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Nothing good has ever come out of a note sent home by a teacher. At best, a parent may learn that their child is having a hard time adjusting or understanding something that their peers are getting at a swifter speed. At worst, as in the case of a note sent home with Amia Norris, a student at the Raggedy Anne Learning Center in Chicago, it could be a racially charged screed.
According to Cosmopolitan, Amia was the only black student in her class at the learning center when her teacher, Carol, sent home a note asking Amia’s mother, Tionna Norris, to use less coconut oil in the child’s hair because other students were allegedly making fun of her.
The note, which was posted to Facebook by Norris, implies that the coconut oil that Norris uses on Amia’s hair “stinks” and that other children had been bullying her because of the smell. “If you have to do this daily,” the note closed, “please do so lightly so the kid’s [sic] don’t tease her.”
Of course, Norris was upset. First of all, because coconut oil doesn’t have a smell that could be classified as “stinky,” and second of all because it’s the teacher’s responsibility to handle her class. If kids are being teased, then it should be up to the instructor to sit these same kids down and discuss why it’s important not to judge or bully others. The answer isn’t to say “well, kids do tease, so change your behavior,” it’s to give them a lesson in kindness and understanding.
Norris sent back the following note, also posted to Facebook, in response:
Aside from sharing her disappointment that her daughter’s uniqueness was not appreciated at the school and trying to explain exactly how she does Amia’s hair, Norris asked the teacher if the children who had been teasing Amia had also been sent home with letters informing their parents that they needed to discuss both their kids’ bullying behavior and educate their children on what diversity means. Fair question.
It was at this point that the teacher could have apologized and considered her own actions, but when Norris went to school officials to discuss the letter, Cosmopolitan reports, she was told that, actually, no bullying had ever occurred.
Norris believes the note resulted from a lack of racial sensitivity in the school and also thinks Amia’s teacher was being discriminatory by sending home a note that reported a false incident. And the school hasn’t helped matters — despite the school administrator’s apology, she took no action against Carol. “I was hurt for my child,” Norris told CBS Chicago. “Because I am a young parent in the school or the parent of darker skin tone, I get the letter that says my daughter stinks.”
While the school has not responded to calls by reporters (ours included), it’s clear that the administration needs to engage in some sensitivity and diversity training with the staff. Whether that happens or not, however, Amia won’t be there to see it. Norris has pulled her child from the school because she doesn’t feel that the instructor could treat her daughter in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
“If you cannot understand why a mother would be upset about receiving a letter like that,” Norris told CBS, “then you don’t deserve to teach my child.”
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This kind of imaginary, perceived racism is ridiculous. The only thing the teacher is guilty of is being an educator who doesn’t understand basic punctuation.
I’m just glad that I know what we’re suppose to outraged about this week.
@Al you think? I think it’s certainly racially charged. It felt like a pretty serious call out by a teacher for no great reason. Just feels like the teacher traveled a lot of unnecessary steps to send this letter home.
So why single out one girl in a class, lying about her being bullied due to her hairstyle? Which actually doesn’t stink? If there’s no racial motivation at all then what the fuck would be the motivation to lie to a parent on your own damn class about bullying
@DeSeanB agreed completely. Thanks for that.
So “white kids bullying black girl over her hair” means the black girl needs to change her hair (according to the teacher) and that isn’t racist? What about the part where the school said it never even happened at all, which means that someone at the school is now lying about what happened? But really you, as a white man, truly are the final arbiter of what constitutes anti-black racism. Thanks for clearing that up for us.
@Steve Bramucci Thanks for the shout out. I have no problem with content. Sweet sweet clicks are what it’s all about. My problem is the neverending hypocrisy. You yelled and screamed about Trump calling Lindsay Lohan nuts yet right above this article a writer call Azalia Banks “coo for coco puffs”. I’m going to assume they meant coco but since almost zero proofreading goes on around here, who knows. Is it ok to make fun of her because she’s black? Is that the idea? Kim Kardashian gets robbed and the tone of the articles is poor Kim, what suffering, how traumatic yet when a rapper gets his shit took its played for laughs. I’ll let that one a stand on it’s own. It’s ok to call Kevin James fat but don’t you dare refer to a woman’s weight or you’ll be accused of being a soldier in the war against women. Also, don’t forget girls, all brides like to drop a few pounds before their weddings. I have more but I’m done ranting.
…and apparently I don’t know how to reply.
“While the school has not responded to calls by reporters (ours included)”
Hahahahaha! You think you’re a reporter? That’s cute.
@Thanksgiving Chimp you should scroll down a little and check out the REAL STORIES section. I think you’d like all of the original reporting, it seems like you have a connoisseur’s appreciation for such things.
Clearly they aren’t reporters. Literally every time I call uproxx out of having no journalistic integrity and being ridiculously biased, I’m informed by many users here that this isn’t “news” so therefore, they aren’t reporters
@Staubachlvr Whatever! Rowles is up for a Peabody this year!
What does it sat that Rowles is now one of the better writers on the site?
Yeah. It’s time to decide uproxx. Are you journalists or an “entertainment site”. If you want to be journalists then I’m all for it, but it’s gonna take some changes in standards.
@Bonerz @Joe Carroll @Kenny Brocklesteen @Staubachlvr I find myself endlessly fascinated by this phenomenon.
How about this: We create content focused on the issues that seem to resonate across culture. Content which we hope helps to define culture. Some is done with video. Some is done with short, aggregated stories. That is one way to get traffic. [Consider the internet: Where 30% of people use ad blocker. Imagine trying to support a business but only getting paid for 70% of the material you create. Do you see how that would urge a company to deal in volume? Try running a taco stand where you get paid for 70% of the tacos you sell. But still have to pay insurance for everyone making 100% of the tacos.]
Some of our stories are longform articles. Some are features. Some are interviews. We are large, we contain multitudes. Let us live and help us thrive. Vote for the content you love by sharing it and helping to promote it!
Old School Uproxx:
Vince Mancini
Brian Grubb
Ashley Burns
Caleb Reading
Still here; still thriving.
New school Uproxx:
Cailin White
Steve Hyden
Mark Shrayber
And so many others who’s writing I think is excellent.
I don’t exactly know what Uproxx did to collect so many commenters who seem to specifically come here to shit on us, but it intrigues me endlessly. As a reader of FilmDrunk since the year it was founded, it also kinda depresses me.
We want to be your favorite site on the internet. You’re also very welcome to skip stories. We just don’t have the staff or resources right now to come to your homes and force you to click on stories that don’t resonate with you.
But if you have ideas for how this site can grow, and get traffic while continuing to deliver stories which YOU find important, please do email me! steve @ uproxx . com
The answer to your question is that this USED to be many commenters’ favorite collection of sites on the internet and a lot of us are wondering “what the hell happened?”
There has been such a clear tone shift in the topics that are written about and how they are written here since the “good ole days”, when I have to believe that the sites were absolutely thriving, and it is extremely confusing as to why these changes were made.
The rumors and rumblings about what was going on behind the scenes, especially stemming from KSK’s downfall is also a big reason for the the “phenomenon” you’re seeing.
I understand a major part of this is extremely talented people moving on for one reason or the other that is out of anyone’s control. However, That doesn’t explain the crystal clear tone shift. This place used to be 80% pop culture, Jerry Jones sketches, TV show/ movie discussion and overall fun times had by all with 20% serious topics mixed in that were presented to the audience neutrally and then left for the kommentariat to discuss openly. Now, those percentages seemed to be flipped and there is no presentation of the facts clearly and neutrally for commenters discuss. There is a clear narrative and slant for 90% of these kinds of stories and that doesn’t promote discussion.
The reason Vince’s piece the other day about Trump worked so well was that aside from being funny, he didn’t hide behind the veil of impartiality. We know what he thinks and it wasn’t presented as an informative article.
My thoughts and questions from this prior article are also things I think people wonder about and want to know considering the earlier comments in this thread. [uproxx.com]
Please don’t take this as an attack because I am legitimately trying to answer your question. I respect that you actually respond even though I understand why other writers may not have that same freedom.
End of rant.
@Whatitiz73 everyone has the freedom to respond, fyi. And I’m glad you gave me a chance to continue the conversation.
Which super-talented people do you feel moved on? Matt was unarguably wonderful, but that was a career choice that he made. Are there other superstars missing (there might be, I don’t remember everyone)?
I feel so stoked on the current crew of Uproxx writers and I feel like someone from the old school like Vince is getting all sorts of awesome chances to thrive. I signed on because I love Vince. That’s where it started for me.
Look at pieces like Vince’s exploration of bourbon country, or his visit to Paws Up Resort, or his pieces on food. Aren’t those things cool? Don’t you want to see him getting those new opportunities? Would you rather go back to the old way?
And what about newer writers? Someone like Mark, who wrote this piece, has added so much to the cultural conversation this year. Did you see his piece on Leslie Jones? Frank Ocean? Ken Bone? He’s a deep dude. Thoughtful. Kind-hearted.
I love that our commenters constantly want us to be better, but I think that has to come from a place of “I like this site, I want to interact and share feedback.” I welcome that and always will. That’s the hill I choose to die on: interacting with our community, even when it means I’m typing a comment at 3:25am PT.
…And yet, sometimes, a very small group of people is very noisy about disliking stuff. And 99% I clearly know how to respect that. I have a long history of honoring that group — even when people advise me not to. But there are times where it gets to me, as it clearly has here. It bums me out, because people are working insanely hard and…we’re artists. We’re delicate flowers.
***
As for “hot taeks!” I don’t think we do many. I think we try to be socially progressive. I don’t know many people I could unpack this situation to and have them respond, “Oh that’s not racially charged at all, I don’t see it” — Now maybe it’s because I live in a liberal hub, but it’s just my experience. A story like this, I can’t imagine how it starts a firestorm for us — when so many more inflammatory handlings of the same issue by our competition are read and shared and thrive.
Please please please continue pressing me on this stuff though. Email me, steve (at) uproxx! Curse me out! Urge us to grow and evolve!
But always do it because you like us, that’s where it has to start.
@Steve Bramucci – I would have to agree with Whatitiz that the frustration comes from the changing of the content not the changing of those commenting. I am hoping that the direction of the site has been more of a matter of election politics than what is the permanent nature of articles. The standards that I speak of is that A LOT of articles are misrepresentations, halftruths, and/or leave out anything approaching the “other side”. It makes it very frustrating. Look at one of your writers, Kimberly Ricci. I just looked and 32 of her last 38 articles have been attacking Trump. And I think that is all within the last 10 days. Ok, Trump is a douche, but when there is that kind of volume it is not reporting it is the driving home of a preconceived agenda. Its why its frustrating to see these takes on how the debate went when we all know how it will be reported anyways. Trump has made some good points and Hillary has screwed up. These are facts, but they are not facts that the people apparently assigned to News will talk about. And really articles about Trump would be fine if it wasn’t the majority of the articles. In the past couple years I believe the articles about Trump/police shootings/and transgender issues have dominated this site to the point where it does not feel like an entertainment site. It certainly doesn’t feel like the site that so many of us have enjoyed for so long. And I’ve been told by many, “well if you don’t like this then don’t come here.” I guess that makes sense, but its hard to leave a place that you’ve been such a fan of, and like you said there are still good writers here. I just think they are getting drowned out by all the poorly thought out and one-sided political wanna be activists you have on staff.
@Staubachlvr The Daily Show reports on the news, produces original content, and even conducts interviews with politicians and other newsworthy people. Should we suggest that they are now to be treated the same as CNN? Nobody comes here for hard-hitting unbiased news except apparently a bunch of dumbass conservatives on the internet.
@ak3647 The point is that no one really used to come here for it at all. It just happened. I have no idea if that is for the better or worse, but considering the average post here a few years ago had hundreds of comments, I’d say worse. The Daily Show is supposed to be funny (however,not as much anymore) so they aren’t really held to that standard even though they are usually accurate with facts. I’d challenge you to find a political story here that was in the tone of TDS aside from Vince’s article the other day. They are presented as serious and factual. TDS would never have a story like the one here about “Mike Pence defends Trump’s statements on women” when that was absolutely false. If you can’t make that distinction, I question your authority to call anyone a dumb ass.
@Steve Bramucci The introduction to the collection of websites that became Uproxx was started for most people by Brendon and then led to Matt. I believe most of the KSK crew is gone too. I think everyone is in agreement with their enjoyment of Vince’s work and it shows in his comment sections, but we see less and less of him it seems. Whether that is because of other projects or taking more time to write longer, thought out pieces, I don’t know.
@ak3647 Yes the Daily Show should be held to that standard. When Stewart was on, that was the number one show 18-25 year olds got news from. Whether they started to be funny is irrelevant, they have a responsibility as journalists. And they actually did, they might of leaned a certain way but they at least TALKED about everything, unlike Uproxx. The only time people pull out the “they aren’t real news!” Is by people like you trying to excuse their poor journalism because it lined up with their beliefs. You know as well as I do if Uproxx or TDS leaned conservative you’d be having a coniptuon fit over how biased they were and how they were ignoring stories
I’m more outraged by a teacher not knowing the word necessity or that plurals don’t need apostrophes.
The use of comic sans doesn’t help either.
Agreed. There is something really fishy about all of this. Not calling this mother a liar but it all seems to set up. What do I know though, I don’t have kids.
Mark, congratulations on consistently being on the wrong side of logic and reason.
@OhMyBalls too easy to say and not defend. Please unpack that one. Also, I assigned the story.
Steve- I’ve always wondered, do you assign the narrative and then the topic or vice versa?
In this instance do you think the teacher sent a hand written note to the parent because she’s racist or because she wanted to help the child?
As far as the author’s pieces go, I’m happy to go to the Uproxx archives on that.
And yes I am making fun of the font.
@OhMyBalls I would say, “Some kind of ‘help’ is wrongheaded.” A teacher sending a note home about coconut oil does seem…overzealous to say the least. We don’t call the teacher a racist. But all sorts of non-racists have blind spots and make mistakes that are racially charged.
If kids are making fun of her why wouldn’t she want to help? It looks like you’re dragging an educator for clicks.
Props on the “wrong headed” pun.
Do you think the parent of a child wearing glasses or socially awkward but quite intelligent recieved the same note? Judging by this “teacher” who knows. Racism- probably, terrible educator- dolphinitely.
@Yeeeerp exactly. And that’s the issue @OhMyBalls, the teacher has — if the child is being bullied, which the school disputes — take the side of the bullies.
ALSO: We don’t run these stories for clicks and we don’t run them to drag a teacher. We run them to start conversations about things that are relevant to our culture, which this seems to have done.
It’s great that OhMyBalls thinks that telling a bullied kid to change to appease their bullies is helping them. That’s some awesome “help” right there. Oh course the parents of the white bullies didn’t receive any feedback on their children being little shits, only the black girl who’s on the receiving end of taunts is made to feel “wrong.” Helping!
@ak3647 so are just a troll who only exists to insult and be contrarian, or do you actually believe the stuff you type? I’m surprised you have the time to comment as much as you do when you’re usually busy blowing Hillary as the Second Coming
I beg to differ that coconut is not stinky. Coconut smells and tastes terrible and should migrate as far away as possible.
Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?
Coconut needs to join lobster, champagne, anal sex and picnics as the most over rated things in life.
@MadTheSwine not at all but they could be carried
@Kenny Brocklesteen if you think those things are overrated, you must be living pretty damn well.
Don Imus was quoted as calling her a nappy headed ho.
Nope. I’m calling BS on this one. Teachers don’t send home typed up and printed notes. They’re hand-written, or not at all. I will never not believe that this is a parent looking for a way to go viral.
Very true. Every time I see an “offensive note” that someone has “the perfect response to”, I immediately assume it’s people looking for attention. There’s enough prejudice that actually does happen that we don’t need people trying to think of ways to make it about themselves in an effort to go viral. I’m sure there’s a gofundme page somehow related to this note.
The school has confirmed the details.
Did they tell you that when they didn’t answer your phone call?
The article says the school apologized, which I’m sure they did. But, as a teacher, I can tell you: anything sent home needs a signature or be in an email (which also has a required, uneditible signature.) Ugh. “So why apologize?” Because belligerent parents, justified or not, just want to be heard. Parents who REALLY want to be heard prove their case to the school board or even someone else in the school (can I get a shoutout to guidance counselor?!?) Parents who want to go viral hand-write a three page rant and post it on facebook. It’s fake, buddy. Sorry.
I love when people say shit isn’t real because of completely circumventable and variable things like best practices for sending a note home.
Best practices or not, no teacher of that age group has time to sit down and type up a note like that. They’d write it down in the kid’s agenda, or hand-write it on a piece of scrap paper and send it with the kid. Also, I can type up a letter and say it’s from the President, that doesn’t make it true, but it does make it easier to try convince someone. These reasons alone make me very suspicious of the letter.
If the note is in fact real, then that teacher needs to be reprimanded for sending home the letter without following “best practices” for sure. CYA, always. But there is nothing racial about the circumstances UNITL the response, which takes a (reasonable, in my opinion, you’re more than welcome to form your own opinion) request and turns it into a huge deal. The note says nothing of the fact that it’s because the girl is black and does not make light of her circumstances in any way. In fact, the first line is full of understanding of the child’s needs. It’s a simple request that went too far.
I am of the OPINION that it is at least reasonable think that maybe what happened is the kid went home being made fun of for stinking or whatever, and told her mom. The mom called the school, explained the situation, and didn’t like the answer she got, which was probably a polite suggestion to use less of the shit that is making her kid stink. Because she was not satisfied, she took it a step further by writing up her dissertation on the racial issues faced by her child as the only black child in a class full of whites, and when she realized no one would know what the fuck she was talking about, she wrote out a letter that says what the teacher said to her when the situation was brought to her attention. Does this make the teacher’s actions or response better? No. But it does change the story a little bit if you consider it a response and not an active address of the issue.
Dude, shut the fuck up. I hate when people like you (and others) read a story, and instead of taking issue with the story presented, on either side mind you, and decide instead to change the facts. Like you have some kind of insight into this story that the dude who gets paid to research and write about it doesn’t. You’re giving an opinion, sure. But you’re giving an opinion on a story that you fabricated using entirely assumed facts, rather than the ones presented and confirmed. God you’re pretentious.
@tgbusteed thanks I guess. I’m glad you took the time to write that.
Coconut oil does stink…
Came here for shitty comments, was not disappointed.