A Louisiana mother of a five-year boy has slammed a high school student for sharing a photo of her son with a caption that perpetuates racial stereotypes, KTBS reports.
Sharon Martin was appalled when she came across a photo of two white teenagers carrying her young son at a Christmas event at Byrd High School with the caption: "A Ghetto Christmas Carol."
"Really? Ghetto?" Sharon told KTBS. "Why? Because he's black?" The outraged mom added:
"I don't know if they were trying to be funny or what. I don't get it. I didn't get it. Like why would they just write that? They could have left the ghetto part out and I would have been probably okay with it."
Her nephew Danny Martin, was also disappointed by racist undertones of the caption, featuring a young child, no less.
"He's five years old," he told KTBS. "He doesn't know what's going on. He doesn't know what's being said. He doesn't know about all the comments, posts on social media. He doesn't know that. So it's my job as his cousin to protect him from seeing that and also to protect any other child that's affected by this that's been happening anywhere in Shreveport."
Sharon also explained that she did not give Byrd High School permission to take pictures of her son. The reason for her son's attendance at the event was not reported.
One woman was recorded in the middle of a racist rant directed at a Puerto Rican shopper:"I don't want my kids on any of that," Martin said. "They're not old enough to speak for themselves so, no."
Per KTBS, the mother of the teenager responsible for the caption issued the following statement, apologizing for the offense caused:
"Our son was referring to the title of a song that is popular among teens. He had no intention of being malicious or hurtful to anyone, especially the child photographed, whom he has already written a letter to apologize for the whole incident. Although he did not intend to be hurtful toward anyone, his father and I feel that some counseling regarding cultural sensitivity is warranted."
This hotel employee calmly denied a racist woman service in the best possible way:The Caddo Parish School Board, which oversees Byrd High School, also released a statement to KTBS, reading:
"The administration of Byrd was made aware of the post and immediately took action, contacting the parents of the student and the student. The post has been taken down. Caddo Schools does not condone and strongly opposes the comments made by the student. While we cannot speak to individual student disciplinary actions, administration has addressed the situation."
The identities of both the mother and teenager were not revealed by KTBS.
