Two students at a Catholic high school in Philadelphia who were allegedly responsible for a racist video showing white teens in blackface have been disciplined, school officials said.
The video, which circulated on social media this week, sparked a protest Wednesday at St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. The protesters included the parents of two former students who told The Philadelphia Inquirer that their daughters faced a hostile climate for being black.
In addition to the disciplinary measures for the students, the school also canceled extracurricular activities on campus for the rest of the week on the advice of the Philadelphia Police Department, the newspaper reported.
The video shows several white teenagers, one spray painting another’s face a dark color and yelling “Know your roots!” and “It’s February!” and “You are nothing but a slave.” The black-faced girl then declares, “I’m black and I’m proud!” Other girls present laugh throughout the video.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, school officials said they were aware of the video and were investigating. On Wednesday, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia declined to provide specific details about how the students involved in the video were being disciplined, but noted that one of the girls is from a non-Catholic school.
There is a demonstration called by the students for Friday.
