Defending Slavery

Two middle school teachers are in a mess of trouble after assigning a school project on slavery.

Over 100 sixth graders at Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell, N.J., were asked to create an advertisement defend the use of slave labor to run a newly built plantation in South Carolina.

The students were asked to create "catchy" names for the plantation and give three reasons why slave labor is the "best idea" and use illustrations.

One student wrote, "Slave labor is the way to go because slaves aren't paid, so all money is profit."

The school principal, Casey Shorter said he did not find out about the project until an outraged parent informed him.

"Our intent was not to be insensitive. After reviewing the assignment and listening to feedback, from an administrative and teaching perspective, we determined it was insensitive and inappropriate. And we will eliminate it from the curriculum," he said.

Only eight black students attend the middle school. Parents and school officials question whether the 11- and 12-year-olds could understand the lesson being taught.

James Harris, president of the New Jersey NAACP chapter said, "The students have to use their creative spirits to create justification. That gets the mind pretty worked up, and it embeds some things in their process that will be there for forever."