Judd Legum1. A elementary school in Florida has banned a 1998 Disney film about civil rights hero Ruby Bridges, pending a "review."
I've obtained documents revealing exactly how this happened.
Follow along if interested.
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2. At just six years old, Ruby Bridges was the first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. It was not easy. She faced a mob of protesters screaming racial slurs and had to be escorted by federal marshals.
3. For years, schools in Pinellas County, Florida, have shown the film about Bridges as part of their Black History Month curriculum. Two weeks before the film was shown, parents were sent a trailer of the movie and asked to sign a permission slip.
4. According to a spokesperson for the Pinellas County Schools, out of 60 second graders at North Shore Elementary, "two families opted to not have their student participate in viewing the movie."
The inside story of why a Florida school removed a movie about Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges is a civil rights hero. At just six years old, Bridges was the first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, fulfilling the promise of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. It was not easy. She faced a mob of protesters screaming racial slurs and had to be escorted by federal marshals. White parents wouldn't allow their children to share a classroom with Bridges, so she was taught alone. She could only bring food from home because federal marshals were worried that Bridges would be poisoned.
5. One of the parents who opted her child out of the movie was Emily Conklin.
But for Conklin, this wasn't enough.
On March 6, Conklin filed an official objection seeking to ban the Ruby Bridges film for all second graders — and even much older students.
6. On the form, which was obtained by http://popular.info, Conklin says the "theme or purpose" of the Ruby Bridges movie is "racism."
Conklin claims the result of a child watching the film would be to "teach them racial slur [sic]" and that "white people hate black people."
7. Conklin also objects to the movie being "very aggressive" about "the anger/racism of these white people."
She also admits to only watching the first 50 minutes of the movie.
8. Conklin's objection form also contains misleading information. She says she learned the film was NR ("Not Rated") suggesting that it may contain material entirely unsuitable for children. The Ruby Bridges movie is actually rated PG. Conklin did not return requests for comment.
9. According to school district policy, after a parent fills out a form like this, a "School-Based Instructional Materials Review Committee" reviews the challenge and decides whether or not whether the material will remain available.
10. Notably, "material in question will remain in use until the School-Based Instructional Materials Review Committee recommends a final decision." That decision can then be appealed to a district-wide materials review committee. There is no time frame for these reviews.
11. Nevertheless, in response to Conklin's objection, North Shore Elementary banned the film from its school pending a review, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
12. In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Pinellas County Schools emphasized that the "movie remains available through the district’s licensed movie library" and is accessible at OTHER schools.
13. The spokesperson, however, acknowledged that Conklin was assured that North Shore Elementary "would not have any future showings [of the Ruby Bridges movie] during this school year" pending the review.
The inside story of why a Florida school removed a movie about Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges is a civil rights hero. At just six years old, Bridges was the first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, fulfilling the promise of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. It was not easy. She faced a mob of protesters screaming racial slurs and had to be escorted by federal marshals. White parents wouldn't allow their children to share a classroom with Bridges, so she was taught alone. She could only bring food from home because federal marshals were worried that Bridges would be poisoned.
14. This isn't the first time that Pinellas schools have ignored procedures and banned material
Earlier this year, the district banned The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison based an email from one parent who claimed it was pornography
Details here: https://popular.info/p/the-inside-story-of-why-a-florida
The inside story of why a Florida school removed a movie about Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges is a civil rights hero. At just six years old, Bridges was the first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, fulfilling the promise of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. It was not easy. She faced a mob of protesters screaming racial slurs and had to be escorted by federal marshals. White parents wouldn't allow their children to share a classroom with Bridges, so she was taught alone. She could only bring food from home because federal marshals were worried that Bridges would be poisoned.
15. Thanks for making it to the end of this thread
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Craig Fisher@juddlegum this platform is controlled by a right wing billionaire?
PEterE@craig @juddlegum John Mastodon has always been a benevolent owner.
sheislaurence@peliopoulos @craig @juddlegum that's what happens when you #crosspost & #fedi people will experience mild annoyance to downright rage, until they go off stroke some #moss or some #cat. I am personally mildly annoyed and I don't have a cat. I am still equally grateful for the thread, but don't believe the author will ever read (and/or engage with) the comments.
Colin Fry@craig @peliopoulos @sheislaurence @juddlegum Was bored enough to check.
The author has not engaged with anybody on Mastodon this year, which presumably means they haven’t even logged on to read any replies.
The repeated digs at the Twitter CEO seem absurd in that context.
@colinfry666 @peliopoulos @sheislaurence @juddlegum right. It would be better to stop giving him the attention he so craves.