A group of Black students in Georgia say they were suspended from school after officials learned of their planned protest against racism.
According to CBS 46 Atlanta, the demonstration was to take place at Coosa High School, where a group of white students were filmed waving the Confederate flag and allegedly spewing racial slurs. Students say the incident took place during a homecoming spirit day earlier this month, but did not result in any disciplinary action.
“I felt really disrespected how the school didn’t do anything about it and when we are not allowed wear BLM (Black Lives Matter) stuff and they are allowed to carry a racist flag around,” student organizer Deziya Fain told CBS 46.
After learning their classmates would not be punished for their behavior, Fain and her classmate Jaylynn Murray began organizing an anti-racism demonstration. However, the school quickly attempted to squash those plans, and threatened to discipline students who chose to protest on campus. CBS 46 obtained a recording of an intercom announcement that warned students not to participate.
“The administration is aware for tomorrow’s planned protest,” an administrator was reportedly heard saying. “Police will be present here at school and if students insist on encouraging this kind of activity they will be disciplined for encouraging unrest.”
A group of student organizers subsequently went to speak to administrators, as requested, but got into a heated exchange over the planned demonstration. White student organizers said they, too, became argumentative with administrators, but it was only the Black students who were suspended after the meeting.
The protest ultimately took place outside the school on Friday. CBS 46 reports “most” of the protestors were suspended.
“All the African Americans they suspended them, and they didn’t suspend them,” Lilyan Huckaby said as she pointed to white and Latino student demonstrators. “They didn’t suspend me and I was yelling and loud. It’s because I’m white.”
Floyd County School Board Chair Tony Daniel said he and his colleagues have been in touch with the local NAACP chapter to address the incident as well as previous complaints concerning racism in their district.
