6-year-old girl kicked out of Arkansas daycare after wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’, racial justice shirts

A mother in Russellville, Ark., claimed that her six-year-old daughter was banned from a daycare because she wore a shirt that said, “Black Lives Matter.”  

Journei Brockman has attended daycare at “His Kids Preschool” for six months, according to area outlet FOX 16.

She was told last Friday she could not return.

Brockman’s mother, Deval Brockman, told the outlet her daughter’s school called her last Thursday, and an employee told her that she didn’t “like” or “agree” with the shirt. The employee also asked that that Brockman not send her daughter to the school wearing it again. 

Brockman said she reported the complaint to state officials, according to FOX 16. She claims she was told that her daughter could wear the shirt unless it contained profanity.

“If I’m supporting something, I’m going to wear it, my child is going to wear it, to help say that our voice needs to be heard,” Brockman said. 

Journei Brockman returned to the preschool last Friday, wearing a different shirt with an image of a raised fist printed on the back. When Deval Brockman picked her daughter up at the end of the day, she was told her daughter was no longer welcome at the school. 

An employee allegedly said that the shirt was encouraging racism.

“I got very upset. I’m just like are you serious? Over a T-shirt?” Brockman said.

She claimed that a school director also told her, “I am not going to tell you how to raise your child, but you need to reevaluate how you’re parenting her.” 

“It’s not political, it’s everyday life, it’s all over the news. Right is right and wrong is wrong,” Brockman said.

Patricia Brown, director of His Kids Preschool, said in a statement to FOX 16, “We feel a childcare environment is not a place for a parent’s political views to be addressed or played out, regardless of race.” 

The Hill has reached out to His Kids Preschool for comment.