American Freedmen Legal Fund Issues Formal Objection to Rockdale County Elementary School Incident

Arthur Watkins Jr.
Apr 28
2 min read

April 28, 2025 — The American Freedmen Legal Fund has issued a formal objection to Rockdale County Public Schools following a disturbing incident where “Whites Only” and “Colored Only” signs were reportedly posted above water fountains and other areas inside an elementary school.

The incident came to public attention after a mother, Nikisha, and her son, Kingston, bravely spoke out about what they experienced. According to their account, Kingston discovered a “Colored Only” sign posted above a water fountain and a “Whites Only” sign near the nurse’s office. Understandably disturbed, Kingston and his classmates immediately notified their teacher, who removed the signs. However, the emotional impact had already been made. Kingston described feeling “offended” and “awkward,” a sentiment no child should experience while simply trying to learn and grow.

Upon learning about the signs, Nikisha took swift action — contacting both the principal and the superintendent. The district responded with an acknowledgment but downplayed the situation by claiming the signs were part of a “history lesson” and that there was “no ill intent.” Despite this, the community, including the Georgia NAACP, has voiced strong concern about the poor judgment and emotional harm caused.

Intent is not the standard — harm is.

Educational institutions have a duty to protect children, especially when dealing with the painful and traumatic history of segregation. Posting segregation-era signs in an uncontrolled environment, without direct explanation, supervision, or trauma-informed practices, retraumatizes students — particularly those who may have ancestral ties to historical injustice.

In response, the American Freedmen Legal Fund sent a formal letter to Rockdale County Public Schools demanding:

A public apology to all impacted students and families,
Accountability measures for staff involved in approving the signs,
The adoption of trauma-informed educational protocols for teaching sensitive history,
Freedmen organizational involvement in reviewing future curriculum materials, and
Public acknowledgment of the harm caused to unverified Freedmen students.

Rockdale County Public Schools has been given 30 days to respond to the formal objection. Failure to act appropriately will result in escalation to federal and state education oversight authorities.

Protecting the dignity and emotional safety of Freedmen-identified and unverified Freedmen students is not negotiable.

The American Freedmen Legal Fund will continue to monitor this situation closely and advocate for the historical and present-day protection of Freedmen youth.

For students and families wishing to verify their Freedmen status, Freedmen Verification is available for free through Freedmen Nation at https://www.freedmennation.org/status-check.