JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene released a statement Monday regarding last week's controversy surrounding the You Matter campaign.
The district intended the campaign to raise awareness and offer support for students struggling with mental illness, particularly suicide prevention.
However, last week students protested the campaign, claiming the month-long You Matter campaign seemed to overshadow Black History Month.
On Friday, students at six DCPS campuses held protests against the campaign and urged the district to promote the teaching of Black history throughout the school year.
“Both of those should be represented, both of them are important topics, both of them should be shown," student protester Jara Enoch told First Coast News last week. “I think just overall, there needs to be more education on Black history I mean, not only this month, but all months, all years.”
The district has since suspended the You Matter campaign.
The first protest came on Wednesday at Sandalwood High School. According to the district, the protest was in response to racists comments made in a chatroom on the Sandalwood app in Duval Teams, the district's online platform.
Superintendent Diana Greene released a statement Monday apologizing for the campaign. She also promised further discussions with students to address issues brought up last week.
You can read the full statement below:
