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A Kansas mom is blaming a Black student at her daughter's school for her daughter's decision to carry a wildly racist sign for a photo celebrating her school's homecoming festivities.
The sign inspired angry backlash for its inappropriate joke about Black people picking cotton, complete with cotton balls glued to the sign for effect.
This is not the first incident in the United States with a similar sign. Prior incidents involved promposals in Minnesota and Florida.
The student's mother, Rhonda Windholz, claimed a Black student at her daughter's school, Olathe South High School in Olathe, Kansas made the sign and gave it to her daughter. This accusation has led to even more backlash.
See the photo of the sign below.
This photo of an Olathe South student\u2019s homecoming sign has been going around social media all weekend. @kmbc\n\nIt reads: \u201cIf I was Black I would be picking cotton, but I'm White so I'm picking you for HOCO.\u201d\n\nAt 9 & 10 we\u2019ll hear from a parent and an aunt\u2014who are both outraged.pic.twitter.com/lkBDleogyC— Jackson Kurtz (@Jackson Kurtz) 1632705006
The sign that Windholz's daughter held read:
"If I was Black, I would be picking cotton, but I'm white, so I'm picking you for [Homecoming]."
The poster includes glued-on cotton balls and two check boxes labeled "yes" and "no." The photo shows Windholz's daughter holding up the sign with another White student, believed to be a student from nearby St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas, who was also involved in the incident.
In a statement to local news station KSHB, Windholz blamed the incident on a Black student at her daughter's school.
"One Caucasian and one African-American boy were involved. It was the African-American boy who actually made the sign, already marked up and took the picture..."
"Caught up in the excitement of being asked to her first ever homecoming, our daughter held the sign that was given to her. It was only after actually comprehending the situation, that she realized what was happening."
"She blatantly said no!! By then, it was too late."
Windholz then went on to claim her family is diverse and they believe "all lives matter."
Windholz also claimed she and her daughter received death threats because of the incident.
Windholz's response left many people unmoved, particularly because Olathe South has a history of racist incidents against Black students, according to some Black parents at the school.
One parent told KSHB the problem was so bad she pulled her daughter from the school entirely.
People on Twitter were similarly unimpressed with Windholz's response.
"Caught up in the excitement of being asked to her first ever homecoming, our daughter held the sign that was given to her. It was only after actually comprehending the situation, that she realized what was happening. She blatantly said no!! By then, it was too late.\u201dpic.twitter.com/Jp7zW3pUT6— Ashley BLMillennial \ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc96 (@Ashley BLMillennial \ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc96) 1632932260
Someone else wrote it but she's holding the marker. Nice try.— Dennis Rodriguez (@Dennis Rodriguez) 1632933057
If a black student wrote it, why would it say "if I was black" calling BS— Cjcannon (@Cjcannon) 1632940186
First, she needs to learn to write properly , second she needs to study CRT— Apollopepe (@Apollopepe) 1632874774
@windholz_rhonda please educate yourself and your children. It's NOT "All Lives Matter", it's Black Lives Matter and until they do we don't have "ALL".— Susan\ud83c\udf0a#FullyVaxxed \ud83d\ude37 (@Susan\ud83c\udf0a#FullyVaxxed \ud83d\ude37) 1632968920
she really blamed this on a black student??? Rhonda Windholz you should be ashamed!!!!— Your Name Goes Here (@Your Name Goes Here) 1632945203
This is why some parents and most Republicans do not want Critical Race Theory taught in their schools. It would show students that the racism they display and expressed is taught at home and passed from gen to gen.— INMYOPINION70 #JimCrowGeorgia #BLM #SAH (@INMYOPINION70 #JimCrowGeorgia #BLM #SAH) 1632930618
Wow really but we supposed to be in 2021 but if a black person did that then put some white hats and ropes, we would be looking at jail time dam near— Justaskme (@Justaskme) 1632959296
Actually \u201cSarah\u201d, IF you were Black, you would\u2019ve been able to come up with an idea so original and dope that every dude at your school, no matter their skin color would clawing tooth and nail to be your date. But\u2026 you\u2019re not\u2026. And here we are\u2026. #UnrecyclableTrashhttps://twitter.com/jacksonKMBC9/status/1442295450795601921\u00a0\u2026— Torrey (@Torrey) 1633045151
Digusting. This is a reflection of their classless, racist upbringing. If the kids act like this imagine how the parents act. Im beyond disgusted by their behavior. They better get expelled and no homecominghttps://twitter.com/jacksonKMBC9/status/1442295450795601921\u00a0\u2026— Felicia Salazar (@Felicia Salazar) 1632973389
Both Olathe South High School and St. James Academy have launched investigations into the incident.