Dozens of Oak Grove High School students walked out of class on Aug. 21 in a protest sparked by a racially charged incident during the senior run on the first day of school.
Video recordings of the event caught someone in the crowd yelling “white power” as students crossed the football field.
Lamar County Superintendent Tess Smith said they have not identified the person or persons involved and are still investigating. In addition to following up with anonymous tips, she said the school is working with several companies to digitally amplify the video.
Protesters, however, said they believed the administration wasn’t doing enough to address the incident and other underlying racial issues.
“What the administration doesn’t understand is this extends much further than the events of Thursday,” said student Hans Elasri. “This is a societal issue inside of our own school … it’s the culture. That was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
On Friday, students took turns at the megaphone to share their personal experiences with racism at Oak Grove. Multiple protestors reported white students freely using the N-word and other racial slurs, in what they called “N-word passes.”
They also talked about teachers making inappropriate comments like “you’re smart for a black girl,” “you’re so dark that I can’t see you when I turn out the lights,” and “I’m going to work you like a cotton-picking slave.”
Protesters also said they believed school rules, especially the dress code, was unfairly applied to black students and that black students received harsher punishments than white students.
Faith Jones, one of the student organizers of the walkout, said, “We want fair punishment. It’s not fair that we are being threatened with expulsion and suspension for standing up against a racist, who was not punished. We have teachers that have made inappropriate comments to us. Why have they not been punished?”
Before the walkout, Oak Grove High School Principal Helen Price notified parents of possible disciplinary actions for students participating in the protest without permission.
“In order to assist families and students in making informed decisions for themselves, here are the consequences which would apply to a walkout,” wrote Price. “According to our policy/handbook, leaving class without permission, leaving campus without permission, and causing a disruption on campus would result in Steps 3 through 6 on the Discipline Ladder. Reaching Step 5 or above on the Discipline Ladder causes students to lose the opportunity to be considered for senior awards, class officers, homecoming court, Mr./Mrs. Oak Grove, and Hall of Fame. Also, any bullying, intimidation, harassment, or threatening of students or teachers/staff can go through Step 8/expulsion. We want you and your students to know these consequences in advance.”
Smith later clarified that students who checked out early with parental permission would not be punished for participating. She also said that students who walked out without permission would most likely receive a Step 3 discipline, like in-school suspension or Saturday school.
Oak Grove officials, however, have not made a final decision.
Frederick Chestnut, an Oak Grove parent and member of Mississippi Rising Coalition, said the possible punishments listed in the parental notification caused several students and parents to back out of the event.
“It’s our job as parents and coaches and teachers to support them in what they stand for, support them in unity and equality because this fight is not just for the students,” said Chestnut. “It’s for the parents on the right side. It’s for the teachers that want to stand on the right side, but they’re afraid. Our voice has to be heard. Our voice has to be brought out so we can stand for everyone that’s afraid to stand.”
Other parents and adults from Mississippi Rising Coalition, Ground Zero and Black Lives Matter Mississippi joined Chestnut in showing support for the students through donations of water bottles, donuts and pizza. They also coordinated with the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office for parking and space for the students to gather.
Smith said that, going forward, administrators plan to create a diverse student group that can bring concerns and ideas to the administration’s notice. They are also developing a school climate survey to get anonymous feedback from students. Smith explained that the school would administer the survey at different times throughout the year to track progress on improvement efforts.
“Their perception is their reality,” said Smith. “That needs to be addressed, and our administrators are prepared to listen.”
In addition to working directly with students, Smith said she requested Price research racial sensitivity training programs that could be implemented with faculty and staff. She has also reached out to community leaders to participate in a video project encouraging unity, open communication and support.
Protesters said they were skeptical of the administration’s proposed changes.
“This school is extremely reactive and not proactive. We report (incidents), and what do they do? Nothing. It has to take an extreme event for them to react. They put in a temporary solution, and after a week or two it’ll fade away,” explained Jones.
“We need to be persistent,” she added. “We need to make sure that they don’t give up on us the minute that they think we’re going to be quiet. That’s why we’re out here now, and we will continue to push things forward. We will talk to the administration and the principal, and we will come to a solution together.”
