*Arts and crafts at a Massachusetts daycare took a racist turn earlier this month and a teacher is out of a job after making the kiddies create and wear blackface masks out of paper plates in honor of Black History Month. Also, the daycare has temporarily shut down “out of fear of protests” that reportedly have yet to take place.
IC Kids Montessori daycare in Newton posted an apology letter on its front door after it social media got wind of a worker, on Feb. 8, having the kids make blackface masks to learn about Black history. One mom, Nadirah Pierce, found out about the “lesson” when she picked up her child that afternoon. She complained to officials, pulled her kids out of the school, and vented on on social media.
“This is unacceptable and don’t really understand the concept of this project,” Pierce told NBC 10 Boston.
IC Kids posted an apology on Facebook, but it didn’t go over well. The apology claimed that the school’s leaders were “hearing of protests happening at the center [that] will put the children and staff at risk,” so they closed the school for “safety concerns.”
The school also posted an apology on its door, which said, “To celebrate Black History Month, a teacher in toddler classroom at ICKids planned and carried out an activity that involved black masks ‘blackface.’ One of the parents brought it to our attention and was offended. The teacher apologized to the parent.” [sic]
The statement said that the teacher was “reprimanded” and admitted that the “wording of Facebook apology was not the best statement…so we apologize to every and anyone this may have offended.”
That statement said that the teacher who conducted the activity “has since been released from her employment at IC Kids.”
NBC 10 Boston reported that zero protests took place outside of the school this week.
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