APPLETON, WI (WTAQ)- Frustrations are being heard after an Appleton North High School history assignment addressed slavery in a certain way.
The assignment has brought on lots of questions.
At an event Monday at Family First Ministries, Appleton School Board candidate Brian Farmer said he was taken back by the mindset the students were asked to get into and the questions they were asked to think about.
“When you talk about the benefits of slavery, for crying out loud, what was your mind set? We have to realize that there needs to be some sensitivity to different cultures and different values that people have.”
Student Divine Dupree said she has multiple emotions about the assignment.
APPLETON (WLUK) — Hurt and angry, those were just some of the emotions Appleton North High School student, Divine Dupree, felt after seeing an “offensive” slavery assignment.
“How can an educator that’s supposed to lead the students to a better life, bring up this assignment and make the African Americans lower than the others?” Divine questioned.
Pastor Alvin DuPree said his daughter was upset about the assignment, but said it will be a learning opportunity for many.
“Seeing that particular assignment, it tells me that we still have a lot of educating that we need to do to have more cultural sensitivity to these kinds of issues,” Alvin said. “I think it’s more of ignorance of cultural sensitivity, I think that he’s learned from this.”
He added that the assignment upset many, but the school Superintendent Judy Baseman addressed it well.
“I’d like to conclude and really commend, Judy Baseman and Appleton school district on their response to this particular issue.”
The district did not comment on the outcome of the assignment other than the fact that they will remain sensitive to all students. Baseman addressed the issue on the school web site.
