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Shorewood High School, 1701 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood (Photo: C.T. Kruger, Staff Photo by C.T. Kruger)
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When Shorewood High School chose "To
Kill a Mockingbird" as this year's annual fall play, it seemed a
relevant commentary on the times.
Based
on the Harper Lee classic about a white southern lawyer defending an
innocent black man in the 1930s, it is a story about segregation and
racism, a broken criminal justice system and the sacrifices of those who
would stand up for what is right.
But Lee's book,
which has been banned by many schools across the country, remains as
controversial today as it did when she wrote it. On Thursday, just hours
before the curtain was to go up, Shorewood canceled the production in
response to a planned protest over the use of the 'N' word in some
scenes.
News of a protest had circulated on social
media early in the day. And by mid-afternoon, Superintendent Bryan
Davis pulled the plug, saying the district should have done a better job
engaging the community "about the sensitivity of this performance."
"We’ve concluded that the safest option is to cancel the play," Davis said in a statement.
The decision has angered and disappointed students and parents on both sides of the debate.
"That
was never our request. We asked for the word to be omitted," said
Patience Phillips, the mother of three African-American students
involved in the protest.
"I understand that the
children put a lot of work into this play," she said. "This doesn't
create dialogue. It causes more of a division."
I agree with the cancellation of the play. We have no right to edit someone else's work. Today it's the n-word; tomorrow it's the freedom word.
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