The notorious photo was taken during a lesson about the Pilgrims, early European settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for third graders in Mitchell Elementary School in Bridgewater town earlier in October, local media reported.
The class was led by the Plimoth Plantation Association which offers "personal encounters with history built on thorough research" about Colonial English community in the 1600s," according to the information on the group's website.
This is Mitchell Elementary School, Bridgewater, MA The mother is meeting w/school today. Call 508-279-2140 ext 113 & ask how this happened pic.twitter.com/GHYfiCua4L- RoxanneJones (@iamroxannejones) October 19, 2017
The girl, who is reportedly 8 years old, is pictured with "lead strings" which were used in the 17th century to support children learning to walk. She apparently volunteered to take part in the installation.
Parents in Mitchell Elementary School were shocked when they've learnt about such a "history" lesson.
"If you look at that picture out of context, what are you going to think? It's clearly what it looks like, it's disgusting," one parent told CBS Boston.
"It seems like enslavement of a person. Even the color of the child has nothing to do with it," another parent, identified as Andrea St. Clare, added.
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District apologized for the 'slavery' photo in a statement on Facebook on Thursday evening.
"We realize without this context added to the photo that was shared by the classroom teacher it could be perceived differently. Please note it was never the intent of the lesson to demean or degrade any one person or group," Superintendent of Schools Derek Swenson wrote, adding that the local authorities stared an "inquiry into the complaint."
A portion of the lesson "focused on 17th century attire - particularly the garments worn by parents, children, toddlers and infants," Swenson cited the Director of Education from Plimoth Plantation as saying.
"Specifically the garment worn by toddlers commonly used tethering straps to assist them when learning to walk," Swenson added.
The photo was immediately dubbed "racist" and "distressing", with people wondering why a black child should wear these leashes at the lesson.
Press release said normal to tether a child as they learn to walk. I work with 17th/18thc museum's..BULLSHIT! This is not how it was done- Donna Bridget (@3Brigids) October 19, 2017
Why is everyone laughing in the photo? I feel sick to my stomach.- Christina Zander (@C0ffeeH0) October 19, 2017
The criticism fell mostly on the smiling teacher. Some people said that she should be fired immediately.
This is absolutely disgusting and the school needs to fire this teacherhttps://t.co/5x9Iceg7yc- Renee (@paix120) October 20, 2017
This is beyond disturbing! A MES teacher smiles as a little Black girl is bound by two leashes while on her knees. pic.twitter.com/46XlI3lBcM- Ronnie Sidney II (@ronniesidneyii) October 19, 2017
Reader Comments
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This is just BS, and only serves to nullify history, and of course project the reality of the person giving the lesson. And the most dreadful thing to my mind is that, that reality is being forced on an innocent, young, suggestible, malleable mind.
Makes me wonder how many others of her ilk are lurking out there under the radar, because there is no objection from parents or the school board. Or maybe they have been silenced.
Suuuuuure, You betcha.
You trip a few times ending up being choked by the people '' helping '' you to learn to stay upright and to keep your balance and you just remain on your butt and to hell with this choking bullshit. Crawling beats choking any day.
The simple contraption suspitiously looks like a restraining device.
"Teacher I don't understand, how did they treat slaves?"
"They put them on leashes and made them kneel."
They were treated as animals and herded as such. And yet they had a language and culture of there own that has never been recognized or acknowledged, even to this day.
History has many, many dark sides, and if we are not able to see the dark, recognize the dark, how on earth will we be able to teach the young what the light is, an alternative way.
Now for a peoples that had no culture, no creativity, no social structure, were ignorant, and no less than animals.
Why would an elite want to purchase such artifacts of history of peoples they considered as "animals", maybe it is a reflection of conquest. They came, they destroyed, it no longer exists.
Every child must be restrained and tethered securely at all times while forced to travel with their mother in high speed motor vehicles at a reckless and dangerous pace.
Every child must be subjected to electronic mental distraction devices while restrained in said high speed motor vehicle.
Every child must be placed in a temporary foster home and confined securely there for a minimum of eight hours per day while the mother goes to work to support said high speed motor vehicle, various kitchen aid appliances and the cost of the all important education of her children, which she is not able to accomplish, because of her 'work'.
This is law.
ned,
out