Seattle School Cancels Halloween Parade Because It ‘Marginalizes Students of Color’

A Seattle elementary school canceled its annual Halloween parade this year, saying it “marginalizes students of color who do not celebrate the holiday.”

The decision to cancel the Pumpkin Parade, where students can dress up in Halloween costumes, came from the Racial Equity Team at Benjamin Franklin Day Elementary School after five years of discussion, the school district said.

“There are numerous community and neighborhood events where students and families who wish to can celebrate Halloween,” a Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman said in a statement provided to KTTH Radio talk show host Jason Rantz. “Historically, the Pumpkin Parade marginalizes students of color who do not celebrate the holiday. Specifically, these students have requested to be isolated on campus while the event took place.

“In alliance with SPS’s unwavering commitment to students of color, specifically African American males, the staff is committed to supplanting the Pumpkin Parade with more inclusive and educational opportunities during the school day,” the statement continued, adding that the decision had nothing to do with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Instead, students this year will partake in inclusive fall events, like “thematic units of study about the fall” and reviewing “autumnal artwork,” according to the newsletter obtained by Rantz.

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