Florida students pose with racial slur. That’s no middle-school joke. It’s racism | Editorial

The six middle-schoolers lined up in what appeared to be their school courtyard. Each held large letters that looked like they were part of an art project or a cheerleading routine — starting with an N and ending with E-R.

Some letters were covered in watermelon or zebra motif.

A couple of the boys smiled, as if they thought it funny to pose for a photo spelling out the most hurtful racial slur in America. All of the six students in the photo taken at Hidden Oaks Middle School, in Palm City, Florida, were white.

It’s unclear when the photo was taken; it was brought to school officials’ attention Monday after it began circulating on social media. Tuesday afternoon, the Martin County School District confirmed the picture is authentic and expects a full investigation and interviews with potential participants to be completed in about 48 hours, according to a statement posted on Facebook.

To some, uttering or displaying a slur that was used to oppress African Americans might feel like a taunt, a sign of defiance in the face of political correctness. But racism has real-life consequences that can be deadly.

Authorities say a self-avowed white supremacist opened fire at a supermarket in a Black community in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 people. The 18-year-old alleged shooter targeted Black people and was fueled by a racist conspiracy theory that white people are being replaced by people of color, according to police. Scrawled on his weapon was the same racial slur the boys spelled out.

That a group of middle-schoolers thought it acceptable to pose for such photos signals something disturbingly embedded in our culture that we have yet to eradicate. That some Americans continue to use the slur in private doesn’t make it any better.

It might be easy to chalk up this incident as teenage ignorance — “They hear the word in rap songs all the time,” we can imagine the social-media comments or Fox News hosts saying. But this is more than kids not knowing any better. Interpreting this in any way other than plain old racism is dangerous. White supremacy must be called out for what it is.

The Martin County School District said in the statement that it will “mete out appropriate disciplinary consequences to any students who participated in this behavior, pursuant to the District’s Code of Student Conduct.” How will officials assure Black students and their parents they are protected from having a racial slur used against them? How will it assure that student understand the seriousness of this word? Although Martin County, just north of Palm Beach County, is predominantly white, the area also is home to historic Black communities.

Unfortunately, some school districts will think twice before turning such incidents into a “teachable moment.” Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for and signed a law this year, titled “Stop WOKE Act,” that bans classroom lessons that compel a student to believe he or she “bears personal responsibility for and must feel guilt, anguish or other forms of psychological distress” for racist acts committed in the past by other white people.

That makes already difficult classroom conversations about race even more of a minefield for schools fearful of being sued under the law. If we’re going to ignore racism, then we must be ready for its ugly head to rear.

This story was originally published May 18, 2022 at 6:00 AM.