A Perkasie, Pennsylvania public Bucks County School District school, Pennridge High School promulgated a mathematics homework assignment on Maya Angelou’s autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
One question, remember this is about, like, math and stuff was:
Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s ___ at age 8, which shaped her career choices and motivation for writing.
The choices were her boyfriend, brother or father.
Another was:
Trying to support her son as a single mother, she worked as a pimp, prostitute and ___.
And, kids, the answer choices are bookie, drug dealer or night club dancer.
Pennridge Superintendent Jacqueline Rattigan has stated:
We apologize to anyone who was offended by the content of the assignment and have taken steps to avoid such occurrences in the future.
Frankly, what I find most disturbing is not simply the public school’s lack of basic discernment but the message.
You see, Maya Angelou is not known for juggling, playing tennis, lion taming or anything of the sort. Rather, she is known as an author. Thus, the message can be taken to be that well, sure you may be sexually abused as a child but hey, perhaps it is just a part of your career path.
Also, sure you may be a pimp, prostitute and bookie, drug dealer or night club “dancer” but it is okay as long as you tell yourself that it is for a good cause.
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