Kids Write KKK-Themed Christmas Carol About ‘Killing Blacks’ For Homework
Image by Getty Images
Students in a New Hampshire high school sang a KKK-themed Christmas carol for what was supposedly a school assignment, The Portsmouth Herald reported.
Students in a 11th-grade American History class at Dover High School were instructed to write a song from what they learned from the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, Superintendent William Harbron confirmed to the Herald. A video of the song, which is no longer available, was posted over the weekend.
Two students chose to write about the Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacy group, and arranged it to the tune of “Jingle Bells,” according to the Herald, including the line, “Let’s kill all the blacks.” The video, about a minute long, elicited laughter from other students. The singing students reportedly did not know they were being recorded, Harbron said.
School and district administrators have been investigating the situation. Superintendent Harbron called it “an incident of extreme racial insensitivity.”
“While the incident was part of a classroom assignment dealing with the reconstruction period in American history, the impact was harmful,” he wrote.
Harbron and DHS Principal Peter Driscoll said Monday that they don’t believe there was malicious intent behind the song. Part of the review process will entail whether the instructor had to approve the song, as well as whether the assignment was even appropriate.
The school is also working with New Hampshire Listens, a civic engagement group at the University of New Hampshire, to talk to the class about the song and uncovering biases, according to Raw Story. Administrators plan to organize a larger discussion with the community.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
