What's happening at St. Georges high after photo of student in blackface stirs emotions

For months a photo of a grinning teen made the rounds at St. Georges Technical High School leaving his classmates hurt, angry — some even walked out of class in protest.

The image was of a white teen in blackface. It was taken at an off-campus event last fall as he and another white teen posed for the photo that went viral sparking an upheaval at the school and opening wounds that have plagued other institutions where the racist practice has reared its head.

When school administrators found out about the image last month, the St. Georges student was disciplined. But for many in the community, this was not enough.

"The use of blackface, with its deeply rooted history of racism and dehumanization, not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes, but also inflicts pain and trauma upon Black individuals and communities," Middletown Odessa Townsend NAACP President Lisa M. Bynum wrote in a letter to St. Georges' principal, Chad Harrison. "It is a stark reminder of the systemic racism and prejudice that continue to plague our society, even within educational institutions that should serve as bastions of inclusivity and respect for all."

Bynum's letter encouraged St. Georges Tech, and New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, staff to engage with the affected community, including students, parents and community organizations "in an open and transparent dialogue about how to foster a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion within the school environment."

School administrators have begun efforts to resolve some of these issues, including hiring a consultant to review discipline processes and procedures, as well as help repair damaged relationships the incident created. NAACP officials said they continue to monitor the matter.

"We continue to be in contact with parents who have concerns and I'm sure that we will be making our presence felt at one of the next school board meeting," Freeman Williams, president of the Newark NAACP, said.

The troubling history of blackface

Blackface traces its origins to minstrelsy, a popular form of 19th-century entertainment that mocked plantation slaves. The performances, according to USA Today, have been condemned as offensive by members of the Black community, including abolitionist Frederick Douglass, since they began.

Civil rights organizations have also publicly condemned the practice for decades, saying it dehumanizes African Americans by reinforcing racial stereotypes.

About half of Americans (53%) think it is generally unacceptable for a white person to darken their skin to appear to be a different race as part of a Halloween costume, but nearly a third said doing so is always or sometimes OK, according to a Pew Research Center survey from 2019.

Wearing the costume of a character that's a different race can be fine, but adding features like blackface, different hair or putting on tattoos can be insensitive, Mia Moody-Ramirez, a professor and chair of the Baylor University Department of Journalism, told USA Today.

Backlash from blackface photos surfacing

Several high-ranking Virginia politicians faced backlash in 2019 for wearing blackface in the past.

Gov. Ralph Northam said he wore blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume in 1984 and Attorney General Mark Herring admitted he darkened his face to look like an African-American performer in college. There were calls for both Democrats to resign, but neither did.

That same year, Republican Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned the same day that photos from a Halloween party in 2005 surfaced showing him in blackface mocking survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

High-end brands have also fallen victim to misguided design choices that have incensed and raised questions about how such offensive imagery was approved in the first place.

Prada, in 2018, said it was pulling an animal charm and related products from its line after criticism that the trinket used imagery reminiscent of blackface.

Gucci's wool balaclava jumper sparked outrage on social media in 2019 for appearing to mimic blackface, causing the company to apologize and remove the product.

What St. Georges is doing

While New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District officials are not saying how the St. Georges' student was disciplined, Bynum's letter said the teen was suspended for a few days. Bynum did not respond to an email seeking comment.

"We are extremely disappointed that this incident was only punished with a two-day suspension," Bynum's letter said. In addition to the punitive component, we believe that the implementation of HB 198, which mandates African American history be included in the general curriculum would educate students on the historical impact and pain caused by this action."

The House bill, signed into law in 2021, requires each school district and charter school to establish and implement a curriculum on Black History for students in kindergarten through the 12th grades. This legislation incorporates contemporary events into discussions of Black History and the tools of experience.

The legislation was supposed to be implemented during the past school year.

In March, shortly after St. Georges' administrators learned of the photo, the school's principal wrote a letter to parents.

"In the photo, one of our students was depicted in a manner that is extremely harmful and hurtful to others," Harrison said. "Simply put, it is in direct violation of our core values."

The letter went on to say that once they learned about the photo, they launched an investigation and addressed it "appropriately and in a manner consistent with our findings." He also provided a copy of the district's code of conduct handbook, referring parents to pages 47 through 56 — a lists of violations and disciplinary actions.

Harrison wrote another letter to parents last week, days after about a quarter of the student body walked out in protest.

"On Monday, approximately 25% of our students chose to participate in a peaceful demonstration to express their concerns and advocate for change," Harrison said in his April 12 letter. "Staff members were present throughout the school and in the football stadium to ensure students' safety and support their right to peacefully assemble."

"We have hired a consultant who has already begun reviewing the school's discipline processes and procedures," he added. "The consultant will work with our Student Advisor's Office for the remainder of the school year to support their work and ensure consistency and transparency."

Harrison said they are coordinating with two additional external consultants:

• The first consultant will train and support specific staff members to facilitate our student focus groups. These focus groups will give students the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and personal stories to help us understand their experiences at St. Georges. The focus groups started this week and will continue throughout the school year. The information collected will inform the school's long-term plan.

• The second consultant will lead restorative circles to help repair any damaged relationships that have resulted from this situation.

• The school is also launching SAFEDE, by STOPit Solutions, on May 1. Students, parents and staff will have access to the SAFEDE mobile app, which has several key features, including the ability to anonymously report anything of concern. Through the app, a school designee can engage in two-way anonymous communication with the individual sharing the concern to enable school officials to investigate the concern further.

"We are committed to ensuring that St. Georges is a supportive, equitable, and safe place to learn for all students," Harrison said.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: St. Georges promises action after student blackface photo surfaces