Third Grade Homework Assignment Contains References to Slavery

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Some Gwinnett County parents are furious over a third-grade math assignment that contained multiple references to slavery.

Chris Braxton told Georgia Newsday he was insulted by the questions asked on his son’s homework assignment from Beaver Ridge Elementary School. 

One question asked, ”Each tree had 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?  Another question asked, ”If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week? Two weeks?"  A third question in the assignment asked how many baskets of cotton Frederick filled.

Gwinnett County School District spokesperson Sloan Roach said one teacher from the school came up with the questions as part of a cross-curriculum activity. Roach said the third graders had just read a book on slavery in social studies, so the math questions were written to reinforce the history lesson, said Roach. Another teacher made photocopies of the question and they were sent home with four classes, Roach said.

”They were trying to connect what they leaed there with the math, Roach said.

The district admits that the questions were inappropriate, but Roach said she didn’t believe the teachers were being intentionally insensitive.

”This is simply a case of creating a bad question, said Roach.

Braxton said at best, the questions were callous and, at worst, racist.

Roach said the questions won’t be used again. She said the district will talk to the teachers involved, and all of the teachers in the school to make sure they ask better questions.