Decorations from a viral Black history lesson have been removed from a high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, and people are on the fence about it.
On Feb. 21, an image posted to the X app of the decor at West Charlotte High School, with one door depicting a “white” entrance and another as a “colored” entrance, was taken down after questions of its appropriateness took over the internet. While some felt the decor was a great way to spark thoughtful conversations, others, including the school’s leadership, found it offensive.
The viral image sparked debates on whether the lesson crossed the line. One
user saw no issue with it and said it shows growth. “I think it’s great,” @mickeymumbelz tweeted. “This is what people actually lived through. It shows us how far we’ve come.”Another said the debate alone just shows how sensitive the state of the culture really is.
“People are highly sensitive even in the face of education,” @lobties wrote. But other views saw it as tasteless and a false depiction of what Black people went through. Using the hashtag #dobetter, @riselngevents thought the vision was all wrong.
“West Charlotte High School tried, I guess….. I see what they were trying to go for, but this was clearly poorly executed!” she wrote.
Someone else projected the lesson would be more effective if the “colored” only door was outside.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokesperson referred to its removal as “inappropriate content.”
“The activity is not aligned to state standards or with CMS curriculum and approved lesson plans,” the spokesperson said. “Moving forward, the district’s teachers will be retrained in the specific social studies curriculum practices that can be utilized in lesson plans to teach students.”
The teacher’s daughter, Laquinta Caldwell, defended her mother’s vision and told WCNC it all was taken out of context. Re-creating a door from a Sears store in the 1930s, Caldwell feels people missed the point. “Her only thing was making sure that the kids knew, or could see, a visual of how things were back in the day,” Caldwell said.
“The purpose of the door was to show that Sears, which is a department store, was one of the first stores that allowed Blacks to shop with white people.”
Several doors in the school were decorated in honor of Black History. The school posted a video celebrating the educators’ hard work, showcasing past and present Black icons.
While her mother’s display wasn’t included, Caldwell said she was proud of the message her mother was trying to tell.
“Overall, I think that her mission was accomplished,” she said. “I think that she was able to get through a lot of people, whether it was negative or positive.”