Wisconsin school district backs BLM group that blamed Israel for Hamas invasion, sparking outrage

MILWAUKEE (CITC) — The largest school district in Wisconsin is asking students to participate in a competition supporting Black Lives Matter at Schools, which is under fire for blaming Israel for the Hamas terrorist invasion.

The competition is being hosted by Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, the district's teachers union. Students are being asked to help select the district's "2023-24 Black Lives Matter at School" t-shirt by submitting design ideas.

Design ideas are due Thursday, and the eventual winner of the competition will receive a $100 gift card.

Black Lives Matter at School is "an organization struggling for liberation and racial justice in education," according to its website. The organization has received the backing of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, the two largest teachers unions in the U.S.

Black Lives Matter at School, which has previously faced controversy over an alleged misappropriation of funds, is currently under fire for its response to the Israel-Hamas war. The organization released a statement Tuesday blaming the unfolding violence on "decades of Israeli settler colonialism, land dispossession, occupation, blockade, apartheid, and attempted genocide of millions of Palestinians."

"Palestinians are reminding us that decolonization is not a metaphor or abstraction, but requires real, daily struggle," Black Lives Matter at School wrote.

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Advocacy group Parents Defending Education (PDE) believes the comments should make Milwaukee Public Schools hesitate before continuing to support the organization.

"BLM has never been shy about their contempt for Israel and for Jews," Erika Sanzi, Director of Outreach for PDE, told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC). "The organization never should have been brought into schools and hopefully now that more people are able to accept the truth about them, we will see schools take the necessary step of removing their flags, banners and curriculum from every school building."

Several Black Lives Matter organizations have received backlash for voicing support for Palestine in the wake of the invasion of Israel. Black Lives Matter Chicago shared a photo last week of a Palestinian flag tied to a paraglider, which some likened to the paragliders used by Hamas terrorists to attack an Israeli music festival.

Social media users called the post "appalling," accusing the Chicago-based group of forgetting that "the Jewish and Black communities are often aligned" given "historical oppression."

Black Lives Matter Grassroots also released a statement in support of Palestinians, noting the group's "solidarity" with those "resisting 57 years of settler colonialism and apartheid."

READ MORE | Students trained to support BLM, other movements in California school district

In California, a school district is requiring students to draft social media posts in support of various social movements. Black Lives Matters is one of nine movements recommended for students to choose.

CITC reached out to Milwaukee Public Schools, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association and Black Lives Matter at School for comment. This story will be updated if responses are received.