Mother of Black Child Who Got ‘Monkey Award’ Calls Out Mississippi Preschool: ‘They Need to Be Held Accountable’

Mississippi mother Shemekia Ellis has expressed concern and outrage after her preschooler son was sent home with a “monkey award.”

As WMC reports, Ellis’ son was given an award from one of his teachers that read “Monkey Award… for entertaining others.” When she met with district officials recently, she said they recognized it was unacceptable, but claimed the teacher was unaware the gesture could be perceived as racist. 

“She said the teacher stated that she gave him the award for his energy. But the award doesn’t say anything about energy. It says entertainment,” Ellis said, noting that the principal held a meeting to caution staff about such moves in the future. She said her son seemed excited about the award when he came home from school, even though he “had no idea what he was holding.”

“I’m still not happy about it,” added Ellis. “I’m angry because I don’t understand why my son got the monkey award when he had received an award that he completed pre-K.” The school claimed the class her son was in held an animal-themed award ceremony, which is specifically what the principal had cautioned against in the past. 

“She stated that she had a meeting with them and she stated that they were not to pass out any awards that would be offensive or raise a red flag but they did it anyway,” said Ellis. “These teachers have messed up. They were wrong. The superintendent knew they were wrong. The principal knew they were wrong. They need to be held accountable for what they have done.”