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Students Asked to Defend Slavery

Newspaper current event by willwaddell on 04 October 2007, tagged as slavery, new jersey, education, and debate

"Slave labor is the way to go because slaves aren't paid, so all money is profit." That's the conclusion to which one NJ middle school student arrived after being given an assignment to find ways to defend slavery and create a "catchy" plantation. Doubtless the teachers involved were trying to foster an understanding of slavery issues, but their methods have not surprisingly drawn criticism. One student called the project "offending" and the school's principal, after hearing about the assignment from a parent, decided to "eliminate it from the curriculum." Was the thought experiment wholly misconceived, however? Routine to academic debate is taking positions one may not in fact hold as true, but which are defended for the sake of investigating the reasons for that position.

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Academic Debate by ldsudduth :: NR6

I think I tend I agree with you--in fact, I tend to think that we should put these 'hot button issues' out in the open instead of hiding them. The criticism given is that it was 'insensitive and inappropriate'. Many things are 'insensitive and inappropriate' anymore. Do we not talk about them because we might 'offend' someone?

I think that this was a worthwhile project--IF the teachers were able to show through this project the cost of slavery in terms of inequality. Sure, slave labor increases gross profit, but to what end?

Posted 04 October 2007, Hide, Reply