By Cora Wilson
Staff Writer
School spirit or unforgivable hate crimes? Racism has no excuse and isn’t something that should be covered up with false claims.
Last Friday, a controversial viral video circulated on social media featuring an encounter between students of Covington Catholic High School and a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial.
The Kentucky-based high schoolers were protesting abortion during a March for Life rally in Washington D.C. Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips was at the same location on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples March.
With our country’s political climate standing the way it is, native peoples and other marginalized minorities have faced extreme hardships and discrimination.
Unfortunately, people like some of the students at Covington Catholic are blind to the negative and offensive nature of their “school spirit.”
Or, perhaps they know what they have done is wrong, but do it anyways and later cover up their actions with excuses.
On the morning of Friday, Jan. 18, members of the African-American nationalist group, the Black Hebrew Israelites, shouted obscenities such as “racists,” “bigots,” “white crackers,” “faggots” and “incest kids” at the Covington students, many of whom were sporting “Make America Great Again” hats.
The hats were used as a campaign tool during President Trump’s run for office and have since become synonymous with Anglocentric bigotry and white supremacy.
In response to the opposition from the Black Hebrew Israelites, many of the Covington students present responded with fight chants and aggressive hollering of their own.
The young men were beating their chests and shouting obscenities after gaining permission from a teacher to perform “school spirit chants” to counter the insults from the Black Hebrew Israelites.
Phillips saw the tension between the Covington boys and the Black Hebrew Israelites and began to beat his drum as a way to diffuse the aggression.
“When I took that drum and hit that first beat . . . it was a supplication to God,” said Phillips in an article by the Chicago Tribune. “Look at us, God, look at what is going on here; my America is being torn apart by racism, hatred, bigotry.”
The group of boys wearing “Make America Great Again” caps mocked and sneered in the face of the peaceful tribe elder. Covington junior Nick Sandmann was seen on video standing directly in front of Phillips, blocking him from being able to pass through the racist and intimidating boys.
In an interview with NBC’s “Today” show, Sandmann defended his actions by stating, “We’re a Catholic School. They don’t tolerate racism. None of my classmates are racist people.”
If you think Sandmann’s statement was a complete lie, I do too.
Even Phillips told NBC News on Tuesday what Sandmann said in his interview seemed coached and written up for him, as well as filled with insincerity and lack of responsibility.
The astonishing video recorded at our nation’s capital caused the public to look into the Covington Catholic school’s long history of racism and bigotry.
Just when you think these boys couldn’t get worse, they do.
A video from 2011 resurfaced of Covington Catholic students appearing in blackface at their home basketball games and ridiculing black players on opposing teams.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Covington senior Sam Schroder defended the use of blackface by Covington supporters, claiming it was the result of participation in the school’s “sport theme.”
“I just explain it as showing school spirit,” Schroder stated. “We have many themes such as nerd, business, whiteout, blueout, blackout…..the kids meant nothing by it.”
The reality, however, is that blackface is never acceptable and by no means should constitute school spirit.
The roots of blackface trace back to 18th century Europe as a means of dehumanizing and vilifying black people.
For a school that “doesn’t tolerate racism,” how could Covington Catholic High School permit their students to dress up in blackface and call it school spirit?
In 2019, there should be no excuse for racism of any form. The events that occured in Washington D.C. and at the Covington campus prove this school has a rampant history of racism that is not acceptable.
To the Covington Catholic High School student body and faculty: please don’t defend your acts of blatantly obvious bigotry under the guise of “school spirit.”
