Elementary schools throughout the US have decided to cancel Halloween festivities this year over concerns that some students might feel left out, overwhelmed, or frightened.
Halloween’s focus on “worshipping ghosts, goblins, and all kinds of creatures that float in the air might be considered offensive,” argues Professor Henry Louis Taylor Jr., a so-called expert in race and class issues at the Center for Urban Studies for the State University of New York in Buffalo. “In our multiracial and multicultural society today, holidays that grew out of the Judeo-Christian religion are offensive to some people, and I think revisiting them is part of the process of thinking about what it means to no longer be a White country where Whiteness is the normative standard.”
In a letter to parents, officials from Michigan’s East Lansing school district explained how Halloween parties can exclude “young children who become overwhelmed and sometimes frightened of the costumes and others who come to school with no costume at all.” The school district also cancelled Valentines Day over concerns that the exchange of valentines between boys and girls could make some parents uncomfortable.
At Benjamin Franklin Day (BF Day) Elementary in Seattle, the school’s racial equity team cancelled a seasonal parade and asked students not to come to school dressed in costumes. Parents were thanked for their support but were not consulted on the decision.
“Halloween events create a situation where some students must be excluded for their beliefs, financial status, or life experience,” reads a newsletter. “Costume parties often become an uncomfortable event for many children, and they distract students and staff from learning. Large events create changes in schedules with loud noise levels and crowds. Some students experience over stimulation, while others must deal with complex feelings of exclusion. It’s uncomfortable and upsetting for kids.”
Instead of spooky stories and candy, kids at BF Day will enjoy “autumnal artwork” and “thematic units of study about the fall,” adds the newsletter. The news was received poorly by parents – especially by minorities.
“I don’t see any way in which this actually addresses any inequities to the extent that there are any inequities,” says David Malkin, an Asian man whose son attends BF Day and is excited for Halloween. “You know, this just seems like grandstanding on behalf of the principal and the staff who are predominantly white.
“Despite what people think about Black Americans, we have our own self-agency, and we’re able to decide what our children participate in,” adds Quisha King, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Moms for Liberty. “How does it not marginalize children who do celebrate the holiday by cancelling the whole thing? People who don’t celebrate Christmas don’t have to participate in celebrations. That’s been the standard for decades.”
Unfortunately Halloween and other decades-old traditions hold little value to the woke liberals who are trying to and change American culture in the name of race.
“There’s a war on families, American values, and everything that gives people joy,” argues Kimberly Fletcher, founder of the nonprofit group Moms for America. “At a time when moms are hungry for some sense of normalcy, families are struggling to hold things together and kids just want to be kids, we should be encouraging traditional familiars like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas instead of making things even more miserable for everyone.”
Source:
Some public grade schools cancel Halloween due to lack of ‘equity and inclusion’
Rantz: Seattle school cancels Halloween over ‘equity,’ says Black kids don’t celebrate