Atlanta school cancels field trip to civil rights museum, parents not happy

theGRIO REPORT - An Atlanta elementary school sent an email out to parents saying that it had canceled a scheduled trip to the Center for Human and Civil Rights...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

An Atlanta elementary school sent an email out to parents saying that it had canceled a scheduled trip to the Center for Human and Civil Rights, saying the subject and museum were too emotional.

“The atrocities that African Americans had to go through, that’s emotional,” parent Kristen Toliver, whose third-grader missed out on the planned field trip when it was canceled at the last minute, told WSB TV. “I’m over 35-years-old, and I still cry over scenes of that part of our history.”

“What better age to catch them when they’re younger, when their minds are so impressionable to discuss these things?” she asked.

Watch a full report on the school board’s controversial decision below:

The school clarified its position in a statement, saying that fifth graders were still encouraged to participate in the trip but that the third graders might be too young.

“The administrators believe this field trip would be more appropriate for older students. The museum will continue to be offered as a trip for fifth grade students,” the statement said.

But Toliver disagreed with the school’s statement.

“It’s not about emotions. It’s about that it’s culturally uncomfortable to talk about. But guess what? We’ll never get over that if we don’t talk about it,” she said.

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