East Lansing schools apologizes for slavery assignment Tianna Jenkins, WYSM, April 2021 By: Tianna Jenkins and last updated 2021-04-19 17:00:45-04 EAST LANSING, Mich. â East Lansing Public Schools is planning to change its curriculum after a homework assignment on slavery came under criticism from parents. The assignment asked students to imagine how they would feel as slaves in several different circumstances. Parents said the assignment was insensitive and even traumatizing for Black students. "We don't make any defense on this assignment, but it's completely wrong, and, and we're not going to waste any time trying to defend it or talk about our intentions or any of those kinds of things. It was an inappropriate assignment it was a hurtful assignment," said Director of Curriculum Glenn Mitcham.