Utah charter school officials say ‘few families’ have asked their children to be excluded from the Black History Month curriculum
A charter school in northern Utah is allowing parents to opt for students outside the Black History Month curriculum and the decision has sparked debate.
Micah Hirokawa, Academy director Maria Montessori said on the school’s Facebook page on Friday that he “reluctantly” sent a letter explaining that families are allowed to “exercise their civil rights not to participate in Black History Month at school” from a deal with NBC News.
Hirokawa said that “few families” have asked that their children be excluded from classes related to Black History Month, but he declined to provide the exact number of parents or their reasons for making the request.
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“We must not protect our children from our nation’s history, from mistreatment of African American citizens and the bravery of civil rights leaders, but we must educate them about it,” said Hirokawa, adding that the parents’ request saddens and disappoints it.
Academia Maria Montessori, which serves elementary and high school students, incorporates Black History Month into its regular social studies and history classes throughout February, according to Hirokawa.
It infuriates me. This school is ok with spoiling views of racism and white supremacy. If I received that letter, I would be pulling my son and going to another school. Do parents have the right to choose not to participate in white history? https://t.co/VtdTv2Je0r
– Looking for Joy (@JoyRuthann) February 6, 2021
Hirokawa, who is of Asian descent, said his posting on social media runs counter to his personal beliefs. As someone whose great-grandparents were sent to a Japanese internment camp, he said he sees value in teaching children about “the mistreatment, challenges and obstacles that people of color have faced in the United States,” reported NBC News.
Read more: In this Black History Month, how do we understand America’s white eyelash?
Data from the Utah State Board of Education show that of the 322 students attending the academy, only three are black, while about 70% are white.
Some parents disagree with the school’s decision, arguing that giving parents the right to choose not to participate in the Black History curriculum allows racism.
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The post Parents are allowed to remove students from Black History Month classes first appeared on TheGrio.