DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — Some parents are concerned after they say the N-word appeared as part of a sixth-grade lesson at Horn Lake Middle School.
The lesson in question referenced a 2011 New York Times article on race that uses the word as part of a quote, when a child asks her mother, “Mom, what’s a n*****?”
DeSoto County Schools said the lesson in question was developed by Horn Lake Middle School teachers using supplemental material from The New York Times educational resources. The intention of the lesson was to promote social justice and diversity.
“However, the delivery did not lead to their desired outcomes,” the district said. “District officials reviewed the lesson and resources, and the school will no longer teach it.”
Black Lives Matter Mississippi says that many students and some teachers felt uncomfortable with the lesson. They are requesting sensitivity training for a teacher who taught the lesson.