A contingent of Boston Arts Academy students traveled up to Durham, NH, yesterday to perform at an annual UNH jazz festival. Sandra Marcelino reports what happened while they were eating lunch (AirDrop is an application that lets iPhone users exchange photos and other files):
My kid and her classmates were enjoying lunch peacefully not bothering anybody when some ignorant little derelicts thought it would be funny to send airdrop pictures of their mockery of Black history month.
These individuals sent these images to the tables of the only children of color in the room trying to incite who knows maybe a fight? I’m proud to say that our kids did not react ; reported this behavior and went and performed after this and Absolutely slaid the stage. Kudos BAA students; but this needs to be talked about because this is not OK . Since they (the other students) thought it was important for them to share their images, I think it’s important for me to share their images as well.
So this happened to some of our BAA kids recently. @mtloconto @MattOMalley @marty_walsh pic.twitter.com/dvACREWGze
— Tonya (@TonyaTedesco) March 10, 2019
Boston Public Schools issued a statement tonight about the incident:
We are deeply disturbed that Boston Arts Academy students were subjected to racist conduct during a regional high school jazz festival out of state, and are ensuring that the affected students receive support. There is no place for such hateful and vitriolic conduct in our society. Boston Public Schools is working with the University of New Hampshire officials to review this incident.
The school's headmaster sent this message to parents tonight:
March 10, 2019
Dear Boston Arts Academy Families,
I am writing to inform you that Boston Arts Academy students who participated in the Clark Terry Jazz Festival at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) on Saturday were subjected to a disturbing incident of racism. Shortly before the students were scheduled to perform, a number of them received a racist image on their smartphones sent by one or more individuals nearby. This incident was completely unacceptable, and I am very sorry that our students had their otherwise positive experience disrupted by a hateful act.
When this was brought to my attention, I immediately began contacting the affected students to offer my support. We are working with the BPS Office of Equity and officials at UNH to ensure this incident is investigated and addressed.
Each and every day, we strive to foster a safe, welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment at Boston Arts Academy and throughout the Boston Public Schools. I commend our students for carrying on with integrity, maturity, and respect after this deplorable incident occurred.
Boston Arts Academy is full of trusted adults, and we are always here for any students who wish to talk or are in need of counseling or other resources. Racism has absolutely no place in our society. We must do all that we can to support one another and stand up against this type of offensive behavior.
Sincerely,
Anne Clark, Headmaster
Boston Arts Academy
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Comments
AirDrop crime is common
By anon
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 11:38am
There's been a good number of reported crimes committed this way, in which someone is subjected to harassing or other revolting material via AirDrop because they have it set to public. Most commonly, it's pornographic images sent in public places.
There's nothing wrong with encouraging people to use basic device security to avoid receiving unwanted messages and/or viruses.
[Migos "Bad & Boujee" voice] Rain drop, air drop
By OriginallyFromD...
Thu, 03/14/2019 - 8:24pm
Do you think the BAA students who received this hateful content via AirDrop were expecting that this would happen right before they performed?
Or that an incident like this happened before?
Default?
By tachometer
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 12:27pm
I think the default is "everyone" and while I've changed mine I think a lot of people don't know about this feature so it stays wide open. As I said above since this feature only works in close proximity I bet if someone stood twenty or thirty feet away from their table and said, "Hey Mark!" the culprit would have given himself away with a head turn.
New Hampshire was the last
By anon
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 7:00pm
New Hampshire was the last state to recognize MLK day as a holiday.
Were they?
By Will LaTulippe
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 9:01pm
I thought it was Arizona.
Part of the problem was that
By Aeronaute
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 9:22pm
Part of the problem was that the legislature was always too cheap to give state workers an additional holiday. The bills to make MLK day a state holiday always did so at the expense of Fast Day. There were at least some people who were fine with making MLK day a state holiday, but wanted to keep Fast Day, too. That's not to say there wasn't racial bias against the idea of an MLK Day, too, since I'm sure that was driving part of the opposition, too.
I'm glad they came around on MLK Day, but I wish they'd kept Fast Day. I think each state should have it's own quirky local holiday, like Massachusetts does with Patriot's Day.
What's that part that is
By anon
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 7:19pm
What's that part that is whited out?
BPS issues a statement
By adamg
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 7:53pm
Added to the original post.
Some of the fine people who
By Lmo
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 8:49pm
Some of the fine people who come to Boston for games and parades and then trash the place.
Post updated again
By adamg
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 10:10pm
With a copy of the e-mail message the academy's headmaster sent to parents tonight.
Par for the course genius from the master race.
By notreallyfromboston
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 10:15pm
Thanks for the stealth Airdrop, "MARK'S IPHONE".
Old Person Question
By Waquiot
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 10:35pm
Technologically, how did this happen-
I put what I found odd in bold. How could the table, full of people who "Mark" doesn't know be the only one's sent the dumbass image? I mean, I could see the guy trying to send it to his equally racist friends only not to know it was broadly sent, or deliberately sending it to everyone in the area to be a racist asshole, but would the technology exist to single out otherwise unknown recipients?
And to be clear, "Mark" is a racist asshole. That's a given.
Some kind of app
By Stevil
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 11:31pm
Theoretically to tell someone nearby that you dont know you like them or something.
Apparently it's more frequently used by pervs in subways to send nasty pics to anyone that doesn't have a privacy wall so you can see their reaction to them seeing a photo of ur privates.
The pervs are always one step ahead...
Well ...
By adamg
Sun, 03/10/2019 - 11:49pm
I asked the college kid in our household (home for spring break) if she'd heard of AirDrop and, of course she had (given that she has an iPhone, as opposed to my stolid Android phone) and she told me she and her friends frequently use it in the cafeteria to exchange funny photos.
So in sum
By Waquiot
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 8:56am
While the image was most likely directed at the BAA students, it most likely wasn't sent to them only, unless somehow they knew the kid.
Good for the kids
By anon
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 9:59am
Ignorant people sent those photos. Good for the kids to be strong. UNH needs to apologize for the event on their campus and kick those students out of their classes.
What students?
By bosguy22
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 12:49pm
Kick what students out of their classes?
What a stupid piece of
By anon
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 1:44pm
What a stupid piece of software. Who decided that strangers should be able to anonymously send photos to any phone in the vicinity?
Where are the parents??
By Subrina Wood
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 3:24pm
Look, forget all the courts and other remedies. Where are these kids' parents because that's where they learned it? The school needs to discpline the offender, the offended shouldn't have to seek out justice. The little snots should be expelled immediately and their parents charged with any legal or other costs the school or the offended kid's parents incur.
Clark Terry Festival
By A Jazz Fan
Mon, 03/11/2019 - 3:53pm
My kids attended this festival at UNH high school a few times. It's a wonderful event and I chaperoned a few times. The UNH students are usually on Spring break, so the campus is rather empty while the high schoolers are there. The kids, for the most part, are amazing, talented and well-behaved. I hope this one episode does not taint the festival - many talented young musicians compete and show how their school (and amazing music director!) fosters music education. Lots of cities and towns no longer offer music education because of budget cuts and it's impressive to see all these kids together sharing their love of jazz.
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