• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem

Rapunzel52

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
525
Reaction score
233
Location
The Great Midwest
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Conservative
Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal

Students at Capital High School (CHS) in Charleston, West Virginia have been regularly forced to stand during the playing of a song known as “The Black National Anthem.”

The song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was played in the morning right after the American national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance, and students were forced to stand for all three. While the law currently states that no child can be compelled to stand for any kind of pledge, controversy only arose at CHS after two students and a parent complained about having to stand for the “Black National Anthem” (BNA).

To make matters worse, Clinton Giles, the black principal of CHS who made the requirement, allegedly ridiculed a child for his refusal to stand during the BNA. As the Daily Mail (the link to the original article is no longer valid) wrote:

Kim Bailey is the mother of one student who chose not to stand. She said the song is considered the “African-American National Anthem” and it was disrespectful to make students stand for it.

Her son chose not to stand and was sent to the office several times because of his decision, she said. She also said Giles made statements over the loudspeaker about the situation that “ostracized” her son.

Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal | World of Newsninja2012

Sounds racist to me.

Thoughts anyone???

Should this principle be fired or should he just have his hands slapped and told to stop?
 
Wow... Just... Wow... In West Virginia of all places.. That is literally the last place I would expect that to happen. I'm against the playing of all pledges and anthems in schools, but playing a black anthem without playing the white and brown anthems is disturbingly racist.

Funny story, I was suspended back in highschool for not standing for the Texas pledge. Apparently they didn't have such a rule.
 
Wow... Just... Wow... In West Virginia of all places.. That is literally the last place I would expect that to happen. I'm against the playing of all pledges and anthems in schools, but playing a black anthem without playing the white and brown anthems is disturbingly racist.

Funny story, I was suspended back in highschool for not standing for the Texas pledge. Apparently they didn't have such a rule.

He did play the National Anthem and the Pledge, but also included the Black National anthem and required all students to stand for all three.

So, is he racist, or just being fair, but unlawful???
 
He did play the National Anthem and the Pledge, but also included the Black National anthem and required all students to stand for all three.

So, is he racist, or just being fair, but unlawful???
Yes, I know that, you stated it in the OP. In my response I wrote that it was "disturbingly racist".
 
Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal

Students at Capital High School (CHS) in Charleston, West Virginia have been regularly forced to stand during the playing of a song known as “The Black National Anthem.”

The song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was played in the morning right after the American national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance, and students were forced to stand for all three. While the law currently states that no child can be compelled to stand for any kind of pledge, controversy only arose at CHS after two students and a parent complained about having to stand for the “Black National Anthem” (BNA).

To make matters worse, Clinton Giles, the black principal of CHS who made the requirement, allegedly ridiculed a child for his refusal to stand during the BNA. As the Daily Mail (the link to the original article is no longer valid) wrote:

Kim Bailey is the mother of one student who chose not to stand. She said the song is considered the “African-American National Anthem” and it was disrespectful to make students stand for it.

Her son chose not to stand and was sent to the office several times because of his decision, she said. She also said Giles made statements over the loudspeaker about the situation that “ostracized” her son.

Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal | World of Newsninja2012

Sounds racist to me.

Thoughts anyone???

Should this principle be fired or should he just have his hands slapped and told to stop?

It's no worse than being forced to say the pledge of allegiance. But I suppose you have some grounds for opposition, being that the institution in question is a public school.
 
Wow... Just... Wow... In West Virginia of all places.. That is literally the last place I would expect that to happen. I'm against the playing of all pledges and anthems in schools, but playing a black anthem without playing the white and brown anthems is disturbingly racist.

Funny story, I was suspended back in highschool for not standing for the Texas pledge. Apparently they didn't have such a rule.

The pledge itself is pretty marginalizing, so I don't see any reason the school can't do this as well. :shrug:
 
Sounds like grounds for a firing, and not because he wanted to play this song in the morning but because he's compelling students to stand for it.
 
The song's message can really be applied to anybody who's seeking the strength to carry on.

Lift every voice and sing,
till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.


Sing a song full of the faith that the
dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on till victory is won.


Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chastening rod,
felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
yet with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet
come to the place
for which our fathers died?


We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past,
till now we stand at last
where the white gleam
of our bright star is cast.


God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
thou who hast by thy might led us into the light,
keep us forever in the path, we pray.


Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee,
shadowed beneath thy hand,
may we forever stand,
true to our God,
true to our native land.

I have no problem with playing the song because of it's more generic message...but the song does mention God...not that I personally give even one single **** about the mention of God in schools, but I'm pretty sure the mention of him in this song would likely create controversy outside of the "racism" nonsense.
 
Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal

Students at Capital High School (CHS) in Charleston, West Virginia have been regularly forced to stand during the playing of a song known as “The Black National Anthem.”

The song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was played in the morning right after the American national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance, and students were forced to stand for all three. While the law currently states that no child can be compelled to stand for any kind of pledge, controversy only arose at CHS after two students and a parent complained about having to stand for the “Black National Anthem” (BNA).

To make matters worse, Clinton Giles, the black principal of CHS who made the requirement, allegedly ridiculed a child for his refusal to stand during the BNA. As the Daily Mail (the link to the original article is no longer valid) wrote:

Kim Bailey is the mother of one student who chose not to stand. She said the song is considered the “African-American National Anthem” and it was disrespectful to make students stand for it.

Her son chose not to stand and was sent to the office several times because of his decision, she said. She also said Giles made statements over the loudspeaker about the situation that “ostracized” her son.

Students in West Virginia School forced to stand for Black National Anthem by Principal | World of Newsninja2012

Sounds racist to me.

Thoughts anyone???

Should this principle be fired or should he just have his hands slapped and told to stop?

If everything is true as presented, then it is indeed racist. The principle should face repercussion and be told to stop; but I would stop short of firing him.
 
The song's message can really be applied to anybody who's seeking the strength to carry on.



I have no problem with playing the song because of it's more generic message...but the song does mention God...not that I personally give even one single **** about the mention of God in schools, but I'm pretty sure the mention of him in this song would likely create controversy outside of the "racism" nonsense.
So would it be ok if a song were played that was well known to be a white supremacy song that had quite harmless lyrics? It's the double standards I have a problem with. Why should there be black history month, asian history month, latino history month etc, but white history month would be racist?
 
So would it be ok if a song were played that was well known to be a white supremacy song that had quite harmless lyrics? It's the double standards I have a problem with. Why should there be black history month, asian history month, latino history month etc, but white history month would be racist?

I totally agree on double standards.

Meanings change over time. A good message is a good message. There are some songs that I find significant meaning in that mean something entirely different to the artist. I don't feel we should shun art based on the art's use for nefarious means. Shun those who use it that way, sure. But art is all about individual interpretation. Banning or blocking access to art on the basis of what somebody else did to it or with it is just censorship, IMO.
 
So would it be ok if a song were played that was well known to be a white supremacy song that had quite harmless lyrics? It's the double standards I have a problem with. Why should there be black history month, asian history month, latino history month etc, but white history month would be racist?


Exactly. Next thing you know minorities will want to have a say in what is printed in school textbooks to make sure their people are included.
 
Exactly. Next thing you know minorities will want to have a say in what is printed in school textbooks to make sure their people are included.
Sarcasm noted. I'd love to hear how the history books leave out everyone else's history but white history. What kind of f***'ed up books were you reading?

Our society should treat everyone the same. No race deserves special privileges like a history month if you don't give them to ALL races.
 
Sounds racist to me.

Thoughts anyone???

Should this principle be fired or should he just have his hands slapped and told to stop?

Sounds like a first amendment problem to me. Also probably racist. And just baffling as ****. I think a cease and decist order is appropriate. If the principal still pushes this, then he/she gets fired.
 
The crap that goes on in our public schools never ceases to amaze me. Just a matter of time until some teacher forces students to sign a loyalty pledge and turn in their parents if they hear any anti obama talk in their home.
 
So, its not actually a national anthem. They were just forced to stand while a song was played. However, the political implications here are obvious. Just one more reason parents should not let the govt educate their children.
 
Must...resist...multiple...jokes.

This thread is bound to get me gigged.
 
The crap that goes on in our public schools never ceases to amaze me. Just a matter of time until some teacher forces students to sign a loyalty pledge and turn in their parents if they hear any anti obama talk in their home.


Or make them sing Obama songs.
 
There is no black national anthem because black isn't a country.
 
There is no black national anthem because black isn't a country.

This principal thinks there is and you can look it up. Just put it into google and you'll get all kinds of results.
 
This principal thinks there is and you can look it up. Just put it into google and you'll get all kinds of results.

Some people think the moon landing was faked and you can find a lot about it on google.
 
Back
Top Bottom