If the Klan robes are revealing our sordid history, what’s the problem with historical reenactment?
Updated at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday with comments from the Anti-Defamation League.
Updated at 1:29 p.m. Tuesday with news on civil rights meeting today.
Without knowing the exact context of the school assignment, it is hard for me to get worked up over the four Lumpkin County students wearing Klan costumes. If the purpose of the class assignment was to show how cowardly, hateful and pathetic the Klan was, then I have no objections to the historic reenactment. I want students to see what guises hate has taken historically so they can recognize it today.
I would have asked the principal beforehand and likely sent a note home to parents, but all that may have happened in this case. It is not surprising that the sight of students in white robes would be startling, but I would want to see the finished product and whether it contributed to students learning about this dreadful part of American history.
A history teacher in Dahlonega was placed on administrative leave Monday after she let four students wear Ku Klux Klan outfits in a historical reenactment. Catherine Ariemma, a five-year veteran with the Lumpkin County school system, teaches an advanced placement history class at Lumpkin County High.
Her students were filming reenactments of various historical periods last week, and four donned Klan outfits, superintendent Dewey Moye told the AJC.
Students from other classrooms saw them as they walked through a hallway while wearing the costumes to an outdoor shoot, he said, adding that the parents of an African-American child later complained about it.
She said she continues to stand behind the video project and the lesson it was to convey to her students.
“This project was about racism in U.S. history,” Ariemma said. “Not just racism against African Americans, but racism as a whole.”
She said including the Ku Klux Klan was an essential piece.
“You cannot discuss racism without discussing the Klan,” she said. “To do so would be to condone their actions.”
She admitted that she may have made a mistake by letting the students film the Klan reenactment on campus.
“I feel terrible that I have students who feel threatened because of something from my class,” Ariemma told the AJC. “In hindsight, I wouldn’t have had them film that part at school.”
Ariemma is an award-winning teaching. Last year, the Georgia Senate passed a resolution lauding her “dedication to her students and her profession” after she was honored as Lumpkin County High School’s 2009 STAR Teacher. The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition program is sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and recognizes teaching excellence.
Moye said Ariemma has never been reprimanded for missteps and that she has always been an “outstanding” teacher. But he said he could not ignore this incident.
She could lose her job over it.
The Anti-Defamation League weighed in Tuesday with this statement:
The Anti-Defamation League, today said that Lumpkin County School Administrators acted appropriately in ordering administrative leave for a teacher who allowed students to parade in Ku Klux Klan costumes in the school. The teacher, Catherine Ariemma, acknowledges now that it was a mistake to allow her students to walk through school in the Klan attire. “But,” said ADL Southeast Regional Director Bill Nigut, “unfortunately she should have known better than to allow it.”
“Some students tell us they were offended, others say they were frightened when confronted with fellow students dressed in Klan garb, one of the most toxic symbols of racism and religious bigotry in American history.” After a conversation with Lumpkin County Superintendent, Dewey Moye, Nigut said he was pleased that school officials recognize the seriousness of the incident. “We understand the teacher involved has had a stellar career but the school had no choice but to condemn her decision in this matter.”
And now there is a release about a meeting between Lumpkin school officials and civil rights activists Tuesday afternoon:
Civil and human rights leader Rev. Markel Hutchins has called a meeting today at 4:00 pm with Lumpkin County Schools Superintendent Dewey Moye, Sheriff Stacy Jarrard, County Commission Chairman Dr. John Radar, Dahlonega Mayor Gary McCollough and other officials to discuss the recent high-profile, racially tense incident of students wearing KKK attire at Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega, a small city in North Georgia. The leaders will meet at the Lumpkin County School System and will emerge at approximately 5:00 pm to address the media.
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361 comments Add your comment
Saul Good
May 25th, 2010
10:52 am
tman…here’s a RECENT one from this past February showing a KKK rally in GA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JLjrfdstX4
Batgirl
May 25th, 2010
10:53 am
Oh, well. I give up! I am trapped in the filter.
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
May 25th, 2010
10:54 am
Aww come down white people its just things in 2010 that white folks can’t do anymore.This aint the 1800’s and early 1900’s.That school teacher should have showed a filming of the kkk or was it too violent to watch men in white sheets killing blacks because of there skin color.Remember this,if it(kkk murders)never happened to you your family your children ect…then its not going to faze you.
Saul Good
May 25th, 2010
10:55 am
Proud “WHITE” Man…. let me ask you this…if you had a daughter (maybe you do)…
and she brought home an African American gentleman…or a Muslim Gentlemen… and said she was in love with him and wants to marry him…would YOU give her your blessings?
Would you walk her down the isle and hand her over to an African American or a Muslim born in Iran to be her husband?
Truth be told in your answer.
come on now
May 25th, 2010
10:56 am
saul
old jewish saying
you can get some sheep to drink deeply from the well of knowledge, but sometimes you can’t get an ass to take a sip
Kirkwell
May 25th, 2010
10:57 am
I am in the history class in which this happened, and I can state confidently none of our class is racist. We were just attempting to create a film about racism, and some people overreacted before it could be stated what was going on. None of the reporters are obtaining our side of the story; we never wanted the event to escalate this way. I am frightened for our class and our teacher, who is the best teacher I have ever had. She does not deserve any of this bad publicity. And those of you who think she should be fired are horribly mistaken and do not have an accurate picture of this occurance. The fact that we wanted to portray the horror of racism should not have been taken this way. “Diversity training”? The people who are persecuting my teacher need diversity training. We will be heartbroken if she is fired.
Kirkwell
May 25th, 2010
11:02 am
I am in the history class in which this happened, and I can state confidently none of our class is racist. We were just attempting to create a film about racism, and some people overreacted before it could be stated what was going on. None of the reporters are obtaining our side of the story; we never wanted the event to escalate this way. I am frightened for our class and our teacher, who is the best teacher I have ever had. She does not deserve any of this bad publicity. And those of you who think she should be fired are horribly mistaken and do not have an accurate picture of this occurance. The fact that we wanted to portray the horror of racism should not have been taken this way. “Diversity training”? The people who are persecuting my teacher need diversity training.
Audrey in Georgia
May 25th, 2010
11:05 am
Fire the teacher and the principal today!!!
A good teacher should re-enact positive things in history to influence positive thinking in students.
A bad teacher will re-enact negative things in history to influence negative thinking in students.
Proud White Man
May 25th, 2010
11:10 am
Truth:
I would not.
Nor would I be surprised if it were denied from my child’s potential in-laws.
Call that racist if you will, but I honestly believe that you can interact in peace and goodwill with others of different faiths/ colors/ nationality etc, and be opposed to intermarrying. I believe that creates many, many more problems for a marriage and children. Marriage and children are hard enough.
So, if that is racist, then racist I am.
P.S. Again, when did I give my religion?
Warrior Woman
May 25th, 2010
11:17 am
This appears to be a case of a good teacher creating relevant learning assignments, and getting in trouble because some brat has a racist chip on his shoulder. The school should stand behind the teacher.
Katharine
May 25th, 2010
11:19 am
I’m the mother of a LCHS frehman. My son is biracial and happened to be in the cafeteria the day this incident took place. I want people to stop focusing on this one thing and look at the underlying problems in this county. Why did so many people cheer and/or laugh when the students walked through the cafeteria. Why has my son had to hear people call him a half breed that needs to go back where he came from because there’s no cotton for him to pick. Why does he have to listen to oher students say he’s going to wake up to a cross burning in his yard. He has dealt with this for 4 years now (it started in middle school), yet no one has punished the students doing this to him. He stands up to those students and he gets in trouble for harrassing them. He does feel threatened. And not one adult will do anything about it. The problem is not this assignment, it is the racism that those students, like my son, encounter on a daily basis. When you see racism and you do nothing about it, you ARE just as guilty as the ones spewing the hate.
me
May 25th, 2010
11:20 am
I am saddened by the way the Superintendent is throwing the teacher under the bus on this. Shameful
Warrior Woman
May 25th, 2010
11:26 am
Do we know that the administration wasn’t notified? That’s not clear from any of the reporting on this.
vader
May 25th, 2010
11:27 am
Let’s be serious about this! Reenactment has its places, depending on the what is being reenacted. If the teacher allowed students to dress up in black trench coats, black masks, and toting paper made guns, while walking through the cafeteria, would we say this alright?
Wait, isn’t this part of our history (Columbine/Virginia Tech)? Yes, but most if not all would find this offensive and not proper.
Also, what purpose was this really serving? This is the last week of school in some places, and final grades are basically complete, so what real purpose is this serving? Why was it done the towards the end of school?
Despite the answers that the teacher gives us, she only knows the true purpose behind her actions. Lastly, even if we accept her statement as the true purpose, is her judgment and common sense no greater than this?
Proud White Man
May 25th, 2010
11:28 am
But first you must define “racist”. Racism in my viewpoint means the inherent superiority of one race over all others. That is not the argument I base my opposition to intermarrying on. I base it on my perception that marriage between races brings on many, many more problems (real and / or perceived) to it than would be there otherwise. All races have every right to retain their uniqueness and identity. If life were colorblind, then sure, intermarry away. But reality is not colorblind (all races are to blame for this), therefore I advise against it and would not give my blessing.
At any rate, I opened up this Q&A and it is not relevant to this blog. Therefore, you have my answer and I will refrain.
come on now
May 25th, 2010
11:29 am
OMG, the racitst have really come out of the “WOODS” on this one. 2010, do YALL know we got us a black man livin in the white house. Hell, he aint even American and he got in there somehow. Lets throw some sheets on and walk up and down a school hallway. We won’t mean anything by it just trying to learn about history. While we are at it why not hang a black mannequin out in front of the school at the flag pole or nearest tree.
Testimony
May 25th, 2010
11:30 am
So what. Dahlonega is a toilet anyway, more specifically Lake Lanier, where 60% of Dahlonega regularly defacates.
the prof
May 25th, 2010
11:33 am
PBM, please be finished for good….
Maureen Downey
May 25th, 2010
11:36 am
@Katherine. If this is happening and the school is not acting, I would strongly urge you to go to the board of education in Lumpkin County. I would have to believe that most parents would be mortified at this conduct.
Maureen
Son of an Educator
May 25th, 2010
11:36 am
Any of you folks ever watch (Dave) Chappel’s show when it ran on Comedy Central? One of, if not his most brilliant bits involved an blind African-American KKK member and all-around racist, named Nathan Bigsby. Nathan HATED colored people, and was venerated by the white supremicist community. Because Bigsby was blind (IGNORANT) he didn’t even realize he was black, and because he never appeared in public sans his KKK hood and robe, the racists and bigots who worshipped him demonstrated the ignorance of racism. I would not speak for Chappel, but my guess is, he was “teaching” us that all racists (even black ones) are blind (IGNORANT). To confirm this, there is a scene in which the pick-up truck (stereotype) driving Bigsby to a KKK meeting pulls up to a red light adjacent to a carload of white kids with sideways caps, baggy pants, and listening to rap music. Bigsby screams; “…I hate N******S!” and one of the kids in the car high fives his friend, saying; “…did you hear that? He called us N******S! Awesome!” Now I know Comedy Central’s standards are different than those of the Lumpkin County B of Ed or the AP History program, but The KKK is no more “alive and well” than the African American male who shot and killed an adult African American – intended target, and an African-American teenager (caught in crossfire) last night in SW Atlanta.
come on now
May 25th, 2010
11:39 am
intermarrying leads to genetically superior offspring. Obama comes to mind; you may not like him but the man is very intelligent. The african-american that has desented from the original slaves have intermarried and/or produced superior offspring. Look at the persons living in Africa now; now look at the African-American living in the US. Think about the college and pro athletes in all sports. Todays athletes are bigger, faster, stronger because a blending of the races leads to more genetic diversity.
Proud Black Man
May 25th, 2010
11:44 am
@ Vader
“Let’s be serious about this! Reenactment has its places, depending on the what is being reenacted. If the teacher allowed students to dress up in black trench coats, black masks, and toting paper made guns, while walking through the cafeteria, would we say this alright?
Wait, isn’t this part of our history (Columbine/Virginia Tech)? Yes, but most if not all would find this offensive and not proper.”
AND
the question no one is asking:
“Also, what purpose was this really serving? This is the last week of school in some places, and final grades are basically complete, so what real purpose is this serving? Why was it done the towards the end of school?”
WHICH answers the question:
“…even if we accept her statement as the true purpose, is her judgment and common sense no greater than this?”
From a STAR teacher no less. Sheesh!
Son of an Educator
May 25th, 2010
11:48 am
Katherine, by your account – students cheering and disparaging comments made to your child – this really has nothing to do with the AP History teacher. Would you prefer some sort of Orwellian school where ALL students must think and act per the directives of the Board of Education? As MD points out, if there is a covert (or overt) culture of racism at LCHS how is punishing the teacher who helped to expose it going to improve things? I grew up in a big Northern city. I am Italian-American and when I wasn’t hearing “greasy WOP” jokes as a kid, I was hearing “Hispanic” jokes from the classmates who thought I was “Puerto Rican”. You need to spend more time building your child’s self-esteem as it relates to being (whatever the heck) mixed race, and less time trying to control the thoughts and behaviors of a group of high school students.
Saul Good
May 25th, 2010
11:56 am
Proud White Man…
That’s TRULY sad… that YOU do not believe that races can MIX. WHY?! I can only sum this up that you believe that YOUR race is “better” compared to any other race…
…and with regards to religion…no, I do not know yours…and it obviously does not matter…but you basically stated that you would NOT want your daughter to marry one of ANOTHER religion (whatever they may be).
Let me ask of you this simple question. Do you believe that “mixing” of different races and religions will make this world we spin upon WORSE in any way? Because it seems to me that by NOT mixing…by continually “dividing” other “humans” into categories… that THAT in itself is why we have wars.
Borders were “created” by MAN (humans) to “limit” them…. Religions were too “created” by MAN (humans) to “limit” them… to basically “divide” other humans into classes: Rich, Poor, Black, White, Hindu, Jewish, Catholic, Christian, Hispanic…. and what GOOD has any of this “division” done for humanity? All it has done is create wars, death, division, and NOTHING good for all of us spinning upon this globe. Not ONE good thing has happened throughout history because of the divisions that race and religion bring…
Race…we ARE born into that and can never change it…RELIGION? It was created by “humans”…ALL of them were…and it causes even educated and rational humans to be “irrational”… to “divide” people into little boxes… to think that THEIR religion is the ONLY true one…even though throughout history many religions have been created by humans…just like the one YOU may believe in. Christian or not…YOUR religion was “created” by other humans and it frowns upon ALL other human created religions.
What GOOD has any of that done for humanity? WHO has it ever “saved” in the end?
Proud Black Man
May 25th, 2010
11:57 am
“You need to spend more time building your child’s self-esteem as it relates to being (whatever the heck) mixed race, and less time trying to control the thoughts and behaviors of a group of high school students.”
Tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) sure like to patronize people don’t they?
Proud Black Man
May 25th, 2010
12:02 pm
Timely analysis of this disturbing incident:
http://drboycespeaks.blogspot.com/2010/05/teacher-makes-students-dress-up-as-kkk.html
Teaching in FL is worse
May 25th, 2010
12:05 pm
If this teacher’s intentions were to truly teach about hate, I applaud her. It sounds like she made some errors in judgement, which she will ultimately pay for. (one of them being too trusting of her students.)
I truly pity those whose goal in life is to make the world better for our students and are crucified for it. When I look back on the first years of my teaching career, I can only thank the lord some of the things I did didn’t blow up in my face.
People in glass houses…..
Teaching in FL is worse
May 25th, 2010
12:05 pm
gefilter fish me out, please
New School
May 25th, 2010
12:16 pm
What a bunch of whiney crybabies! Did anyone really think the klan was at the school? No. The mad kid who wanted to start swinging was just looking for a fight. Bill Nigut is nothing more than a wannabe Jesse Jackson for his “group”.
We have some over sensitive paranoids that are determining what we can and can’t see. Give me a break!
Roland
May 25th, 2010
12:20 pm
Learn history so it won’t happen again?!!!!!!!
Are you guys crazy?!!! This is is no way similar to doing a project on the Nazis because for the most part they don’t exist in our universe. The KKK probably has a office right NOW in Lumpkin County. Members of the KKK send death threats to OUR President every day. How is this history. Why should the students be allowed to walk around the school dress liked that? No sense at all.
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:20 pm
PBM,a stop playing the victim and you are the biggest bitter raciest I have read on here.. shame on you.. let go of the hate and stop being so bitter.. it would not kill you to learn the other side of the history. IT HAPPENED and it does not matter if you want to sweep it under the rug or not!
Uhm
May 25th, 2010
12:21 pm
From what I’ve read, this is considered an “AP Class” and apparently an “AP Class” doesn’t have to follow the same standards of decency that other classes in my taxpayer funded schools have to. So the real solution is to just eliminate these “AP Classes” from our public institutions. This would have never happened in a regular history class.
I feel sorry for the students that were forever affected by this “AP Class” that shouldn’t even be in our schools. Some of them posted here and their responses were horrifying. I weep for our future.
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:21 pm
Roland should we not learn about the Holocaust?
Saul Good
May 25th, 2010
12:25 pm
Jules… yeah we should… but should we send kids into school dressed as Nazis to teach them about it?
New School
May 25th, 2010
12:25 pm
Uhm, pull up your big girl panties and quit weeping. Nobody was forever affected except the teacher.
Bad things happened in the world – let’s learn about them.
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:25 pm
Uhm an AP class is an advanced class and the kids in there are smarter than the average Joe, this has nothing about no morals
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:26 pm
Saul have you ever been to a school play for a history class? its a damn costume get over it
Uhm
May 25th, 2010
12:28 pm
I’m basing my comments based on the actions of these “Advanced” and “Superior” students. If that is how an “Advanced” and “Superior” student thinks, I am all for eliminating the problem (”AP Classes”) from the curriculum I pay for. I do not pay to have certain students treated more superior than others. I’m all about equal treatment.
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:35 pm
Uhm you are for the dumbing down of america right?
Ezra
May 25th, 2010
12:36 pm
The problem is that a student already in trouble for bad behavior wanted to use the Klan to start more trouble. What is the difference? I know you like the bad student but hate the Klan. I really do not see you hating muslims like you do the Klan but hey muslims have killed alot more citizens. The Klan has the right to exist and the freedom of speech. Remember the black panthers standing in front of a voting booth with clubs in their hands. You know Eric Holder said he was not going to prosecute. Justice huh!
A
May 25th, 2010
12:37 pm
That teacher is an idiot. The KKK is a hate group that everyone in Georgia is aware of. It’s much better to let them languish. I don’t know that the teacher was being intentionally racist but she certainly has profoundly unsound judgement. She would do well in Arizona.
Last post.
Uhm
May 25th, 2010
12:38 pm
Jules I am for equality in publicly funded institutions. “AP Classes” definitely are not about equality by the definition that everyone gives in this blog. If you want to be “superior” then pony up the tuition for a segregated private school, but don’t be superior on my tax dollars.
Angela
May 25th, 2010
12:40 pm
@Poor (Proud) Black Man,
You have so much inner hate. Perhaps this blog is the only thing you have in your life. It appears that you have no friends, no positive family involvement, or anything else. You keep up with this tea (insert the name) well I guess I must be the dumbest under the sun. You cannot speak out even when you have nothing to say. WATCH THAT BLOOD PRESSURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXO
street smart
May 25th, 2010
12:40 pm
NABE when youre right youre right. The teacher responsible should have been more sensitive to the facts you bring up in your blog. However, as horrific and ignorant the kkk are they were and are a part of American history, the worst part. That part of our nations history serves America as how far we have come and how far we still need to go to be worthy of the title of “Land of Liberty”. I think that is what the teacher s intentions were. There is no reason anyone should be terrorized or harrassed because they are a color. Please know sir that there are many white people ( I am one ) that hold the KKK in as much contempt as you do. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Peace brother.
Saul Good
May 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
Ezra…how many people have “christians” killed in history?
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
I will probably be shot for this but I put the Masons in the same boat as the KKK and I do know the enter workings….. I have read the papers.. I have read the 3rd degree….
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:44 pm
Uhm I am not being superior at all I just have a brain it happened and it needs to be looked at YOU cant sweep it under the rug…..
jules
May 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Saul do you remember Jim Jones?
Proud White Man
May 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Saul,
I happen to agree 100% that our divisions do us more harm than good. However, to achieve this utopia would require mixing on an enormous scale and in lightspeed, and with population numbers as they are, not realistic. Also, when would conflict cease? There would always be those just slightly darker, some slightly lighter. I see no end to conflict even if all races were the same. As far as my race goes, I see it not as “better”, but as “different” or “unique”. I do not begrudge someone of Chinese ancestry their fascinatingly unique culture and history nor someone of African, Icelandic, or any other descent. I happen to be different than those and wish to celebrate my culture and history no less than they.
To illustrate, many here have invoked that President Obama is a great case for racial mixing. To me, I see it as its perfect example of why not to mix. He is claimed as the first black president. I disagree. To me he is the first half-white, half-black president. If he is indeed the first black president, where did half of his DNA go? His “white” half is completely eradicated. It may or may not be to him, but it is in perception and both sides try to claim him (some with more success). That is precisely the point. I want my children and grandchildren in my culture and history, not that of another’s. And one will surely dominate how they view the world and how they are viewed. One can say that they will celebrate or view them equally but I do not agree that this is possible. So again, not a question of whether or not my race is/ is not better, but to which one my offspring wilI adhere and be classified. I want them in the one I am, know, and can relate to.
No hate or superiority complex here, just selfishness. I think most here are guily of that.
New School
May 25th, 2010
12:46 pm
Uhm, let’s do some simple math. Say you have 150 students of varying levels of intelligence/skill/book learning/whatever. Let’s assume about 20 are dumb as a box of rocks, 100 are just about average, and 30 are above average. You need about 30 students per class so how do you break them up? Just scatter them amoung all 5 classes? How about 4 classes of “average” students and 1 class of AP students? No extra cost to you since you are paying so much school tax. Make sense now?