Russellville, AR — Journei Brockman, a 6-year old girl from Arkansas, was reportedly kicked out of her daycare after being accused of “encouraging racism” for wearing shirts that support Black Lives Matter and racial justice.Her mother, Deval, said the issue started when her daughter showed up at her daycare, His Kids Learning Center, wearing a shirt with the print “All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives Matter.”
A school official then called and told her, “I don’t like it, I don’t agree with it and I would prefer it if you didn’t send her to school in it again,” she recalled, according to Fox16.
Brockman said she contacted the state to confirm if such policies regarding attire exist, but she was told that only those with profanity are not allowed.
The next day, Journei went to school wearing a shirt featuring a raised Black fist on the back. The administrators were once again angered, saying the shirts she was wearing encourages racism.
Brockman was upset that her daughter had to go through that over a t-shirt and even her way of parenting was questioned.
“He was like, ‘I am not going to tell you how to raise your child but you need to reevaluate how you’re parenting her,'” said Brockman.
The school responded in a statement saying they are firm with the decision to expel the little girl and that race did not play a factor.
“We feel a childcare environment is not a place for a parent’s political views to be addressed or played out, regardless of race,” said Patricia Brown, director of His Kids Learning Center.