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Teachers are supposed to be the frontline of defense when it comes to protecting our kids when they’re away from us. They’re supposed to be critical thinkers and a safe space for all children, regardless of where they’re from, how much money they have, how well they behave or do on tests, or what color their skin is.
We all know, of course, that no profession is full of 100% good eggs, but the things these 16 teachers said to their students of color honestly go beyond “problematic” and straight into “maybe they should have been fired.”
Decide for yourself!
16. How about you mind your business?
They’re kids and they’re not hurting anyone.
I had a teacher in my very rural town tell a classmate and I: “We don’t do ghetto things like that around here.”
We were in 4th grade, at recess, outside minding our own business, singing the lyrics to a song.
We also were born and raised in this town.— Shakkira Harris (@shakkirasays) April 14, 2021
15. Just unnecessarily cruel.
To a child who probably already struggled with confidence.
In the second grade I had forgotten to get a paper signed and the teacher pulled me outside of the class and told me if I didn’t get it sign she would call child service and take me from my mom. She knew I was adopted as well –
— IU is Queen (@EliAki2) April 14, 2021
14. I’m so sorry stuff like this happens.
I hope their parents let her have it.
“A B- is a perfectly good grade for someone with English as a second language.” I’d been speaking English for 8 years. It was a multiple choice test that was graded by machine as 100%. She inked a red B- and called my parents to a ‘conference’ & this was her reason.
— Ergonomic Brain Scan (@ErgoBrainScan) April 14, 2021
13. I love that they didn’t realize the slight until later.
You go, kiddo.
In the 7th grade, we did some project or other about colleges. I said I wanted to go to Stanford (prestigious college in Cali).
She said I must mean UConn-Stamford.
But as a youth, my confidence was so high that I just thought “Wow, she’s never heard of Stanford. That’s sad.”
— Colleen A. Roache (@ColleenARoache) April 14, 2021
12. She was a baby.
Just a variation on “he’s mean because he likes you.” Stop.
11. How do those two things correlate?
I mean…they obviously don’t.
i wasn’t even in this mans class but i had people coming from his class to tell me that he had been comparing me to a psychopath because i had come in with my natural type 4 hair 😀
— Miah (@miahlee04) April 14, 2021
10. That’s a whole lot to unpack.
Teacher trying to put their issues off on some kids.
One of my teachers once told me as I was trying to find my locker that I was the “blondest Black woman he’s ever met.”
— Aaricka Washington (@aarickawash) April 14, 2021
9. In JUNIOR HIGH?
What in the heck does that even MEAN?
Guidance counselor meeting.
The Jr High aptitude test ranked me in the top 3 percent. So we were to meet to discuss my future.
I said I planned on being a lawyer
“You have such nice hair…maybe you should become a hairdresser?”— ThisIsRochelle (@RR416) April 14, 2021
8. This is a wild story.
I hate the ending, though.
I had a cheer coach line up the black girls on the team from darkest to lightest (darker girls would be closer to the entrance of the hallway the players come out of so less visible) and then said ahhh perfect. Yes she was drunk and yes nothing happened
— gee (@lillie_gal) April 14, 2021
7. Good for them.
And good for the school, honestly. No one needs a teacher like that.
In 8th grade my teacher was assigning us a project and she turned to me and said that when I present “don’t be talking ghetto like ya momma from the hood”. She was yt & I was the only black student in the class. My parents came up to the school and she was forced to resign 💀
— Sunburn 🛹 (@MingsGolden) April 14, 2021
6. Just LAYERS of wrong here.
It’s definitely not worth taking the time to peel them back.
“Oh I thought you’d be wearing an Oriental costume,” I had moved to Texas and was wearing a cute cowgirl outfit. I still stand by the fact my Halloween costume was fire! pic.twitter.com/fsyojqWjAc
— Christine C. Hsu (@HsuChristineC) April 14, 2021
5. I don’t think any of that is in her job description.
And I’m sure none of it is her business.
College pre law advisor told me that she can tell I’m from a disadvantaged background, I haven’t had any opportunities like this prior to meeting her and it’s okay if I can’t afford dress clothes for my internship interview. This is just a portion of a 30 min conversation
— You about to lose yo job 📉🚷 (@tidodi_) April 14, 2021
4. The face I just made.
Why are these teachers so aggressive?
in my 3rd grade music class my teacher announced in front of all the other students how my name would get pronounced wrong for the rest of my life after doing roll call ??? like the micro aggression was real
— Damya (@damyaeverett) April 14, 2021
3. In fourth grade.
I cannot handle my rage at this.
4th grade teacher had her cop husband come in to the class with a lie detector machine. While asking class for volunteers they looked at me + the only other black student & said some of you will be hooked up to a lie detector in your future. Then laughed.
— DeliaPR (@DeliaPR) April 14, 2021
2. I think I’m going to throw up.
I hope there were serious repercussions.
“Disconnected Indigenous people only want to reconnect with their community for the casino money” (stated after I said that my family is reconnecting because my Métis mom was adopted during the Sixties Scoop in Canada)
— Jenn Rokaya (@JennRokaya) April 14, 2021
1. Why do people like this go into teaching?
Just to ruin other people’s lives?
I was the only Latinx kid in my school. 99.9% white.
In AP English, the white teacher told me that I shouldn’t be in her class. That I didn’t speak English well enough, and I was wasting everyone’s time and my parents’ money because people like me didn’t go to college.
— Aleksei Ilídio Valentín ✡️♿🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@ai_valentin) April 14, 2021
I’m so secondhand mad right now, and I hope these moms had some words for these teachers.
Has anything like this ever happened to you or your child? I hope not, but if it has, share the story with us in the comments!
