Anastasia Bertram, 7, one of the only white students at her Georgia elementary school, was cast as a segregationist in the school play, her parents complain.
Anastasia Bertram, 7, played a racist in the school play.
The girl had one line: “Go away, you don’t belong here.” Then she marched with sign saying, “Please go home” on one side and “Cursed is the man who integrates” on the other side. (A black boy marched with her, also carrying a pro-segregation sign.)
The girl’s parents told WSB-TV reporter Wendy Halloran they didn’t know about their daughter’s role and wouldn’t have approved.
The teacher told them after the play that Anastasia had volunteered for the part when another child had trouble learning lines, said Amber Bertram.
In a message to the teacher on ClassDoJo, she noted that several parents had photographed and videotaped the play.
. . . with today’s technology those images of my child can easily be altered to make it appear as if my child is not in a play but simply holding a sign telling black children to go away. This is NOT an image I want portrayed of my child. . . . this play did nothing but perpetuate the idea of racism and teach my child that the school sanctions her discriminating against anyone who doesn’t look like her.” . . . Under no circumstances is it ok in a play or not for you to have my child (one of the only white children in the school I might add) hold a sign telling black children to go away because they are black.
The Bertrams have pulled their two daughters out of school. Is it an over reaction?