Black Middle School Students Given Cotton Pick And Clean During Slavery Lesson

A federal lawsuit accuses the Oak Park Elementary School District in Illinois of racial discrimination. The district sparked outrage after two Black students were given cotton as part of a class assignment about slavery.

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Autumn Shelton, 13, shared with ABC7 Chicago a disturbing incident at Percy Julian Middle School. During a lesson on slavery, her history teacher gave bags of cotton only to Black students. Autumn was then asked to pick and clean the cotton for the entire class period, making her uncomfortable and confused. “She let us pick it for the entire class period. I didn’t really understand why at first, but I knew it didn’t feel right,” the student explained. Following this, Shelton’s mother, Candace Ward, posted a photo of the cotton on Facebook in April, sparking concerns among parents in the Oak Park school district.

The cotton incident was just one of many alleged acts of discrimination detail in the lawsuit, which claims Autumn and her younger sister, Serenity, have faced years of racism in the district. There was a separate incident where a white student called Serenity a racial slur in the fifth grade. Ward brought the issue to the school’s attention but the district allegedly brushed it off.

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Oak Park Elementary School District released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying they were aware of the allegations:

District 97 is aware of a lawsuit recently filed by a parent. The District remains committed to providing an educational environment that is equitable, positive, safe, and free of discrimination. While we do not publicly comment on pending legal matters, we dispute the allegations and intend to defend ourselves.”

The family’s attorney, TiShaunda McPherson, emphasized the need for accountability: “The district needs to be held accountable for the harm done to these children.”

Other parents say they were planning to bring up similar issues at a school board meeting that occurred on Tuesday.