CAIR-Pittsburgh Condemns Racist Homecoming Message by Pine-Richland School District Students, Calls for Restorative Process
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(PITTSBURGH, PA, 9/8/2022) – The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Pittsburgh), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a racist homecoming message displayed by a Pine-Richland School district student. In a widely shared social media post, a male student is seen holding a sign that says, “If I was Black I would be picking cotton, but I’m white, so I’m picking you for homecoming.” A female student is standing beside him, making an obscene gesture. SEE: Pine-Richland School District investigating racist social media post; parents call for culture change
In a message it sent to parents, Pine-Richland School District noted it is investigating the incident. Several parents spoke out against the message. In a statement, CAIR Pittsburgh Executive Director Christine Mohamed said:
“It’s completely unacceptable that a student could prepare the poster that makes light of one of the most outrageous injustices in world history. This incident underlines that we need more curricular focus on historical forms of injustice and tie these to ongoing suffering today in our communities. We encourage the School District to initiate a robust restorative process that ensures the students involved as well as the broader district community is educated on slavery, and ongoing forms of discrimination and subjugation, including anti-Muslim bigotry.” CAIR-Pittsburgh is asking the community to contact the school district at 724.625.7773 and demand swift and decisive steps that foreground the voices of the School District’s African-American community. CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. END CONTACT: CAIR Pittsburgh Executive Director Christine Mohamed, 412-606-3601, cmohamed@cair.com
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