A Minnesota school is reviewing its policies after a flag supporting President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign was displayed at a basketball game against a predominately black team.
Michael Walker coaches the Minneapolis Roosevelt High School basketball team and on Tuesday night, the team traveled to Jordan High School in Jordan, Minnesota, for a game. While most spectators were focused on the players on the court, a few students in the stand caught Walker's attention.
On Wednesday morning, he posted a photo on Facebook of a group of students in the front row of the bleachers who wore red, white and blue clothing and held a Trump 2020 flag, touting the message of Trump's re-election campaign: "Keep America great!"
Walker explained that he coached a basketball team that he described as predominately black and from the city. He said the team ventured to a rural area and was met with a Trump 2020 flag.
"Please explain how and why this is appropriate at a high school basketball game?" Walker asked.
Crystal Flint, who coaches a girl's basketball team in the area, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that it wasn't appropriate to have the flag at the game and called it divisive, given the racial climate.
"When Minneapolis Roosevelt's basketball team plays at Jordan and four white kids drape a Trump 2020 banner over their knees, how is this different from if they'd waved a Confederate flag?" reader Timothy Hennum told Minneapolis Star Tribune. "At best it's insulting; at worst it's intimidation; but either way, it's disgusting, and must be called out as such."
But not everyone agreed that the display was in poor taste, or racist. Jeanna Orris, whose three children attend schools in the district, explained to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the students weren't trying to be offensive. She described the town as "the least racist" and wasn't sure how the situation turned into a discussion about race.
Bridget Kahn, whose son was one of the students holding the flag, said the flag and apparel were part of a planned USA-themed night. She later explained to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that she didn't see anything wrong with the flags being displayed. Kahn added that the students were simply wearing red, white and blue and supporting their president.
"They don't have a racist bone in their body," she said.
Newsweek reached out to Jordan Public Schools Superintendent Matt Helgerson but did not receive a response in time for publication. Helgerson did tell the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the district was reviewing the situation to determine if any policies had been violated.
He added that the district regrets that Roosevelt players and their staff felt uncomfortable because it's always the school's intention to "graciously host our opponents."
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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