Photo: CAIR
(WASHINGTON D.C., 3/10/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned an alleged mock “slave auction” of Black students at a school in North Carolina. CAIR also called on the local school board to offer an anti-racist curriculum to students.
A mother in Chatham County said her son experienced a “slave auction” at J.S. Waters school in Goldston last week. A group of white students at the school reportedly auctioned off Black students for money, with one student playing the role of “slavemaster.”
The mother said she had a video of students “harmonizing racial slurs.” The mother said the students who participated in the auction had been suspended for a day, but said no punishment was handed down to those seen in the video.
After returning from suspension, one of the students who allegedly participated in the slave auction reportedly hit one of the Black students with a baseball repeatedly, claiming it was accidental. Other racist incidents, including the use of racial slurs targeted towards Black students, have been reported in the district.
Chatham County Schools recently sent out a community letter condemning the incidents.
SEE: NC students ‘sold’ Black kids during ‘slave auction,’ mom says
Chatham County parent says son target of mock slave auction on school grounds
Chatham County Schools condemns racially sensitive incidents
“Racist acts of bullying and intimidation cannot be tolerated in schools,” said CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison. “We urge the school district to offer anti-racist curriculum to students to help ensure these kinds of alleged hate incidents do not continue to occur.”
