Lauren Pineda
The month of May normally represents a couple of things for high school teenagers. For most, it means the end of the school year and the start of summer. But for upperclassmen, it also means prom. And after being in lockdown last year, many undoubtedly have been excited to execute their extravagant ‘promposals’ in asking that special person to prom. But one student in Minnesota went too far with his, creating a racist prom proposal that sparked rightful outrage amongst the community.
Videos by Rare
The horrifying picture, trending on social media, was taken of two White students holding up a written sign that says, “If I Was Black I’d Be Picking Cotton, But I’m White So I’m Picking You. Prom?”
High School Student Makes Racist ‘Promposal’
The Community Responds
The two students were unnamed for the sake of still being minors, but the Big Lake School District in Big Lake, Minnesota quickly issued a statement saying,
“Earlier today, the Big Lake School District was made aware of a “promposal” post on Facebook that reportedly involved students using a racial comment. The School District is taking this report very seriously and is in the process of investigating this matter. We will be evaluating it under any and all applicable School District policies and will take whatever action is necessary and appropriate to address the situation. Due to state and federal data privacy laws, the School District is prohibited from sharing more information about this matter with the public about the specifics of this incident and the students involved.
Big Lake Schools does not condone racism, in any form. Our school has been committed to implementing the Hornet Way, as a way to develop and guide our students’ character and actions. The Hornet Way teaches the values of respect, honesty, kindness, responsibility, and fairness. We believe those values extend to all aspects of our school community. The School District also is committed to ensuring that all students and staff are treated equally and can attend school and report to work in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Our expectations are high and we expect compliance by all.”
The promposal sign shamelessly roamed the surface of racial slurs, but Minnesotans know this isn’t the first time they’ve had to deal with racism and racial bias in their communities. Addressing racism has increasingly become more of a hot topic in the US over the last year, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And it’s unfortunate to see that regardless of the conversations that have already been had and that still need to be had, this incident implies how much work there is still left to do in changing society.
