KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, branch of the NAACP and the Park Hill School District released a joint statement Friday, a couple of weeks after a group of Park Hill South High School students created a petition to reinstate slavery.
The joint statement said the Kansas City, Missouri, branch of the NAACP reached out to the district about the Change.org petition, and officials from both organizations met to discuss the incident.
The President of the Kansas City, Missouri, branch of the NAACP Reverend Dr. Rodney Williams summarized his conclusions into four points in the statement:
- The NAACP believes that the students of Park Hill South High School have voiced their concerns, that they have been heard and that measures are being put in place to ensure that their concerns continue to be heard.
- The NAACP believes that the Park Hill School District has taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the students at Park Hill South High School.
- The NAACP believes that the Park Hill School District has been proactive in its response.
- The NAACP believes that the Park Hill School District is appropriately following its discipline policies and processes to ensure accountability for these acts.
The superintendent of the district, Dr. Jeanette Cowherd, stated three points in the joint statement:
- The district is committed to working with the NAACP in addressing its policies and programs that impact minority students.
- The district will seek the advice and counsel of the NAACP in furthering its strategic plan.
- The district will provide ongoing updates to the NAACP to demonstrate that they are fulfilling their commitment to respond properly.
Dr. Cowherd said earlier in the week that the district is in the process of hiring an expert on racism to help advise the district.
She also said the information gathered from the community input and the advisor will come together in a plan of action for Park Hill moving forward.
