05/09/2025
Roland T Woodson Jr.
Yesterday, the Whitehaven High School “Sounds Of Perfection” Band, represented Memphis with excellence, winning 1st place in the TSU John A. Merritt Classic Weekend Battle of the Bands in Nashville.
But instead of being celebrated for their discipline, talent, and hard work, our students were met with racial profiling at Opry Mills Mall. Within minutes of entering, after the band had made advance arrangements with the mall and ensured a 4:1 student-to-chaperone ratio, they were unfairly detained by mall security. Other unsupervised groups of young people moved freely, but our students, the majority of whom are African American, were singled out and stopped.
Let me be clear: not one student was acting out, being disruptive, or behaving in a way that would warrant this response. They were orderly, respectful, and following every expectation set for them. To have their character questioned simply because of their skin color is both unjust and deeply damaging.
This is unacceptable. These young people had just proven themselves champions on the field. They deserved dignity and respect, not suspicion and humiliation.
As a Whitehaven parent, I fully support Director Vince Smith’s formal complaint, and I will also be filing one of my own. We are demanding:
• A written apology to our students and families
• A full explanation for why they were targeted
• Transparency about mall policies
• Corrective actions to ensure this never happens again
Whitehaven High School - MSCS has always been a community of excellence and resilience. Last night’s events were painful, but we will not be silent. We will stand together to make sure our students’ voices are heard and their humanity is respected.
— with Takeisha Lynne Woodson.