There’s been a longstanding separation between schools in the city of Chicago and its suburbs. To help bridge that gap, events like the Illinois Junior Classical Convention are held to bring them all under one roof. But during this past weekend at the Westin in Itasca, things took a turn for the worst.

Students of Barrington High School were caught on video performing a skit that included the depiction of a slave auction. Parents and students of the South Side’s Kenwood Academy, some of which were in attendance, were appalled.

The skit included a student with chains attached to his wrist and at one point, according to ABC7, around his neck.

“There were gasps, audible gasps, in the crowd,” Danielle McDaniels, a Kenwood Academy parent, told ABC7.

Both the Barrington school district and the National Junior Classical League have released apologies and condemned the actions that were displayed.

While this incident has been handled in an expedient manner with swift apologies from all involved parties, it still reveals a deeper issue. Students are carrying on traditions of racism either with no regard for the consequences or they genuinely aren’t aware because they aren’t being educated on the matter.

Which begs the question, how involved – or dis-involved – was a teacher to allow this to get to a public forum?

 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons