Latest news with #AdrieneLanier
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parents outraged after ‘whites' and ‘colored' signs are posted above water fountains in Georgia elementary school
A Georgia elementary school is facing furious backlash from parents after their students were subjected to signs on campus reading 'whites only' and 'colored only.' Students reported seeing the signs above water fountains and in the cafeteria at Honey Creek Elementary in Conyers, Georgia, southeast of Atlanta, according to local outlet WSB-TV. School officials said a teacher put up the signs as part of a history lesson on Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to desegregate a U.S. school in 1960 at just six years old. 'The district provides teachers with curriculum documents that include recommended and vetted resources and activities,' Principal Adriene Lanier wrote in a message Wednesday to parents. 'In this instance, the teacher did not adhere to the approved resources or recommended lessons provided by the district.' While 'we do not believe there was any ill intent, the activity was not included in the teacher's submitted lesson plan and was not approved by school administrators,' Lanier added. But parents and community members called the move unacceptable. 'My son was over a water fountain drinking, and there was a 'for colored only' sign above and he was made fun of by the other children,' one parent told WSB-TV. 'To me, that's not a history lesson.' 'Things can be taught in a way that doesn't inflict trauma on children,' another parent told the outlet. That parent asked WSB-TV to keep her name private over concerns about racist backlash: '[I'm] trying to limit as much backlash as I can, because I know there are racist individuals in this world unfortunately,' the parent added. The Rockdale County and Georgia NAACP chapters have both condemned the teacher's signs, calling it an 'act of racial hostility that reopens wounds still felt by generations of Americans who have fought, and continue to fight, for equality and dignity.' 'This moment demands more than outrage — it demands action," the chapters said in a joint statement. 'Accountability is non-negotiable. But accountability alone is not enough. This moment must spark comprehensive, systemic change.' The chapters called on the Rockdale County School District to implement changes to their training and education programs, including 'mandatory anti-racism education rooted in historical truth,' 'mandatory anti-racism education rooted in historical truth,' and 'transparent engagement with parents and stakeholders, rooted in trust, equity, and repair.' The Independent has contacted the Rockdale County School District for comment.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Parents outraged after ‘whites' and ‘colored' signs are posted above water fountains in Georgia elementary school
A Georgia elementary school is facing furious backlash from parents after their students were subjected to signs on campus reading 'whites only' and 'colored only.' Students reported seeing the signs above water fountains and in the cafeteria at Honey Creek Elementary in Conyers, Georgia, southeast of Atlanta, according to local outlet WSB-TV. School officials said a teacher put up the signs as part of a history lesson on Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to desegregate a U.S. school in 1960 at just six years old. 'The district provides teachers with curriculum documents that include recommended and vetted resources and activities,' Principal Adriene Lanier wrote in a message Wednesday to parents. 'In this instance, the teacher did not adhere to the approved resources or recommended lessons provided by the district.' While 'we do not believe there was any ill intent, the activity was not included in the teacher's submitted lesson plan and was not approved by school administrators,' Lanier added. But parents and community members called the move unacceptable. 'My son was over a water fountain drinking, and there was a 'for colored only' sign above and he was made fun of by the other children,' one parent told WSB-TV. 'To me, that's not a history lesson.' 'Things can be taught in a way that doesn't inflict trauma on children,' another parent told the outlet. That parent asked WSB-TV to keep her name private over concerns about racist backlash: '[I'm] trying to limit as much backlash as I can, because I know there are racist individuals in this world unfortunately,' the parent added. The Rockdale County and Georgia NAACP chapters have both condemned the teacher's signs, calling it an 'act of racial hostility that reopens wounds still felt by generations of Americans who have fought, and continue to fight, for equality and dignity.' 'This moment demands more than outrage — it demands action," the chapters said in a joint statement. 'Accountability is non-negotiable. But accountability alone is not enough. This moment must spark comprehensive, systemic change.' The chapters called on the Rockdale County School District to implement changes to their training and education programs, including 'mandatory anti-racism education rooted in historical truth,' 'mandatory anti-racism education rooted in historical truth,' and 'transparent engagement with parents and stakeholders, rooted in trust, equity, and repair.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NAACP releases statement on 'Whites Only' water fountain incident
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — The Georgia NAACP has released a statement regarding the 'Whites Only' water fountain incident that occurred on Wednesday at Honey Creek Elementary School in Rockdale County, Georgia. The statement read in part: 'The Georgia NAACP and The Rockdale County NAACP are appalled and heartbroken by the deeply disturbing incident at a Rockdale County school, where a water fountain was defaced with a sign reading 'White Only.' This isn't just an act of ignorance—it's a chilling echo of our nation's darkest chapters. It is a stark reminder that the legacy of segregation is not history for many—it is still a lived reality.' In a letter to parents and guardians, Honey Creek's Principal Adriene Lanier called the incident a 'social studies activity based on a historical figure in American history that was not approved.' The school lesson was reportedly about Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to desegregate an all-white public school in the south. The Georgia and Rockdale County chapters of the NAACP say they 'stand in solidarity with every student who felt devalued, every parent who felt betrayed, and every educator who believes in justice.' The incident is still under investigation from the school district. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Colored only' signs at school draw outrage, GA parents say. District responds
A Georgia school district is investigating after parents raised concerns over segregation-era signs displayed inside an Atlanta-area elementary school, news outlets reported. Signs reading 'For Whites Only' and 'For Colored Only' were reportedly posted in a cafeteria and above water fountains at Honey Creek Elementary School in Conyers, parents told WSB-TV. School leaders explained the signs were part of an unapproved social studies activity, but it did little to quell public scrutiny, WXIA reported. Parents voiced their concerns at a recent Rockdale County School Board meeting, prompting district leaders to take a closer look at the incident, the station reported. In a statement, Rockdale County Public Schools said it has taken 'appropriate action to address the reported information' but declined to comment on the matter further, according to WANF. Principal Adriene Lanier addressed the incident in a letter to parents on April 23, saying it involved a social studies lesson on civil rights activist Ruby Bridges, WSB-TV reported. Bridges was the first Black child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana in 1960. 'The district provides teachers with curriculum documents that include recommended and vetted resources and activities,' Lanier said, as reported by the station. 'In this instance, the teacher did not adhere to the approved resources or recommended lessons provided by the district.' It's not clear if the teacher will face disciplinary action. McClatchy News reached out to Rockdale County Public Schools for more information April 24 but didn't immediately hear back. District leaders said the teacher had no ill intent but acknowledged the classroom lesson wasn't appropriate, according to WXIA. In a statement, The Georgia NAACP said it was 'deeply disturbed' by the incident and argued that the signage evoked a 'painful legacy of segregation and racial injustice.' 'We call upon the Rockdale County School District to take swift and transparent action — not only to hold those involved accountable but to implement district-wide anti-racism education, cultural competency training for staff and students, and spaces for open dialogue led by trusted community leaders,' the organization said. Conyers is about a 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Atlanta.
