After the incredibly tragic events in Parkland, Florida, almost every school around the country has been performing emergency drills in case the unthinkable does happen. It’s a terrifying thought and the conversations that are being held in classrooms can’t be easy.
Proud mom Tanai Bernard from Texas, who works as a teacher herself, asked her son Dezmond if he and his classmates had already been through the emergency drills so that they’d know what to do in case there was an active shooter at the school.
Tanai wanted to ensure that her son was taking these drills very seriously, as she had the suspicion that the shooting drills were seen as a time to socialize and goof off amongst the children.
When mom asked this uncomfortable question on the way to school, the fifth-grader said that they’ve in fact been practicing a shooting situation.
“My 5th grader and I were conversing on the way to work/school this morning. As an educator, I wanted to be sure he and his classmates were taking the school safety drills seriously and not using it as a time to socialize and goof off.”
“Me: Have you guys practiced a lockdown drill in class yet?
Dez: Are you talking about an active shooter drill?
Me: Yes
Dez: Yes, we practiced it
Me: So tell me what you are supposed to do.”
The little boy then revealed what the class was supposed to do, but Tanai was absolutely shocked to hear that Dezmond would be assigned to the front of the line if there was an active shooter.
“Dez: The teacher is supposed to shut and lock the door, put the black paper over the window on the door. Then myself and three other boys are supposed to push the table against the door.
After that, all the class is going to stand behind us on the back wall.
Me: The class is supposed to stand behind who?
Dez: Me and the other 3 boys. We stand at the front and they get behind us.”
Tanai was absolutely enraged about the fact that her son would be at the front of the line and feared that it might’ve been because of his skin color. She asked right away why he would be put in the most danger.
“I internally went from 0 to 100 real quick. My child is one of only 2 black children in a class of 23. Being transparent, I immediately went to the “why is my black son being put on the front line?” (Just being real) So I asked before I verbally stated my thoughts”
She almost broke into tears upon hearing why.
“Me: Why did you get picked to stand in front of everyone else if a shooter came in your school?
Dez: I didn’t get picked. I volunteered to push the table and protect my friends
Me: *immediate nausea * Dez why would you volunteer to do that?
Dez: If it came down to it I would rather be the one that died protecting my friends then have an entire class die and I be the only one that lived.”
This little boy’s bravery, heroism, and love for his friends can’t be described in words.
“Father God, it took everything out of me, not to break down. I still have a lump in my throat. 10 damn years old and this has to be our babies’ thought process in America,” she posted on her wall.
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https://www.facebook.com/tanai.benard/posts/10213919492435100
