An Oregon grade school principal suggested in a newspaper interview that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches might be racially and culturally offensive.
What about Somali or Hispanic students who might not eat sandwiches? Verenice Gutierrez told the Portland Tribune.
Gutierrez, principal of Harvey Scott K-8 School, was being interviewed about the school districts equity training program designed to narrow the achievement gap. The newspaper said she picks up on the subtle language of racism every day and used the peanut butter sandwich to illustrate her point.
Another way would be to say: Americans eat peanut butter and jelly, do you have anything like that? let them tell you, she told the newspaper. Maybe they eat torta. Or pita.
The equity program is called Courageous Conversation and it involves taking educators through an intensive program so they can understand their own white privilege, the newspaper reported.
