Protests were held in front of St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls in Holmesburg on Wednesday following the widespread distribution of a racist video on social media. Students from St. Hubert Catholic High School and Franklin Towne Charter High School in Philadelphia appear in the video.
In the video, a white student is seen spraying another white student’s face with dark paint while shouting “It’s February!” and “You’re nothing but a slave”, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The girl with the blackface is then heard saying: “I’m Black and I’m proud!” Other students are heard laughing in the background.
Some St. Hubert’s protesters said they are not surprised by the video because their children have had to leave the school because of how they were treated because they are Black. “A lot of microaggressions, pulling on her hair, laughing about it – video it,” Nikole Hines, whose daughter attended St. Hubert’s, told 6ABC News.
Leaders of St. Hubert said they have started investigating the incident. “Earlier today it came to our attention that a handful of students posted images and videos on a social media platform of a racially charged nature,” Lizanne Pando, the school’s president, and Gina MacKenzie, the principal, said in a statement. “Please be assured that this matter is being actively investigated. All those responsible will be disciplined appropriately in accordance with our school handbook.”
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has also condemned the video and said all those responsible will be dealt with. Franklin Towne Charter High School also said the following on its website:
“The Franklin Towne Community is both saddened and appalled by the events surrounding the racist video that has been on social media. We want to again take this opportunity to condemn this type of hateful behavior and condemn anyone involved in it.”