Mathematics and Slavery Don't Add Up - Page 2
Dad Chris Braxton told 11Alive, "Now my son is asking questions about slaves and beatings and I have to explain all that to him. I felt he wasn't ready for that yet."
While any parent of any school district in the country would have the right, perhaps even responsibility, to be outraged by the poor taste and decision-making of those teachers, Gwinnett County's location in southern Georgia with its history of slavery makes it an especially insensitive place to write such a homework assignment.
Today within Gwinnett County, 23.6% of the population is black according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and 17% of businesses are owned by black people.
It is worth noting that while slavery was abolished in all of the United States in 1865, nearly 150 years ago, it wasn't until the late 1960s that Gwinnett County integrated their schools. That means questions of slavery, with an inherent racial tone, are likely to hit much too close to home for many parents and grandparents in the area. The subject, which is already sensitive and exceedingly difficult to explain in the proper social studies context, is probably best left there.
As of January 9 in the evening, the school district has not posted any news releases regarding the incident on their website.
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