A Facebook post is gaining traction on social media - showing a student Powerpoint project meant to reflect on a volunteer experience at the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club.
Instead, a group of student(s) created a slide stereotyping the North Omaha neighborhood.
The students had visited the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday as part of a community day of service. Students were sent to various organizations across the metro.
What was meant to be a lesson about the spirit of giving-back has become a teachable moment about the meaning of being inclusive.
"I wasn't surprised, which is really disheartening that I wasn't shocked and like, how could this be happening," said Community Activist Ashlei Spivey.
The students' take-away from their visit to the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club was far from charitable after a student snapped this pic of the slide, which references gang violence.
The school district said the slide was never presented to the class and was immediately deleted. But it has left a lasting impression.
"The narrative about black and brown kids especially in North Omaha, is that narrative that they are gang members that we're poor, that we need a lot of help. So I think it was an eye opener that more need to be done on a system level," said Spivey.
"To have a student or small group of students who took this action on a day that was designed to be enlightening and purposeful was again, so heart breaking and disappointing and we apologize," said Jeremy Maskel, Ralston Public Schools.
3 News Now spoke with community leaders who reposted the photo from the parent of a Ralston freshman. The post has now been shared hundreds of times. They say action must be taken on a greater level to address racial bias within the educational system.
The takeaway: "We need more dialog when it comes to race in our communities. Just because you live in a different zip code you're still connected some way somehow, you play sports with these children," said Precious McKesson, President North Omaha Neighbor Alliance.
"If you're taking people not from that community - and they don't look like the community - into the community to do work, how are you preparing them, what message are you preparing them with," said Spivey.
Ralston Public Schools says more than 250 freshman took part in the day of service. They volunteered at various organizations across the area.
The school district also says the student or students involved will be disciplined according to the student code of conduct.
This statement was released:
Staff and Students,
I have a very important message I need to share with all of you. We are so fortunate to have a school that brings together students and families from across the Omaha metro. We have built a school community with the potential to make an incredible impact through our cultural, social, and ethnic diversity that deserves to be celebrated. I am passionate about creating a safe and nurturing place for all students to learn, share, and achieve. The decisive majority of Wednesday's 9th grade 'Day of Service' was incredible. Who can say, they invested an entire day with more than 250 students, totaling more than 1,250 hours of community service with eight diverse and unique nonprofits? Ralston High School can. Even with all that, the choices of one or some can hurt so many more.
You may be aware, a post shared on social media Thursday documented words that created anger, hurt, and mistrust for community members in North Omaha, members of the Boys and Girls Club of North Omaha, students within Ralston High School, and faculty our district. The post pictured a computer screen where students were working on a shared Google slideshow. The assignment was intended to let students reflect on the experience of giving time and energy to something bigger than one's self. I hoped students would see, even if they cannot give financially to others, they can still contribute by volunteering.
I am saddened to say that the slide which was shared did not embrace those ideas expressed above. The post elicited racial bias, false information, and used stereotypes to describe an accomplished organization that was founded on the support for, and acceptance of all. We as a school community are offended by the language. It does not represent us as a community or our views as a district. The slide was never presented in class or shared with a teacher. But, as soon as staff became aware of the deeply hurtful language, we intervened immediately.
Our school and district administration are working quickly to address the concerns and disappointment created by this incident. We will hold the students involved, accountable. We want to learn from this and be proactive, to better engage with the greater Omaha community in the future. My hope is that, as we continue to address this incident, we will also find ways to build on our work centered around inclusion, cultural competence, and acceptance of everyone.
In conclusion, I encourage everyone to show compassion, care, support, and empathy for those who are affected and will continue to be affected by this. I also ask that you focus on ways that you can help create environments that we all may thrive in. A strong community doesn't just happen. A community must be planted, nourished, and grown. Be Kind.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Tvrdy
Principal, Ralston High School
