Rear elephant, iow.
While I'll grant you that (assuming best intentions by the teacher) the experience might, might have had the desired outcome you suggest for the White kids in the class, at what cost to the eight year old children of color?
https://www.businessinsider.com/bronxville-teacher-cast-black-students-in-mock-slave-auction-investigation-2019-5
This teacher would have done well to study this which instructs, do not, "Use role-plays. They can induce trauma and minimization, and are almost certain to provoke parental concerns."
If you're solely concerned about the impact to the White kids in the class and you're willing to gamble on them learning the right lesson (i.e. slavery === bad) then this might not be so reprehensible. But, considering the risk, it's deplorable.
While I'll grant you that (assuming best intentions by the teacher) the experience might, might have had the desired outcome you suggest for the White kids in the class, at what cost to the eight year old children of color?
One of the affected students' parents, Vernex Harding, spoke to local TV about the event, which she said traumatized her son.
Quoting her child's reaction, she said: "as soon as she did it, mami, I knew it was wrong,"
https://www.businessinsider.com/bronxville-teacher-cast-black-students-in-mock-slave-auction-investigation-2019-5
This teacher would have done well to study this which instructs, do not, "Use role-plays. They can induce trauma and minimization, and are almost certain to provoke parental concerns."
If you're solely concerned about the impact to the White kids in the class and you're willing to gamble on them learning the right lesson (i.e. slavery === bad) then this might not be so reprehensible. But, considering the risk, it's deplorable.