The perpetually offended are at it again.
Via Courier Post:
The principal of Cherry Hill High School East has apologized for “insensitive” language on tickets for the upcoming senior prom.
The tickets urged students to “party like it’s 1776” during the event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
But that prompted complaints from students who noted “not all communities can celebrate what life was like in 1776,” Principal Dennis Perry said in a letter to the community Friday.
“I am writing to apologize for the hurt feelings this reference caused for members of our school family,” wrote Perry.
“I especially apologize to our African American students, who I have let down by not initially recognizing the inappropriateness of this wording,” he added.
Perry said all prom-goers will receive commemorative tickets without the offensive language and vowed the school will make changes “to produce well thought out, appropriate communications.”
A civil rights advocate praised the principal’s actions, but called for increased awareness of cultural diversity.
“I believe that Perry handled the situation well,” said Danny Elmore, a vice president for the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association.
However, he said the offensive wording occurred because minorities were not part of the decision-making process.
“We lose out when we do not know who our neighbor is,” said Elmore, who noted an uproar last year when the school staged “Ragtime,” a musical that included the N-word.[…]
Black youths represented 6.2 percent of East’s student body, compared to 62.2 percent for whites and 22.4 percent for Asians, according to the latest New Jersey School Report Card.
Hispanics represented a 5.9 percent share.
In his letter, Perry said East will make changes “to ensure that a diverse group of people view all information before it is distributed from the school.”