A movie about the first Black child to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans was pulled from a Florida school.
White parents objected to the “Ruby Bridges” story being viewed by students because it would teach them about the evils of racism.
However, the white writer of the film says the protesters are missing the point.
One of the loudest protesters against the movie about the civil rights hero has been Emily Conklin, the mother of a second-grade student at North Shore Elementary. She became aware of the teacher’s plan to show the movie after the school sent out permission slips and trailers for the film two weeks before the film was scheduled to be shown.
Conklin and one other parent refused to allow their children to view the film, MSN reported.
On March 6, the frustrated mother filed an official complaint.
Here is a copy of the objection form filed by Conklin.
In her complaint, Conklin explained she didn’t want her young child to see white people using racial epithets, throwing things, spitting and doing other hateful acts toward a young Bridges, believing the historical face of Southern segregation was inappropriate for second graders.
School officials sided with her and decided to temporarily ban the movie until a special committee could review its appropriateness.
Toni Ann Johnson, who wrote the film, tweeted about the controversy, saying those who object to the film have missed the intention of the film altogether.
“Ruby Bridges, a film I wrote that was released twenty-five years ago, is banned in a Florida school because a full-of-s–t parent thinks ‘the movie might teach white children to hate Black children.’ It teaches white children to empathize with Ruby,” she tweeted.
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