Student Wears Confederate Flag To School On ‘Redneck Day’

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An Arizona High School student wore a large Confederate flag to school on Wednesday as part of “Redneck Day,” offending students and civil rights leaders, the Arizona Republic reported

The Rev. Oscar Tillman, president of the Maricopa County NAACP who grew up in the 1940s in the South, said: “Our community knows what that flag represents. … A school is supposed to be for education and showing people where we come from, our history, and to try not to go back to some things.”

 

Even before the student showed up with the flag, the designation “Redneck Day” had caused a stir.

 

Tom Lindsey, superintendent of the Queen Creek Unified School District, said the only intent of the day was to spoof the characters on the reality TV show “Duck Dynasty,” which has Jeff Foxworthy-type humor. The student council-sponsored day was a part of spirit week, intended to build school spirit as a lead-up to prom week.

The student was pulled aside and instructed to change their clothing, according to superintendent Lindsey.

The student, who is from another state where the flag is more prevalent, did not see a negative connotation, the superintendent said.

 

“It was explained to him that in Arizona, we look at it differently,” said Lindsey, adding that by lunch time, there were no incidents and the school was having a typical day.

 

“We apologize to any people who, because of the word (redneck), were offended,” Lindsey said.

 

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