I am sure that you have seen the disturbing footage of members of the River Valley High School’s football team “auctioning” off their Black teammates. Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi remarked that the taped “auction” was both “unacceptable” and “deeply offensive.” To their credit, Superintendent Osumi and others reacted swiftly and barred those involved in the incident from participating in the remainder of the football season.

In a communication with CNN, Osumi penned the following.

 

Re-enacting a slave sale as a prank tells us that we have a great deal of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact.

They may have thought this skit was funny, but it is not; it is unacceptable and requires us to look honestly and deeply at issues of systemic racism.

When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, it tells me that we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset to be more aware, thoughtful and considerate of others.

I definitely understand the Yuba City Unified School District’s expedient actions and applaud the suspension and plans to educate their student body regarding such matters. I pray that their looming programmatic efforts are (a) successful and (b) does not exclude Black students.

From the moment I heard about this incident — by no stretch is this the first time that I have heard rumor of such antics in American classrooms — my mind immediately went directly to the looming question of what Black student in their correct mind would participate, willingly or unwillingly, in a “slave auction?” I then realized why my thought pattern was erroneous because one learns little about race, racism, and racial bias due to one’s blackness. This reality is further problematized for Black youth when their socioeconomic status shields them from egregious occurrences of racism and microaggressions.

If you ever have the opportunity to speak with Blacks about racial matters, you will find that the vast majority of them either know little about contemporary race issues or are incapable of articulating feelings of injustice beyond quips such as “you know how white folk are.”

It is my hope that Black America is so disturbed by Black students participation in this activity that they move past fleeting reactionary anger that leads to ineffectual public protests and decide to act on behalf of Black students by investing in our children by any means necessary, including, but not limited to, (a) donating to existing independent Black schools and (b) learning about race in America with the intention of teaching others.

Our failure to develop a plan that paves the way for us to do something tangible on behalf of Black America will be a continuation of how we have done things since the abrupt end of the Black Power Era. As I have been known to say, stop worrying about what white folk are doing and get busy doing something on behalf of yourself and your children.

The future of Black America depends on it.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2022

Please remember to subscribe to the Manhood, Race, and Culture YouTube Channel.

You can always contact me at ManhoodRaceCulture@gmail.com with ideas and issues that you would like to have addressed.