Students told to make funny captions for slave photos

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A controversial assignment at a Long Island school is being called racist and insensitive. This after a  social studies teacher at John W Dodd Middle School in Freeport handed out an assignment for students to come up with a funny caption for photographs of slavery because she didn't want to be bored.

Pastor Arthur Mackey Jr. says photos of the assignment were widely shared over the weekend on Facebook. It shows different pictures of former slaves during the Reconstruction Era. Mackey calls it downright disturbing especially when we as a country have made so much progress. 

"In 1619 black Africans were brought to America as slaves and in the 400th anniversary we have these types of racist assignments being given to black and brown students," Mackey said. 

Mackey along with some community residents are calling on the district to terminate the teacher's teaching certificate. 

"There was thought that went into the assignment and it was the wrong thought," he said. "Slavery is not funny, reconstruction was not funny, Jim Crow era is not funny just like the Holocaust was not funny."

In a statement, the Freeport Superintendent of Schools said any insensitive comments made by staff are taken very seriously. However, no further comment could be made as an investigation is underway.