What Are We Teaching Our Kids?

Today we took a field trip to visit an author at the city library. The bus had arrived later than expected so we were due to arrive at the library late as well. The entire 6th grade went on the bus as well as the school librarian who had coordinated the trip. Several moms were meeting us there.

We were the last bus to arrive and followed in a charter school. All of the students were male. All of the students and teachers were black. Upon arriving in the auditorium I asked one of the coordinators if there was a specific spot we were expected to sit. He replied, "Oh. You've caused quite an uproar. And this other (charter) school has brought more students than they said they were going to so we don't have enough seats." I then hear one of the teachers of the charter school talking to his colleague saying, "...but they were the last ones here!" I'm assuming at this point he's talking about us.

Apparently our moms had arrived quite early and saved the first several rows, right in front of the stage for us. We proceeded down to them. I thought it was a little tacky, but the moms said they were told they could do so. The author is about to begin when I turn around and see the charter school that we had followed, parading out of the auditorium.

The presentation was fabulous. Our kids were great listeners. They were the ones in the audience who had mostly read her books. It is afterwards while we're waiting for some kids to get their books autographed that I find out that the charter school was livid that we were given the front row seats...and left. Their students who had books in hand to be signed, were led back to the bus without ever seeing or hearing the author.

What are we teaching our kids? That every time we are put out, it's because of race? It's no wonder racism is still alive. People won't let it die! Luckily our kids knew nothing of the situation. There really was no situation to be had. Our poor librarian who had worked so hard to coordinate all of this missed the entire presentation because she was making fun calls to their superintendent and such to smooth things over. And why? What error did our school make?