black parkland students: school shut down black lives matter statement days before shooting

In the days leading up to what would become one of the deadliest school shootings in American history, Parkland’s Stoneman Douglas High School held a Black History Month Show. At it, a black student walked out onto the stage where they read a one-page statement in defense of the Black Lives Matter Movement: black history in real time. The statement wasn’t rehearsed ahead of time and was added on at the last minute by black student organizers in response to a letter published in the school’s newspaper. The headline? “All Lives Matter”.

In the article, a student wrote that Black Lives Matter was “ridiculous” and that “they seem to be good for nothing but creating mistrust between civilians and police.” You see, it’s not the videos of police murdering people that creates distrust. It’s questioning the murder that does. But, I digress.

While the black student organizers planned on submitting a response to the paper, they say the Black History Month Show as an opportunity to voice their message and address police violence against black bodies.

“The rebuttal was pretty much saying that that the Black Lives Matter movement is a respected movement,” said Mei-Ling Ho-Shing, a junior who helped plan the Feb. 9 show. “Just because you don’t have to experience it doesn’t mean that it’s absurd and ridiculous,” she said.

But the student’s message was never fully heard. School administrators cut their microphones in the middle of the statement, silencing black and brown students who were trying to speak about black civil rights……..during Black History Month.

“Due to the potential for disruption and breach in protocol, the student was asked to stop and leave the stage,” explained a Broward County Public School spokesperson in an email to WLRN. “The email goes on to state the school “is committed to providing learning environments that foster inclusion and respect.”