Ta-Nehisi Coates gatecrashes meeting as school board discusses banning his book: report
A South Carolina school board meeting got a surprise visit from journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose book community members were railing against, The Daily Beast reported.
The Lexington-Richland District 5 School Board convened on Monday to discuss outrage over Coates’ 2015 nonfiction bestseller, "Between the World and Me," which has been placed on book ban lists, according to The Beast.
Previous reports say the book, which is an essay to Coates’ son to prepare him for the life he will live as a Black man, was removed from the curriculum after students said it made them feel “guilty for being white."
Footage shared by CBS 19 shows a group of Coates' supporters at the meeting, and Coates sitting towards the back next to a teacher who assigned the book, showing solidarity with her.
“What matters most to me is that my students have the ability to hear six or seven opinions on one topic and come up with their own thesis, supported with evidence, and come up with an independent conclusion,” said Superintendent Dr. Akil Ross.
Watch the video below or at this link.
Lexington-Richland 5 hears arguments over book about racism used for lesson www.youtube.com