Florida Daycare Criticized for Rosa Parks Reenactment Involving Two-Year-Old Black Child
A preschool in Florida is at the center of a controversy following an incident where a two-year-old Black girl was allegedly involved in a reenactment of Rosa Parks’ arrest. The event, which occurred at Building Brains Academy in Osceola, Florida, is drawing significant backlash, especially from the NAACP and the child’s parents.
According to reports, the incident took place during a lesson about Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist. The young girl, believed to be the only Black student in the class, was cast as Rosa Parks. Photos shared with NBC News by the NAACP depict a classmate pretending to fingerprint the girl with paint and holding her hands behind her back. The girl’s parents expressed shock and immediately withdrew their daughter from the school after seeing the images in the daycare app. They are calling for changes to the curriculum and urge parents to be vigilant about what is being taught.
Building Brains Academy, a minority-owned and operated preschool, explained that the role-play was spontaneously planned by the teacher and not part of the regular curriculum. The school emphasized its commitment to teaching equality and speaking up against wrongdoings. In response to the incident, they have advised faculty that any deviations from the approved curriculum must be approved by the administration.
The NAACP has criticized the activity as an “inappropriate trivialization” of a significant historical event and potentially psychologically harmful, particularly to Black students. They are calling for a more explicit apology and have reached out to the Department of Children and Families regarding the incident.
This situation raises critical questions about age-appropriate education on sensitive historical topics and the impact of such lessons on young children.
