Racist 'Black Lives Don't Mean S**t' Facebook Post Taunts Teen Forced to Share Valedictorian With White Classmate
The Black valedictorian in Mississippi who was forced to share the title with a white classmate has been the target of racist and bigoted messages on Facebook.
Jasmine Shepard was her school’s first Black valedictorian and her family was disappointed to learn she would have to share the stage with a classmate. According to the school, Jasmine and the student had the same grades, yet Jasmine was in more Advanced Placement classes, which should have meant she was given the title outright.
Jasmine’s family started a Justice for Jasmine Facebook page in order to rally behind her and encourage the school to give her the full title. However, the page has quickly become a place for hate speech.
“Stop playing the “I’M BLACK SO I’M SPECIAL” card and put on your grown-up pants,” one hateful Facebook user posted.
“You’re simply butthurt that another student is white and you feel like you deserve special attention simply based on the color of your skin,” another said.
One commenter used the n-word and said “Black lives don’t mean s**t,” to which Jasmine penned a classy response which executed the Michelle Obama mantra "when they go low, we go high."
Jasmine and her family have filed a lawsuit against their Cleveland, Mississippi, school district over the valedictorian incident.