Two boys were suspended from St. Francis High School after photos surfaced of them dressing in costumes that looked like the Ku Klux Klan.

Several students say they aren't surprised by the incident and say we can blame it on ignorance, because there isn't enough education on black history.

Lena Maxwell graduated from St. Francis four years ago.  She heard about the suspension and says she wasn’t surprised because she dealt with racism while attending St. Francis, “a few weeks before my graduating day, I got a text from a classmate saying he was going to lynch my n-word.”

Lena says the boy was suspended but says she still had to sit beside him after he returned to school which was very uncomfortable.

The province says there are specific requirements in Alberta's curriculum regarding black history:

  • In Grade 5, students critically examine how stories of the Underground Railroad reflect the history and presence of Black communities in Canada. Resources for this grade include an examination of this topic as well exploration of Black Loyalists and their experiences and contribution to Canada’s history. The study of these topics builds on the Grade 4 program, in which students explore how the diversity of immigrants from Europe and other continents has enriched Alberta’s rural and urban communities. 
  • In Grade 7, students examine the contributions of Canada’s Black communities to the building of our nation, including the experiences of Black Loyalists in pre-Confederation Canada. 
  • References to Canadian Black history may arise in any number of possible grades, given the multiple perspectives approach in social studies.

The province says it welcomes feedback on the curriculum and while that might not change the lesson plan, it encourages schools to respond to student interests when it can.

Susannah Allayn is one of the organizers of Calgary’s Black Lives Matter Rally.  She says more education in school can help, but it’s also important to have the conversation at home.