You really have to wonder what 18-year-old high school student Noah Crowley of Sarasota, Florida was thinking when he wrote “If I was black, I’d be picking cotton, but I’m white, so I’m picking u 4 prom” on a sign, and what the girl he sent it to was thinking when she captioned the photo with a heart emoji while publicizing it on Snapchat.
Were they thinking this is funny, fine, cute? Most everyone else at Riverview High School and across America condemned it, not just because it was unfunny, not fine and in poor taste, but because it’s “why racism is still a thing.”
Come on Noah. We have to do better than this. This is why racism is still a thing, “let me see what I can get away with”. Smh. #noahcrowley #lowkeyracism pic.twitter.com/tXvnEtcey9
— Cherita Is Random (@cheritaisrandom) April 23, 2018
The promposal photo sparked outrage on social media, with some calling for Crowley to be disciplined by the school — and hoping he is banned from attending the prom.
https://twitter.com/t_homie13/status/988565186658361349
Others hope to ruin Crowley’s future over the sign.
We need to find out what colleges this kid has been accepted to and flood them with this photo and get those taken away. His white privilege doesn't need to be checked, it needs to be REVOKED. #ruinnoahcrowleysfuture #NoahCrowley
— Courtney (@Music_LessThan3) April 24, 2018
This student is Noah Crowley and goes to Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida. Twitter, do your thing and bring this asshole down pic.twitter.com/uwLFV0XeaH
— maddy viera (@viera_maddy) April 23, 2018
At least one Riverview High School alum spoke out about this as well.
@sarasotaschools As an alum of RHS, something needs to be done about Noah Crowley and his racist behavior. It is unacceptable. I proudly wear my class ring every day, but I cannot stand to see this slide.
— christina d spillman (@christinadspill) April 23, 2018
According to the Herald-Tribune, the school district is investigating the sign and considering disciplinary action.
“Although this message is one student’s opinion, we take the matter of racial relations and school safety seriously, and we look forward to working with our students and these outside groups to have a meaningful and informative dialogue and expanded curriculum related to this important national topic,” the district said in a statement.
The school also said in a robocall to parents Monday that it “does not condone or support the message conveyed in [Crowley’s] post.”
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