A high school in Chicago, Illinois, is attracting widespread attention after a recording of a Black History Month play depicting slavery began circulating on social media. A concerned teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, leaked footage of the performance, which was later shared in a TikTok clip that has since gone viral.
Speaking to the outlet, the teacher said the play, titled “The Journey Back to America,” was performed in February during Black History Month. According to the teacher, the main concerns involved the casting choices and the script. They said Hispanic and Latino students were cast as auctioneers and buyers, while African American students were brought on stage to portray enslaved people. In one scene captured on video, students staged a mock slave auction as other pupils in the audience called out dollar amounts. Reports indicate that some teachers and parents walked out during the performance. The troubling play was reportedly written by a school faculty member and included several deeply unsettling lines.
The anonymous teacher said that when they raised their concerns with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the response was nearly as troubling as the performance itself. According to the teacher, no one accepted responsibility, and their concerns were dismissed as a misinterpretation of the play. NBC Investigates reportedly showed the clip to Professor Alvin Tillery, director of the Center for Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University, for analysis. He said that while it is important to teach students about this history, there are more appropriate ways to do so, describing the play as “problematic.”
Citizens and Internet Users Are Disturbed by the School’s Actions
The digital community was in grave outrage over the performance, reacting with sharp criticism and questioning the importance of forcing young children, parents, and teachers to relive the traumatic historical reenactment.
“Learning history is the opposite of indoctrination.”
Someone else accused the staff of actively brainwashing the students with the inappropriate demonstration. An observer suggested that while provocative casting might be permissible in other forms of theater, using it in a school environment was completely wrong.
A TikToker expressed outrage that the school leaders were unaware of how unethical and triggering the performance was, calling for their immediate dismissal. Another stated bluntly that the performance was targeted to mock a particular race and insisted that the teacher be removed and ordered to undergo mandated behavioral training. A last user questioned how much further the nation seems to have backslidden into segregation.
“In 2026? How far back to Jim Crow is this fvcking country going to go? Glad teachers walked out.“
“I, cannot fathom, for a single second, why anyone – especially a teacher, would think this was ok???”
As the investigation into the incident continues, it serves as a reminder of how easily actions can be misinterpreted when not carried out sensitively.
