Past dress-up events at the school have included “Hawaiian Night,” where students wore Aloha shirts, and “Hillbilly Night,” both of which, according to students and parents, were passed without notice. Gangsta Night appears to have been haphazardly and last minute organized and has not gone through an approval process with the school. dr. Andrews, the superintendent, said “We wouldn’t have authorized that as an appropriate theme” had the idea been presented to administrators.
For Mr. Summers, who was hired last year, it was an uphill climb as a black man trying to explain to white parents and students why the costumes went beyond harmless entertainment and instead come across as offensive.
“Some of these adults say, ‘Oh, you’re just making a fun thing that kids do about clothes like a big deal,'” he said. “But it’s a big problem. Let me ask you a question: Are you seen as a threat in those clothes and are you stopped by the police and harassed? If I do it, I’ll be torn apart.”
He reasoned that part of the problem is the lack of diversity in the school and the wider community. “It’s wrong, I don’t like it,” Mr. Summers said. “But if they never learned that this is wrong, they won’t know.”
Although nearly four months have passed since the divisive event, not much has changed at the school in terms of new race policies or even ongoing dialogue. Mr Summers said a school meeting was held to discuss the matter, but participation was optional. Most students, parents, teachers and administrators seem reluctant to talk about what happened.
On a recent winter afternoon, a group of white students waited to be picked up by their parents in the parking lot behind the school. Those who spoke to a reporter did not want to share their last name. Drake, 15, attributed Gangsta Night to a misunderstanding, saying its aftermath was a teachable moment and students would be more careful in the future.
Adele, 18, added that students were just trying to be more creative with their theme night ideas. Hillbilly Night, she explained, was about their own community, where most people live in rural areas and on farms.
