FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The Fayette County NAACP president met with the county schools superintendent Wednesday in response to a group who attended a high school volleyball game in blackface.
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The incident occurred last week at a girls volleyball game at Whitewater High School. The event was billed as a “blackout,” with people encouraged to wear black clothing.
However, one group painted their faces and bodies black and wearing Afro-like wigs. A photo of the group has been circulating on social media.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan was told the group included family and friends of a Whitewater player and a student who goes to another school.
Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Patterson called it “deeply offensive.”
The people in the photo have not been identified. An apology was read on their behalf at a school board meeting Monday, saying there was no malicious intent.
RELATED STORY: ‘Deeply offensive’: People show up in blackface at HS volleyball game in Fayette County
Kevin Pratt II, president of the county’s chapter of the NAACP, called for those involved to apologize.
Pratt said after the meeting that the school system committed to doing cultural competency training, among other actions.
“They’ve already started implementing some consequences to those people that were there that night, both students and visitors, so they’re already doing that,” he said.
Ken Bryant, the former Fayette County NAACP president, also attended the meeting with the superintendent.
“The school is making other changes, like they’re they’re going to ban these people from going to any future events,” he said.
Patterson could not be reached for comment Thursday.
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