The Desert Vista High School class of 2016 needs a new slogan.
Students at the Phoenix-area high school gathered on senior picture day wearing black shirts to spell out: βBEST*CLASS*YOUβVE*EVER*SEEN*CLASS*OF*2016.β
A group of six young women figured out they could spell something else.
As you have likely seen by now in the photo that took off on the Internet, the six white girls arranged themselves to spell out βNI**ER.β Convenient that they had the asterisks to use, isnβt it. They put their arms around each otherβs waists, tilted their heads just so and smiled for the camera.
The rest of the world was not so amused.
One of the young women has publicly apologized. School officials havenβt announced disciplinary action, but privacy laws can limit what they are allowed to say about individual students.
Rachel Steigerwald, who was the βRβ in the photo, spoke at a press conference Monday: βI know people have been offended from what I did. I have come here to say I am incredibly, incredibly sorry. I have love for everyone in my heart. I am not a racist, and I am asking everyone for forgiveness of me. Thatβs what Iβve come here to say.β
Itβs possible to take an action or say something that is prejudiced, but still not see yourself as being prejudiced β the βbut some of my best friends are black/Hispanic/gay/womenβ school of bigotry.
If theyβre not racists, does that just mean theyβre ignorant? And, if so, is that somehow better?
Michael Lambert, of Laveen, Arizona, said at a protest, as posted on the Arizona Republic website, βBlack people have used the word N-I-G-G-A,β spelling out the word. βMaybe we shouldnβt be using that, maybe we should. Kids use it, kids donβt.β
He goes on to say that nobody uses the N-word, and he spells it out fully. βUnless youβre doing it for hateful acts. Period. And the fact that you took a picture. Lined up, spelled it correctly and put smiles your face. Thatβs premeditated. You knew what you were doing.β
Heβs right. The young women β theyβre in high school, these arenβt kids β didnβt do this by accident. Someone had the idea, someone got them organized, someone took the photo and someone posted it on social media.
How did they think this was a good idea? Itβs the same question that arises every time we hear about some group, usually of young white people, having βPimp and Hoβ or βgangsterβ parties, or βMexicanβ parties.
Iβve taught college students for more than a decade. Iβve heard a few of them say some pretty ridiculous things, and weβve had discussions. A lot of times they just hadnβt thought of it βthat way.β They didnβt recognize the discrimination, presumption and harm embedded in their words or assumptions about others, usually people different from themselves.
I think a young woman named Alyssa Stiggers, who is the president of the Desert Vista Black Student Union, has had one of the best responses to the situation:
βWeβre going to start a campaign: βSpread the word to end the N-word.β And thatβs what our action is. We have to do something. This is our call to action. We have to do something to bring light to this situation.β
We do need to take action β we need to talk about race, racism and discrimination with our kids and make sure they understand they donβt live in a sheltered and selfish bubble world.
Because thoughtlessness isnβt an excuse, itβs a failure.