H-F Students' Blackface Photos Rock Homewood; H-F Walkout Planned

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR, IL — Images that appear to show several Homewood-Flossmoor High School students in blackface are rocking the community. Residents and students who denounce the images as racist are planning a walkout on the campus Tuesday morning and parents are questioning whether their children are safe at the school.

The photos and a video were shared on social media sites over the weekend. One resident, who did not want to be named, reposted them on Facebook them to bring attention to the issue. The incidents do not appear to have taken place on school grounds.

"I'm very disappointed that this would happen in this community," the resident wrote on Facebook. "The history and effects of black face are well known. To see students in our communities taking part in this activity and disrespecting the black student population makes me wonder if HF truly cares about supporting a safe space for students of color. I urge my fellow alumni and friends with students currently in this district to voice your displeasure of this behavior and ensure that HF takes appropriate action. We need to make sure that the students in this school know that this type of racist behavior will not be tolerated in this community."

Patch blurred the teenagers' faces because they are minors and have not been charged with a crime. Two of the photos show white boys driving in a car. They are wearing red or gray sweatshirts and their faces are painted with black paint. The video, posted separately, appears to show students taunting a young, African-American cashier at a drive-through restaurant window, and referring to her by a derogatory term. Some of the teens, at least one of them white, "code switches" to use Black English vernacular when they speak. In the beginning of the video, which appears to be edited, a black teen is seen laughing with a white teen on a bed or couch. It is not clear whether the students in the photos and video are the same.

A mother of one of the students involved, who asked not to be named because it would identify her son, said that the boys in the photos have received death threats since the story was made public.

"This is a very serious thing," she said. "As crazy as it sounds, it is not about race. We are not racist. The students didn’t even know what 'blackface' meant until they Googled it later. It was a complete dumb and childish act."

She added that someone misappropriated the photos from a student's social media account before parents knew what was happening and could handle it. She said that parents were working with school officials about next steps.

Representatives from Homewood-Flossmoor High School could not be reached Monday. Superintendent Von Mansfield sent parents a letter Sunday that said such behavior "would not be tolerated" and was "not representative of the high expectations" H-F had for its students.

In an early Monday morning announcement at the school, Principal Jerry Lee Anderson urged students to stay calm and "move forward."

This "is a time where it’s really easy to just lash out and be mad and be angry and call for blood and call for justice," she said in a recording of the speech provided to Patch. "It can also be a time where we decide ... where we want to come together to better understand, and to make sure something like this is not something the school is making the news for again."

She added that her "heart hurts" over the matter.

Several parents of black students from H-F met with Mansfield and Anderson Monday to talk with them about how the incident has upset not just individual students, but the community as a whole, said one of the mothers, La'Shawn Littrice. She said they also wanted to know what the school was going to do to be accountable for the situation. Administrators offered no new information, she said.

"Tomorrow, we will stand in solidarity with students, parents and the community, and we're going to bring forth a list of demands, including cultural sensitivity training," Littrice said. "We want this addressed from a proactive standpoint."

Students plan to walk out of the school just after 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Harry Lawson, a director of the National Education Association's Human and Civil Rights Department, said that it's "plausible" that the white students in the images did not know the significance of dressing in blackface or that it could be hurtful to a community. However, he said, that is difficult to believe given the immediate delivery of news and information through social media. But schools can play a role in teaching students about that, he added.

"It's a question of "will" and "whether," or "why don't we?" he said. "A host of online tools and resources provide information on how to teach young folks so we can shift the dynamic."

But even if blackface or other racist incidents happen off campus, as H-F administrators have stressed, Lawson added, schools can still play a role in the teaching and healing of all residents, in part because — as in H-F's case — they are cornerstones of the community.

"The reality is that the county refuses to reconcile its role and and how we arrived at this point," he said. "Our culture is built on race and racism and it isn't just going to go away because we finger a few bad accomplices."

Education, he added, can be one part of a bigger strategy to combat racism in the country. In addition to teaching appropriate curriculum, "schools can bring folks together and focus on what the hurt is, and use it as an opportunity to talk to people. What these kinds of practices do is not just help the classrooms, but the community writ large, so that there can be an open dialogue."

On Monday night, the mayors of Homewood and Flossmoor, Rich Hofeld and Paul Braun, issued a joint statement that "condemned" the behavior. "No matter the age or the action of the person, hurtful and offensive behavior is neither accepted nor condoned. As Mayors, we know Homewood and Flossmoor take pride in our diversity and inclusion of all people, and the actions of these individuals do not reflect the values we have worked to establish. Our diversity is a fundamental value that should be fully embraced, respected, and at the forefront of our community. Together, and along with other community partners, Homewood and Flossmoor will continue to reflect the true spirit and heart of our communities. We will be working collaboratively with our community partners to address this repugnant behavior, together," the statement said.

In his letter Sunday, Supt. Mansfield said that he and other administrators met with parents of the students that afternoon, adding that confidentiality laws prevented him from explaining what actions would be taken.

"It is important that our students and community clearly understand that this type of behavior will not be condoned at H-F and we will continue to take the appropriate and necessary actions to ensure all of our students are respected, feel protected and safe."

Also see:

H-F Students Walk Out Of School After Blackface Controversy

H-F Releases Plans As Board Condemns Students' Blackface Videos

Peace Forum Held Sunday After H-F's Student Blackface Controversy

Jesse Jackson To H-F Students: 'Choose Direction, Not Complexion'