Black California elementary students receive racist drawings depicting monkeys and lynchings

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Racist drawings given to black students at a Southern California elementary school have prompted one parent to pull their child from the institution.  

Sketches containing pictures of a stick figure being lynched and messages reading ‘you’re my favorite monkey’ and ‘to my favorite cotton picker’ were given to one young student by her fellow classmates. 

The mother of the girl who received the drawings told KTLA she will no longer allow her daughter to attend Pepper Tree Elementary School in Upland, California after continued harassment. 

The parents of a second girl who has encountered similar racism say their three children, all who attend Pepper Tree, have gone mostly unaddressed. 

Upland Unified School District’s superintendent said in a statement this week the drawings are under investigation at this time. 

Black California elementary students receive racist drawings depicting monkeys and lynchings

Racist drawings given to black students at a Southern California elementary school have prompted one parent to pull their child from the institution

This sketch given to a student contains a picture of a stick figure being lynched

This sketch given to a student contains a picture of a stick figure being lynched

Maylana and Rome Douglas are the parents of the three children at Pepper Tree Elementary, one who was told they would also get a picture of a lynching

Maylana and Rome Douglas are the parents of the three children at Pepper Tree Elementary, one who was told they would also get a picture of a lynching

The shocking drawings given to the child show a large brown monkey on one side of a card accompanied by the message ‘you’re my favorite monkey.’ 

One of the other cards shows a landscape with white pieces of cotton in the air surrounded with the words ‘to my favorite cotton picker.’ 

Maylana and Rome Douglas are the parents of the three children at Pepper Tree Elementary, one who was told they would also get a picture of a lynching. 

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‘They said that they were going to give her (a drawing) that specifically said, “You’re my favorite slave,” and they were going to show her as a slave hanging from a tree,’ Maylana said. 

One drawing showed a picture of a black stick figure hanging from trees.

Maylana and Rome also said their daughter also was told by a group of girls they were going to give her special treatment for Black History Month. 

The girls said they would provide her with back rubs and massages.  

‘It’s your month, you’re entitled to back rubs,’ Rome said the girls told his daughter.

‘And apparently, someone told her, “well, maybe only half the month because you’re only half black,”‘ the concerned father continued. 

One of the other cards shows a landscape with white pieces of cotton in the air surrounded with the words 'to my favorite cotton picker'

One of the other cards shows a landscape with white pieces of cotton in the air surrounded with the words ‘to my favorite cotton picker’ 

'They said that they were going to give her (a drawing) that specifically said, "You're my favorite slave," and they were going to show her as a slave hanging from a tree,' Maylana said

‘They said that they were going to give her (a drawing) that specifically said, “You’re my favorite slave,” and they were going to show her as a slave hanging from a tree,’ Maylana said

Maylana and Rome also said their daughter also was told by a group of girls they were going to give her special treatment for Black History Month

Maylana and Rome also said their daughter also was told by a group of girls they were going to give her special treatment for Black History Month

This picture shows a black stick figure holding a sign reading 'no more picking cotton'

This picture shows a black stick figure holding a sign reading ‘no more picking cotton’ 

On the other side of the card, the student wrote 'happy Black History Month. The group will be nice all month' along with a smiley face

On the other side of the card, the student wrote ‘happy Black History Month. The group will be nice all month’ along with a smiley face

Another card given to one black student shows a stick figure holding a sign that states ‘no more picking cotton. 

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On the other side of the card, the student wrote ‘happy Black History Month. The group will be nice all month’ along with a smiley face. 

As shocking as the drawings are, parents say it’s not the first time students have experienced racism in the district. 

Just last year, a teacher placed on leave after they made anti-Asian comments at another school nearby. 

‘This is not the first time a situation like this has happened. It’s not going to be the last time that this situation happens, but the most important thing is our response to the situation,’ said Robin Allen, the school’s PTA president. 

‘I’m hoping that the district does not brush this under the rug as they’ve brushed issues under the rug in the past,’ Allen said.

In a video posted to YouTube, Upland USD Board President Sherman Garnett said the district has a ‘zero tolerance policy’ for these incidents.  

‘I want to make it perfectly clear that we have a strict zero tolerance policy on any type of hate speech, harassment,’ Garnett said in the video.

As shocking as the drawings are, parents say it's not the first time students have experienced racism in the district. Just last year, a teacher placed on leave after they made anti-Asian comments at another school within the district

As shocking as the drawings are, parents say it’s not the first time students have experienced racism in the district. Just last year, a teacher placed on leave after they made anti-Asian comments at another school within the district

'I want to make it perfectly clear that we have a strict zero tolerance policy on any type of hate speech, harassment,' said Upland USD Board President Sherman Garnett

‘I want to make it perfectly clear that we have a strict zero tolerance policy on any type of hate speech, harassment,’ said Upland USD Board President Sherman Garnett

Officials with the school district said in a statement they are looking into the situation.

‘An investigation took place immediately upon learning about these disgusting, racist drawings students gave to another child in their class,’ district officials said.   

‘The content in those cards is shocking and abhorrent. We deeply regret that our student has had to endure the hurt that race based bullying causes,’ they continued. 

When asked if the student or students who made the drawings are facing discipline, the district said they cannot share that information due to privacy laws.  

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