On October 24, 2024, Henrico and Hanover administrators came across a racial slur on the rear of a Henrico County School bus at a Junior Varsity Hanover High School football game. Both communities were shocked to hear the news of this incident.
But, this isn’t the first time that slurs were used in the presence of vandalism in Hanover County. Many individuals, including myself, all propose the same question of whether we are truly moving forward in equality, or falling back into racist and uneducated ways.
Last year, on October 23, community members found a swastika symbol on the Hanover High School football field, which was added to a string of anti-sematic attacks following the recent uprise in the Israel-Hamas War at the time. Officials held an investigation and supposedly took care of the problem, yet a similar situation can be seen a day after the anniversary of the incident.
It’s interesting to point out that not much time has passed since the civil rights movement and other minority fights supposedly “concluded,” with the adoption of new laws and acts established in government.
Ruby Bridges, the first black child to attend a white school, is currently 70 years old, alive and well living in New Orleans with her family.
Gay marriage became legal under the Obama administration on June 26th, 2015. That was only 9 years ago as of today. It is vital to note that the government is set up in a way that makes it difficult for laws to be passed quickly, some varying from months to years. This does not mean that citizens of this country cannot change at a more efficient rate, and based on current actions, we have.
In more recent years, the Black Lives Matter Movement has circled back around and is motivating young people all around the world to better educate themselves after the unjust killing of George Floyd.
People fail to realize that this movement has been around longer than 2020.
The cause itself was a product of many different cases involving the killings of African Americans by the police back in 2013, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Rekia Boyd, and Oscar Grant lll.
There have been other organizations established before this, like the NAACP, which was established in 1909. The Hanover chapter of the NAACP commented on the recent situation at Hanover High School, reflecting their concerns.
Pat Jordan, President of Hanover NAACP, said that there is a need for more comprehensive responses to racism in schools.
According to Wric News, “Instead of temporary punishments, Jordan is advocating for racial literacy training for both staff and students to foster a more inclusive environment.”
The School Board also held meetings to take care of the problem, yet the NAACP was not reached out to when the meeting occurred, as well as parents not being able to attend.
“She said, in the past, [Superintendent Lisa Pennycuff] responded by stating that collaboration couldn’t occur until mutual trust was established, but Jordan countered that trust has already been broken due to a lack of effective communication and action from the board.”
As tensions grow, some people take these instances as an opportunity to educate themselves on situations that could be offensive in order to prevent it in the future.
Although some people may believe that we are walking backward now, they keep in mind that tomorrow could be a new opportunity to take a fresh step forward.
