Blackface photo ignites anger; Brick schools promise action

Amanda Oglesby | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Racism may make kids unhealthy Most people know racism is bad. Now science proves it may also be unhealthy.

BRICK - It hardly caused a stir when a white middle school student donned blackface for an end-of-year celebration in the school gymnasium.

The backlash came afterward, when a picture of the student was shared on social media, sparking a debate about racial sensitivity and cultural awareness. Brick Interim Superintendent Thomas Gialanella said he knew the district had to act.

Gialanella said the district plans to increase sensitivity training and education for staff and students beginning in September as a result of the incident, which came during a recent celebration at Veterans Memorial Middle School.

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"I think it was an innocent mistake," Gialanella said, "but on the other hand, I think we have to do some professional development on our staff and students."

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The incident happened during an annual celebration, wherein teams of students represented countries from around the world. A student on a team themed for Brazilian soccer covered his face in eye black, a type of glare-reducing grease used by football and baseball players.

Aimee VanDuyne's eighth-grade son saw the boy and took a picture. She said her son, who is black, was shocked that no adult in Veterans Memorial's gymnasium acted, or told the boy in blackface to wash it. Watch the video above to see how racism makes kids unhealthy.

"I don’t blame the kid. I don’t think he knew what he was doing," VanDuyne said.

Blackface, or minstrelsy, has been used since the 1830s by white stage actors in comedy skits, but the practice dehumanizes and stereotypes black people, said Hettie Williams, a professor of African-American studies and history at Monmouth University.

"Minstrelsy is about the dehumanization of African-Americans and it is also associated with the extra-legal violence against black people," she said in an email to a reporter. "The lack of respect for the full humanity of black people is connected with the history of minstrelsy."

Gialanella said the boy in the face paint did not understand the meaning or history behind blackface.

"I believe after speaking to everybody over there (at the middle school) that it was an innocent mistake," he said.

The district launched an investigation into the matter and discovered that the children on the team representing Brazil had painted their faces and decorated shirts to look like soccer players, Gialanella said.

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"Just one student went overboard and decorated his whole face," he said. "The student says he didn’t mean any disrespect by it."

Parents who saw the photo on social media expressed shock and anger that the school did not act immediately, and many flooded the school's administration office with phone calls.

One Facebook poster said: "Somehow able to leave his house, get to school sit in class and participate and not a single adult in the education system thought anything was wrong with this. Speaks volumes about the system."

Another poster wrote: "That is an ignorance that starts with the parents and is exasperated by any adult that did not see this as wrong."

VanDuyne, who is white and has three black children, was upset that none of the adults in the Veterans Memorial gymnasium acted to stop or educate the boy.

"I think if they were more sensitive to the children of color in their care, it would have sent up a red flag," she said. "But I think they’re still just used to having white students, and the children of color are an afterthought."

Predominantly white school district

Nearly 80 percent of the Veterans Memorial Middle School student population in the 2015-16 school year was white, according to state Department of Education reports. About 7 percent of students were black.

About 98 percent of the district's teachers, administrators and support personnel were white that year, and less than 1 percent were black, according to Department of Education data.

Gialanella said the district will be aggressive in the racial sensitivity training.

VanDuyne said she is pleased by the district's response.

"The school has been really great about everything," she said. "I don’t blame the child and the school handled it as well as could be expected."

Amanda Oglesby: 732-557-5701; aoglesby@GannettNJ.com

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