‘Slave Auction’ Is a Lasting Memory

Participating in a mock slave auction as part of a multicultural exercise at Torrance’s West High School left one student extremely upset in November 1997. After leaving class for a few days, NATALIE JACKSON returned to West High, where she is now a senior. But the 17-year-old still remembers what it felt like to stand before her history class peers and act the part of slave. She spoke with RACHEL FISCHER.

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It was hard for me to go back to school after that, especially since nobody spoke up for me. Some kids didn’t say anything, but others criticized me for complaining. A lot of the kids just don’t understand the gravity of the assignment, but my mother has taught me about this stuff since I was young.

It’s a horrible idea to reenact a slave auction as part of a lesson; they need to find a better way to teach about slavery. When I returned to class, the teacher told me he hadn’t been trying to make me feel uncomfortable. But a week later, we did another historical reenactment about what it felt like to be an immigrant coming to this country--treated impersonally and checked for diseases and all that. I wasn’t comfortable participating, so I went to the class next door during the exercise.

This incident has changed me in that I now know to speak up when something’s not right; when the slave auction happened, I waited almost a week before telling my mom. I’ve appeared on the local news, in a teen magazine and on the radio. I want people to know that it was wrong what the school did, although it’s been stressful being in the spotlight and having people recognize me.

We met with the principal, who said that they were going to find a better way to teach about slavery and African American history. My mom also filed a lawsuit against the school district, which is still pending. Both of the teachers who taught that unit were white. I cried after the slave auction, thinking of what my people have gone through.