Jordan Smith
Staff Reporter/Opinion Columnist
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“We just need the n—-s gone,” “imagine if there was no Holocaust… the Jews would rule the world.”
Those were just some of the statements of a video that went viral late Sunday night. In the video Spain Park High School students, Mackenzie Stewart, Ethan Guenther and Coleman Gunnells were drinking and laughing as they delivered racist and anti-Semitic rants.
Spain Park is a 1,600-student ninth-through 12th-grade school, one of two high schools in the 13,900-student district. The school has a student body that is 61 percent white, 22 percent black, six percent Asian, six percent Hispanic and five percent mixed-race.
Photo courtesy of Kristen Bush
Kristen Bush
Kristen Bush,former student of Spain Park, said she experienced racism during her time in high school.
“When a large group of black kids would sit among each other in school events majority of the teachers would stand around the black kids to make sure we did not get ‘rowdy,’ ” Bush said.
Bush also said that she asked the teachers why they would treat them differently. Shesaid the teacher responded by saying “because let’s face it y’all[black kids] are usually always the ones who start trouble or chaos.”
Photo courtesy of Alexis Daniel
Courtney Alysia
Courtney Alysia, former student of Spain Park, said she recalls an instance when she was followed into class by a teacher across the hall accompanied by a fellow teacher to assess her outfit.
“My peers could get away with shorts and dresses over three inches above the knee, come in with their entire back out, while enjoying cozy conversations with administrators,” Alysia said. “The school never did anything about it. It was if no one felt serious enough to speak on the matter.”
A student who did not want her name to be disclosed said that she experienced racism at Spain Park.
“Consistent micro-aggressive comments from students and teachers are common,” she said. “It is a mental imprisonment. I look back on my time as a former student and it makes me nauseous.”
Photo courtesy of Jamie Nealy
Jamie Nealy
“White students would bully some of the blacks kids who did not have much,” said Jamie Nealy, former student of Spain Park. “They would make fun of their clothes. It was almost as if they did it to impress their friends, looking back for confirmation.”
Photo courtesy of Alexis Daniel
Alexis Daniel
Alexis Daniel, junior in nursing at UAB, said that she experienced the same at her high school in St. Clair County. She said a white student said to her “I wish there was a hunting day for black people.”
Daniel said that she went to her principal about the matter, she did not believe her.
“She told me that I was lying,” Daniel said. “Because this event was caught on video it makes it a reality. I hope disciplinary action is taken.”
Spain Park high school did not respond for comment.
