Manhattan junior high school will racially separate students in grades seven and eight while discussing identity and social justice topics in controversial exercise to 'undo legacy of racism and oppression'

Next week, the Lower Manhattan Community Middle School will separate kids in grades seven and eight into five racial groups for a two-day program
The two-day exercise is meant to explore 'How do our racial identities influence our experiences?' Principal Shanna Douglas told parents in an email
Students will be divided into five groups: whites, Asians, mixed-race students will each have a group; African American and Hispanic students will be in one
The fifth group will be for those who want to opt out of the exercise
According to principal Douglas, the middle school is 44 percent Asian, 29 percent white, 15 percent Hispanic and 8 percent black
Douglas said in the email that the school has failed to adequately address race issues in the past
Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer said this exercise will be entirely optional and student participation is not mandatory
Some parents have shared mixed reactions to the practice, which is known as 'affinity groups,' but say they trust school staff to navigate the discussions
Other parents have objected to the practice and think separating kids by race goes too far; someone on Twitter called it 'woke racism'

Published: 18:08 GMT, 19 November 2021 | Updated: 18:08 GMT, 19 November 2021

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A Manhattan middle school will racially separate students during a controversial social justice exercise officials say is meant to 'undo the legacy of racism and oppression.'

Next week, the Lower Manhattan Community Middle School will reportedly separate kids in grades seven and eight into five racial groups for a two-day program meant to explore 'How do our racial identities influence our experiences?' Principal Shanna Douglas wrote in an email to parents.

The students will be divided into five racial groups: whites, Asians and mixed-race students will each get their own groups, African American and Hispanic students will be combined into one group, and there will be an additional group for those who are uncomfortable with the format, the New York Post reported.

Next week, the Lower Manhattan Community Middle School (pictured) in NYC will separate kids in grades seven and eight into five racial groups for a two-day program

The two-day exercise is meant to explore 'How do our racial identities influence our experiences?' Principal Shanna Douglas (pictured) told parents in an email

Following the groupings, the students will enter into a discussion that ponders 'why are we even talking about racial identity?' according to the email.

Douglas told parents that the school - which is 44 percent Asian, 29 percent white 15 percent Hispanic and 8 percent black - has failed to adequately address race issues in the past, the Post reported.

She said part of the reason this program has come about is because of student's interest in the topic of race.

'Students are talking about it since race has become a popular topic on social media, or parents are talking even more about it at home due to the recent incidents across the nation,' she wrote to parents, saying the exercises are part of the school's mission to 'undo the legacy of racism and oppression in this country that impacts our school community.'

Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer told the Post that this exercise will be entirely optional and student participation is not mandatory.

'This optional program was developed in close coordination with both the School Leadership Team, PTA, and families,' Styer said, adding it has been made 'abundantly clear to both students and parents that anyone can opt-out of this two-day celebration if they desire.'

Parents have shared mixed reactions to the practice, which is known as 'affinity groups,' but some say that they trust school staff to navigate the difficult discussions.

'I think our teachers know how to handle it,' one mom told the Post.

Another parent said she also had no objections.

'The staff is very good about being clear when it comes to race,' she said.

But other parents are questioning the practice and say they believe separating kids by race goes too far.

'I think a lot of us feel like this is too much,' one mom told the Post. 'But most parents are too afraid to say anything at this point. Why are we separating our kids like this?'

Her reaction was echoed on social media, where people reacted negatively, saying this was a step backward and a return to segregation at schools.

One person tweeted: 'Why doesn't anyone ask, 'How does this re-branded racial segregation help kids learn?' [Spoiler alert: it doesn't.] How disgusting to divide 11 year old friends & classmates by race in 2021 NYC.'

Another person wrote: 'Irony is broken: 'The Lower Manhattan Community School will conduct the controversial exercises as part of its mission to 'undo the legacy of racism''...by bringing back racist segregation!'

Other people simply responded by tweeting: 'We’re going backwards,' 'Segregation is back? I thought that was already done away with...' and 'I'm so done with woke racism.'

DailyMail.com reached out to the school for comment.