As KTTH’s Jason Rantz reported last week, an elementary school in Seattle (and likely many more) canceled the school’s Pumpkin Parade and all other Halloween celebrations, instead offering “thematic units of study about the fall.” The move had been recommended by the school’s Racial Equity Team, which had determined that Halloween celebrations marginalized black males especially.
Now writer Jesse Singal is saying that he’s received multiple examples of schools canceling Halloween activities in the name of inclusivity.
I had not heard of any schools cancelling Halloween celebrations for inclusivity reasons until Herzog told me about it today, mentioning multiple examples. Now, an email from a wealthy Boston suburb! It's a little thing but seems weird and reactionary to me. pic.twitter.com/SSXXN3sKuA
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) October 19, 2021
“However, we have several school community members who do not celebrate Halloween, or are upset by the costumes, or for whom purchasing a costume is a hardship. As a school that believes deeply in making sure everyone is welcome and included, we will no longer be inviting Halloween costumes into school.”
2/ As I mentioned on the podcast another really good example of exclusivity and unfairness is the way property taxes fund public schools, so I think we should raise the idea of changing that system with the rich parents cancelling Halloween to see what they think!
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) October 19, 2021
Inclusive of everything except Halloween ☹️ In 5th grade, my costume was a striped shirt I already had, and black wings and antennae my mom made. I was a bee 🐝
Being "inclusive" always seems to exclude something/someone.
— Tonya R. (@TonyaR18) October 19, 2021
Someone, somewhere, is always canceling Halloween celebrations or Christmas celebrations… always.
The reasons change over the years, but it is always happening somewhere.— James Crum (@jrcrum) October 19, 2021
Deliberately destroying everything that binds us together.
— NoPartyT-Unsophisticated (@Twin66) October 19, 2021
When I was a young immigrant kid, my public elementary school offered me, as well as any other kid who couldn’t afford a costume, a costume they rented so that I could participate in the Halloween parade. I remember it as a singular act of kindness to this day.
— BBMM (@BaoBaoMaowMaow) October 19, 2021
5th grade, I think my mom helped me make my costume. We were middle class, but I imagine most families would be aghast at "purchasing" a costume
— Center Left Dip$h!t (@bkrugbytight) October 19, 2021
I stopped reading a “wealthy Boston suburb”. That’s all I need to know what was ahead.
— CreditTrader (@CreditTrader2) October 19, 2021
I hate this
— femmehonnete (@femmehonnete1) October 19, 2021
Definitely something I enjoyed back in elementary school. Sometimes it feels like these people are actively trying to turn others against "inclusivity."
— Legit Lefty (@slayermode83) October 19, 2021
"Kill everything enjoyable & fun! It's the only way to equity!"
— MauertheBulldog (@BullyMaus) October 19, 2021
Don't know if you're aware of this case (from 2019) of the same thing happening in a Chicago suburb, but in case not, here you go: https://t.co/ZMdpcOOkYQ
— EverythingOppresses (@SoOppressed) October 19, 2021
Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's day in East Lansing schools: https://t.co/5W6igQrAUG
— Jarrett Skorup (@JarrettSkorup) October 19, 2021
this is an inclusive environment and we want everyone to feel welcome. except for the 99.99 percent of students who want to participate in halloween.
— Good Art Friend Trap House (@MatthewGalanty) October 19, 2021
As someone who often couldn't afford a costume as a kid (literally did the sheet-ghost once), the only thing that would make me more upset than not being able to wear one would be no one getting to wear one in some fucked up attempt to make me feel better about it.
— Shadow of a Doubt (@Shadow_ofaDoubt) October 19, 2021
I was a sheet ghost every year on Halloween for my entire childhood. No one *ever said a costume had to be bought.
— Jeffrey Churchill (@chilljat) October 19, 2021
Seems like you could use this reasoning to cancel any holiday
— 🦖rad-center🦕 (@rad_center) October 19, 2021
Yep. In order to be inclusive, we’re going to cancel everything where someone might feel excluded.
Related:
Elementary school cancels Halloween Pumpkin Parade to avoid marginalizing black males https://t.co/022814RpA4
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 16, 2021
