Brandon Twp.-Segregation has been illegal for decades. But on Jan. 20, a third grade class at Harvey-Swanson Elementary experienced it.
After discussing how many groups of minorities were deprived of rights in the past, Suzanne McGill-Anderson divided her students into ‘bunnies? and ‘bears.?
Bunnies were integrated. They received all of their normal privileges and rights as Harvey-Swanson students. Bears were segregated, without their normal rights and privileges. Bears had to sit in a row, alternating boy and girl, in the back of the room, separated from the bunnies. Bears were unable to use the restroom the bunnies used, were given 1978 textbooks to read while the bunnies played fun games, had to sit by a table by themselves at lunch and were forced to stay on the blacktop against the wall at recess while the bunnies played. Additionally, the bears lost freedom of speech and movement.
The students switched groups half-way through the day so every child experienced what it was like to be both integrated and segregated.
‘These boys and girls live in a time when they’re not segregated,? said McGill-Anderson. ‘They’re very lucky.?
McGill-Anderson calls her experiment a ‘Day of Segregation? and has tried to do this activity or something similar every year around this time in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 17) and recognition of February as Black History Month.
Although segregation is commonly associated with blacks, McGill-Anderson emphasized to her students that blacks were not the only people who were segregated or without rights throughout world history. Previous to the segregation day, she showed videos, read books and discussed with them how blacks, as well as Native Americans, Irish-Americans, Jews, women and children have all been discriminated against.
To participate in the ‘Day of Segregation,? children signed a ‘segregation contract? agreeing to follow the rules and also had to bring in a signed permission slip from a parent. McGill-Anderson said parents were supportive and she has received positive feedback, including a parent who said she was in favor because these kids don’t know what it means to live without rights.
The day after segregation day the students talked about how they had felt and what they learned from the experiment.
‘When I was a bear I felt like I wanted to punch a bunny in the face because I was so mad,? said Carly Ahonen. ‘My question was, how did people live like that everyday? When I was a bunny I felt like I was queen of the world, because they did chores for us, but I felt bad for them because I also felt like a slave owner.?
Keegan Harrington said he also felt like he wanted to punch someone when he was a bear, but when he was a bunny he just felt bad.
‘I learned that people back then shouldn’t have treated people poorly,? Keegan said.
As a bear, Kimberly Reed said it felt like the bunnies didn’t know she existed.
‘It felt like we weren’t there,? she said. ‘I learned that it must have been really hard for segregated people to learn stuff.?
Nathan Frantz said he is happy that he has a lot of privileges and freedoms that many people didn’t always have and he’s happier now that the ‘Day of Segregation? is over.
‘I like it better today, when everyone is the same,’McGill-Anderson said.
But the experiment is worth it if kids remember the experience when they’re adults or if they come across diversity issues and have learned from this experiment. An active learning experience, she believes the role-playing ‘Day of Segregation? is more effective than reading a book on Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks.
‘I think and hope this will make an impact,? she said.