A Milwaukee area elementary school teacher gave her fourth graders a homework assignment to list three "good reasons" for slavery.

When Trameka Brown-Berry came across her son Jerome's worksheet, the graduate nursing student posted it on Facebook for a quick gut check asking, "Does anyone else find my fourth-grader's homework offensive?"

In response to the assignment, which read, "Give 3 'good' reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons," Jerome wrote, "I feel there is no good reason for slavery, that's why I did not write."

As for the bad reasons for slavery, Jerome responded, "biting them," separating family members, and making others do work that's your job."

He completed his assignment with a little extra something for his teacher, "I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave."

After the Facebook post went viral the school where the assignment was given, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and School, released a statement on WESH saying, "We understand that, as presented, the words used showed a lack of sensitivity and were offensive. The purpose of the assignment was not, in any way, to have students argue that any slavery is acceptable — a concept that goes against our core values and beliefs about the equality and worth of people of all races."

Jerome Berry

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