A Florida mother is up in arms with her son’s elementary school — Floral Avenue Elementary School in Polk County — after she claims a teacher’s approach to celebrating her son’s birthday was “offensive” and racist.
The mother, Desarae Prather, was sent a video of the birthday party by the teacher, where the teacher was singing a birthday song to the 6-year-old boy.
The song went: “Happy Birthday to you. You live in the zoo, you look like a monkey, and you smell like one, too.”
While the song was meant to be funny and has long been sung to children of all races for the purpose of making them laugh, Prather did not find it funny.
“I automatically said that’s unacceptable and I don’t feel, I don’t think nothing’s funny about it,” the mother said.
“My skin is boiling. I don’t even like racism and to know where we come from and our ancestors and for us to be labeled like that because when they call us monkey, they basically saying that we’re ugly, we act like a monkey and all this and that. I don’t like that at all,” the mother added.
In a letter to the school board, Prather asked for an apology, immediate disciplinary action, and counseling for her son. After receiving no response, she decided to show up in person.
“You can’t make this up,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says, laughing.
“Yes,” BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle agrees. “I’m thinking, where is the dad? Is he just quiet? Does he not want to be on camera? Is he in the child’s life? Because if he isn’t in the child’s life, he would need counseling more for that than being sung a happy birthday song.”
“It’s crazy,” she continues. “It’s the usual suspects. Always offended, never ashamed.”
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