Unconscious bias towards black people continues and prevalent in the educational system

My son was an A+ student from grade school right through to high school and I'm an advocate for education and one of two rules I've raised my children to be respectful to all people, environment and property and obtain an education. In grade 5 my son was accused of swearing at a white girl on the school bus, which he didn't do. My babysitter who was watching my daughter at the time immediately believed my son did this including her son without any investigation but listening to a white girl accusing my son of such an incident.

The father of the little girl accused my son of always getting into trouble and always at the office. I advised him that all black boys do not look alike and the boy he is referring to is not my son. I walked the neighbourhood for an hour to speak to kids that were on the bus to find out what happened. Three of the children along with my son accompanied me to this little girls house as I knew I couldn't let this go because being a single mother and my son injustice accused of something he didn't do, he would have been suspended from the bus and I wouldn't have been able to work.

The father was angry and asked his daughter to confirm that my son is who swore at her and she nodded yes. Then he asked his son who was younger if my son swore at his sister and I'm so happy to say the little boy said the truth and said no that my son never swore at his sister but that his sister swore at my son and called him very inappropriate names.

My point here is that this happened 20 years ago and we continue to see this level of behaviour in our community.

The principle of the school at the time was Lincoln Alexander P.S. treated the black children differently, they were more in trouble, and in grade 8 my son with asthma was put in a portable and I advised the principle that my son's asthma will be impacted if he is in the portable as he was tested for allergies and mold was a big one and we know portables then were covered in mold. He refused to put my on in the class in the school. I fought for weeks and also presented a letter from my doctor when he refused to make adjustments. He already moved 8 white family kids into the school but refused to include my son. After letting him know that I will take my issue up to the Superintendent he changed his tone. My son had a horrible year as the teacher took this out on my son and treated him poorly, she couldn't affect him with grades because he was brilliant. This lasted the full year and she was white and so upset that her class had 35 students. I advised her my son's health is more important and that there was an opportunity for the principle to move students who did not have a health issue to relieve her from such a sizeable class and to not take this out on an incident child.

I pray that we change policies and hold school administrators accountable for the differences in how they treat black children. We are not asking for special treatment but that we are treated fairly as white people are and that we are included in the "All" in all lives matter.

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