When a student at East Chapel Hill High School posted a photo of herself and friends holding Confederate flags during a school field trip, members of the community were right to be outraged.
The caption of the photo, “South will rise,” and a comment on the photo, “Already bought my first slave,” are clearly offensive.
Still, some parents and students have defended the photo, saying that the girls simply made a mistake and that those criticizing the photo are taking advantage of the current national dialogue around race to further their own agendas.
It’s possible that the student who posted the photo truly did not understand the impact that the image would have on her peers. But regardless of her intent, it harmed her peers and revealed a lack of knowledge about racism and its impact.
It’s important to resist the urge to view this incident as an aberration. It is easier to dismiss the image as a lone moment of racial insensitivity and move on. But the photo revealed a lack of knowledge and empathy on the part of some Chapel Hill students.
The view that Chapel Hill is the “Southern Part of Heaven” is pervasive and ultimately harms students of color.
Just because Chapel Hill has a reputation of liberalism doesn’t mean that students necessarily understand racism and the harm that actions such as posting a photo to Instagram can have on their peers. Students of color should not have to walk down the halls of their schools and wonder if their peers view them as fully human.
Avoiding discussions of race in schools or confining them to the history classroom is no longer an option.
The discussion held at the Board of Education meeting is a great start, but it isn’t enough to fully address the problem. Regular meetings should be held to allow Chapel Hill students, staff and community members to discuss their experiences around race in the district.
