Bloomfield Hills High School should be a place where students feel secure—it is their 2nd home. Instead, there are reports of blatant racism and great disregard on behalf of the adults who oversee the students.
Only when Black parents and students went public did the administration acknowledge their inaction. While the media has reported these incidents as recent, parents and students say this has been occurring for years with complaints being ignored or brushed aside. Students and their parents are traumatized by racist death threats written on bathroom walls and the use of a black doll hung by a noose as part of a lesson on gravity.
The Bloomfield School District’s statement including the following pledge, “the topic of equity and inclusion will continue to be a top priority for Bloomfield Hills Schools,” is not reassuring. The conspicuous absence of actions to follow intentions is hollow and does not create a catalyst for change.
This pattern of inaction fosters an environment that propels young men to become radicalized with dangerous ideologies. It perpetuates the structured and inherent racism inherent in our society. The ongoing disregard for Black and other minorities affirms the need to teach the suffering of Blacks and other people of color within the context of United States History.
The Michigan Coalition of Human Rights stands in solidarity with the parents, students and faculty affected by the injustices and horror of racism. We raise our voices in demanding change. We offer our experience and resources in any way that would be helpful in facilitating an antiracist and peaceful culture at Bloomfield Hills High School.
