The principal of a New Jersey high school has apologized to black students after the phrase “Party like it’s 1776” was printed on tickets to the school’s senior prom.
The prom will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
According to Newsweek, Cherry Hill High School East principal Dennis Perry sent a letter to parents and local community members apologizing for the “insensitive” and “irresponsible” wording on the invitations. After all, “not all communities [could] celebrate what life was like in 1776,” an era of slavery.
“Today, I learned that members of our school community were offended by a statement written on our Senior Prom ticket,” Perry wrote on Friday. “I especially apologize to our African American students, whom I have let down by not initially recognizing the inappropriateness of this wording. You can expect that we will do better as a school community to produce well thought out, appropriate communications.”
A little over six percent of Cherry Hill East’s students are African-American.
Please read this letter of apology to the East Community. pic.twitter.com/BnokMF0n9Q
— Dr. Dennis Perry (@drperryateast) May 18, 2018
In response to the complaints about the “party like it’s 1776” tickets, senior prom attendees won’t be required to bring the physical tickets, of which the school kept purchase records. Additionally, all students are set to receive a “commemorative Prom Ticket” upon arrival. These redesigned tickets will be distributed to all attendees “in an effort to right this wrong,” wrote Principal Perry.
Camden County NAACP East chapter President Lloyd Henderson told the Courier-Post that the school’s oversight was just “another example that the culture at Cherry Hill East is one where the African American students’ needs are not considered along with the rest of the school. However, I do take some solace in the fact that Mr. Perry immediately recognized and acknowledged the insensitivity of the comment.”
Despite receiving backlash over the historical misstep, some community leaders applauded the school’s open-minded response to racial tensions and sensitivity. “I believe that Perry handled the situation well,” said Danny Elmore, a vice president for the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association, in an interview with the Courier-Post. He added that minorities should always be included in organization discussions in order to avoid such controversies. “We lose out when we do not know who our neighbor is.”
The Courier Post notes Google searches reveal “party like it’s 1776” has been used numerous times for events in Philadelphia, including the city’s own 2017 Independence Day celebration.
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