he says, hope we're not making any spirits angry by standing right where they buried their slaves. took a second to sink in, but there were no markers (of course). we were standing on unmarked graves like it was nothing. we started moving back towards the main house and the guy was all, are you guys scared of some ghosts? and one kid said, no - i just don't know if i might be stepping on a relatives' grave right now - thanks. i've always thought that was a pretty f-ed scenario - considering it was part of the tour.

[duraaraa 203]

Forget the field trip -- just show the kids Django.

[decocker 7,198]

these were the days of pulp fiction, not django.

there's a wax museum in harper's ferry that depicts john brown's raid. i went on a field trip there as a kid and took my son there a couple summer's ago. it's still shite your pants creepy.

[duraaraa 203]

these were the days of pulp fiction, not django.

there's a wax museum in harper's ferry that depicts john brown's raid. i went on a field trip there as a kid and took my son there a couple summer's ago. it's still shite your pants creepy.

My kids love Tarantino movies, despite not speaking English. I'm still a little scared to show them Pulp Fiction or Four Rooms, though.

[Niblet 22]

we need more of this actually,,most folks want to bury the past but we need to remember history or we will repeat it,,but liberals just dont get that

I collect WWII Nazi memorabilia,,as well as US and Japanese,,,

Edited September 20, 2013 by Niblet

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

we need more of this actually,,most folks want to bury the past but we need to remember history or we will repeat it,,but liberals just dont get that

I collect WWII Nazi memorabilia,,as well as US and Japanese,,,

There are ways to remember history without calling kids the n word. And I'm pretty sure there isn't a black person alive in America who doesn't know about slavery one way or another.

[Niblet 22]

so why is it okay to say "#######" like snoop dogg says constantly in his songs,,,,but if say "**er*" then all hell breaks loose"?

I cant believe what I'm reading,,,now you want to make history all nice and warm and fuzzy so it doesnt ruffle anyones feathers??

you Libs never cease to amaze me

Edited September 20, 2013 by Niblet

[duraaraa 203]

so why is it okay to say "#######" like snoop dogg says constantly in his songs,,,,but if say "**er*" then all hell breaks loose"?

I think it's the intention behind the word, and not the word itself.

[Niblet 22]

I think it's the intention behind the word, and not the word itself.

CAn I quote you next time Im in compton or downtown ATL????

[duraaraa 203]

CAn I quote you next time Im in compton or downtown ATL????

Are you looking for a way to call someone a derogatory name without them getting angry at you?

[RGinWA 816]

CAn I quote you next time Im in compton or downtown ATL????

Yeah if you have health insurance.

so why is it okay to say "#######" like snoop dogg says constantly in his songs,,,,but if say "**er*" then all hell breaks loose"?

I cant believe what I'm reading,,,now you want to make history all nice and warm and fuzzy so it doesnt ruffle anyones feathers??

you Libs never cease to amaze me

Does Snoop teach school now? Am I missing something? I thought he was an entertainer?

And all the fuming over the word Cracker in court, now this is ok? This is funny.