"If I were Black, I'd be picking cotton. But I'm white, so I'm picking you for [school dance]."

[Demovictory9]

Link to tweet

Kansas student was asked to homecoming with a blatantly racist sign. It wasn't the first time the phrase was used to score a date to a high school dance.

"I felt it was important to share that we are working to thoroughly investigate the situation and contact all parties involved, including student guardians," Olathe South Principal Dale Longenecker wrote in a statement, citing a report by local news station KSHB. "At Olathe South and in the Olathe Public Schools, we are committed to creating an inclusive and safe environment for ALL our students."

"The type of behavior displayed in the social media post does not meet the expectations of our core values. Any behavior like this will be immediately addressed in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct," Longenecker continued.

St. James Academy, a Catholic school where the other student attends, also condemned the incident and launched an investigation, saying in a statement that "racism in any form is an assault on human dignity."

Rhonda Windholz, the mother of the teenage girl in the viral photo, defended her daughter after she received backlash and death threats in response to the proposal sign.

"Caught up in the excitement of being asked to her first-ever homecoming, our daughter held the sign that was given to her," Windholz told KSHB. "It was only after actually comprehending the situation, that she realized what was happening. She blatantly said no!! By then, it was too late."

"One Caucasian and one African-American boy were involved. It was the African-American boy who actually made the sign, already marked up and took the picture," Windholz added. "This by no means makes it right but should shed some light on the situation."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-kansas-student-was-asked-to-homecoming-with-a-blatantly-racist-sign-it-wasn-t-the-first-time-the-phrase-was-used-to-score-a-date-to-a-high-school-dance/ar-AAP1ijP?ocid=msedgntp

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Death threats over that?

[Demovictory9]

2. death threats over everything. and dont abuse an animal... they will need to put you in witness

protection.

The internet doesn't play.

[marble falls]

4. Knowing you as well as I think I do, I know that's not the reason you don't abuse animals!! ...

... that said, animal abusers deserve a lot of what they get in a court of law.

[Demovictory9]

12. I'm just pointing out how often the internet generates death threats.

[marble falls]

17. I read and agree with just about everything you write!!

[Judi Lynn]

7. What sadistic monster would ever consider harming an animal for any reason on earth?

That's not anyone's "right" just because he/she can do it without being stopped first.

Life looks exciting when you're "free, white, and 21," but sometimes there are legal limits for people who aren't quick to grasp things, or moral enough to care.

[marble falls]

18. Ain't it the truth. Sometimes the excitement outruns good sense.

[Haggard Celine]

3. Black people don't pick cotton anymore.

Hardly anyone does. They have machines that do that now; they've had them for years. I know they were trying to be cute, but that's just stupid.

[Iggo]

16. Oh well gee then that's much better.

[tanyev]

5. Aww, a slavery nostalgia danceposal. How romantic.

[yardwork]

6. This is heartbreaking. Who taught these kids that this was ok?

Apparently this is a thing? What the? Why would these kids inject ugly racism into a school dance invitation?

[JI7]

8. Yes, it's part of our culture . We are just seeing it more like this because of social media

and the internet . But it's always been like this.

[uponit7771]

10. +1, especially the black kid who made the sign up !!

[Scrivener7]

15. I find this part the most heartbreaking. It shows how ingrained this crap is in some places:

One Caucasian and one African-American boy were involved. It was the African-American boy who actually made the sign, already marked up and took the picture," Windholz added.

What must the culture of the place be, for that to be the case?

[yardwork]

22. I've read only that the girl's mom said this. No confirmation.

I can imagine the culture being so bad that a black kid might go along without, but I haven't seen corroboration of the mother's claim.

[Caliman73]

23. What must the culture of the place be, for that to be the case?

The United States.

Look up "The Doll Test". Started in the 1940's the doll test has been repeated decade after decade with similar results. Black children and Brown children will often point to the doll that has similar skin color to them when asked, "Which is the bad doll?" and "Which is the ugly doll". Both White children and children of color will point to the White doll when asked, "Which is the smart doll?", "Which is the good doll?"

It is ingrained in the culture of the United States. For children of color to participate in something that is historically denigrating to their own cultural heritage and ancestors is not that uncommon.

In my own culture, and in my own family I have heard Mexican immigrants called "illegals" or even "wet backs". We are of Mexican heritage and I am born of Mexican Immigrants on both sides. Go figure.

[Scrivener7]

25. Yes. I know about the doll test. It's a good analogy to this.

[Judi Lynn]

9. It doesn't say a lot for the girl, either, if his line worked on her.

His delivery was "I'm impossibly ignorant, nearly criminally insane, and I can see you are, too. Come on out to the dance with me and raise your profile a notch or two."

[uponit7771]

11. The girl said no after reading all of the sign

[LiberatedUSA]

14. Too late.

She’ll be having to explain it for the millionth time 20 years from now when it comes up in job searches.

[MissMillie]

19. Why is that funny/cute/witty?

Or, more accurately--why do other people think that's funny?

Racist sh!theads

[Treefrog]

20. Wasn't this same story in the news a few years ago?

[yardwork]

21. A different story but the same racist "joke."

Apparently it's a thing in some high schools. Appalling.

[gulliver]

24. What a rotten thing for the two boys to do to that girl.

The article said it was the two boys who made the sign, one Black and one White. The White boy is in the picture while the Black boy took the picture. Maybe they intended it as a joke on her or that she be in on the joke, but, if not, it was a truly rotten thing to do to the girl. Dumb, for sure, but we forgive that in teens.

And, of course, the adults all reacted in a knee jerk, CYA, thuggish, and foolish way. The adults are supposed to be wiser than that.

[jmowreader]

26. What this idiot doesn't know...

This is how you pick cotton in 2021.

A black man with one of these is a rich gentleman...in part because they're about $600,000 apiece, and also because you contract to all the farmers in the area to pick their cotton and haul it to the gin.

Having said that...not sure whether promposals or gender reveal parties have gotten more out of hand, but they're both pretty far out there.