FORT LAUDERDALE , FL -- MAST Academy recent graduate Aniyah Upshaw was unable to hold back tears during the press conference.
Sitting alongside her mother, father, and attorney this past Friday morning, June 2nd, Aniyah Upshaw describes the debilitating pattern of racial discrimination she faced at the school as an inescapable force within all parts of the school facility and even on school transportation.
I’ve been called the ‘N word’ with a hard ‘R’ on multiple occasions - Aniyah Upshaw
-Aniyah Upshaw, Honor Student, Recent Graduate, MAST Academy
Aniyah spoke about her panic attacks, one of which came during a crucial exam time, causing her to miss out on a scholarship opportunity. Several other students spoke via Zoom, substantiating Aniyah's complaint while sharing some of their own traumatic experiences of racial discrimination at the school.
Attorney Robinson also spoke and demanded MAST Academy and the Dade County School Board understand, acknowledge, identify, and put a stop to the exclusionary behaviors towards black students at the school.
The daily behaviors do in fact create harm, it’s the death of 1,000 cuts every single day.
Sue-Ann Robinson, Attorney, Frontline Law
One teacher identified as being racially aggressive towards Aniyah has been suspended as the school board initiates their investigation.
MAST Academy emerged from the Inner City Marine Project (ICMP), a summer program aimed at introducing minority students to marine-related professions. Over time, the ICMP transformed into MAST Academy, which initially implemented a race quota to maintain a Black student population of 33 percent. However, in 2001, this race quota was eliminated, resulting in a significant decline in the representation of Black students. As of 2022, the Black student population at MAST Academy stood at just 2 percent.
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About Attorney Sue-Ann Robinson:
Attorney Sue-Ann Robinson has represented cases ranging from police misconduct to liability of major corporations and has been featured on Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, CNN, Newsmax, and RT America. She has over 15 years of courtroom experience and was named by National Black Lawyers as one of the "Top Black Lawyers under 40" in the United States and one of the ‘"Top Ten Black Women Lawyers You Should Know" by Black Enterprise Magazine.
Media Contact: Andre Uter press@frontlinefirm.com 424.355.5918
