Parental and administrative outrage in Russellville was cranked to 11 after the Russellville High School yearbooks came out recently. Only then was it discovered that the Senior photos of several students were paired with inspirational quotes that went a bit beyond your average excerpt from the wisdom of Albert Einstein or Oprah Winfrey.

Discipline must be maintained of course, but it might be hard for even button down adults to stifle a chuckle upon seeing a white student’s cap-and-gown photo accompanied by “I was born a poor black child,” a quote from the 1979 Steve Martin film “The Jerk.”

Advertisement

KARK reports that at least one of the quotes included in the yearbook was too vulgar to air, but a girl who commented on the KARK Facebook page and who claims to be on the yearbook staff at Russellville High said the quote in question was: “When the Red River flows, take the dirt road home,” clearly a reference to… well, never mind. Students were allowed to choose the quote that ran with their photo. 

The school superintendent says that disciplinary action will be taken, and that officials are exploring changes to the yearbook’s editorial process. 

Advertisement

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article Change in leadership at Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities Next article Another Bledsoe for Arkansas health