Sarah Mitchell
On January 18, 2019, a group of students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky were waiting for their bus near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The students, who were gathering at their appointed meeting place, found themselves in an overlap with a small group from the Indigenous Peoples March, as well as a group of Black Hebrew Israelites. The interaction between the students and a Native American activist, Nathan Phillips, was captured in photos and videos that went viral, sparking widespread debate and condemnation of the students' behavior. However, subsequent investigations and reports revealed complexities and nuances to the incident, with some questioning the initial media narrative and exonerating the students.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | January 18, 2019 |
| Location | Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. |
| People Involved | Covington Catholic High School students, Native American Nathan Phillips, Black Hebrew Israelites |
| Events Preceding the Confrontation | Black Hebrew Israelites taunted passersby and Covington students with racist slurs |
| Covington Students' Actions | Performed school spirit sports chants, including a version of a Māori haka |
| Reactions | Covington students received death threats, the school closed temporarily |
| Investigations | Independent investigations found Covington students did not instigate the confrontation or make offensive/racist statements |
| Apologies | The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologized to Phillips, but later retracted and apologized to Sandmann |
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What You'll Learn
- The Covington Catholic High School students were waiting for their bus after attending the March for Life rally
- The students were confronted by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites who shouted racist slurs at them
- The students responded to the taunts with school spirit chants, including a version of a Māori haka
- Native American Nathan Phillips felt that the students were mocking him and his dance
- The incident sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the students' behaviour and death threats being made against them
The Covington Catholic High School students were waiting for their bus after attending the March for Life rally
On January 18, 2019, a group of students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, were waiting for their bus after attending the March for Life rally. The students, aged 15 and 16, had gathered at their appointed meeting place at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Memorial confrontation, as it came to be known, involved a group of Covington Catholic students and Native American activist Nathan Phillips.
Earlier footage of the incident did not include the presence of a group of five Black Hebrew Israelites, who were standing near the Reflecting Pond. They were shouting scripture and taunting passers-by, including the Covington Catholic students as they arrived. In response to these taunts, the students performed school spirit sports chants, including their version of a Māori haka. One Native American individual present for the march felt that "the students were mocking the dance".
As the interaction between Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann and Nathan Phillips intensified, it was captured in photos and videos that were widely disseminated by major media outlets. The short videos of the encounter uploaded to social media platforms received millions of views and sparked outrage in the United States. Many people condemned the students, accusing them of intimidating Phillips, while others called for the students to be doxed. The students and the school received death threats, leading to the temporary closure of Covington Catholic High School.
However, subsequent releases of more detailed video clips and media analyses presented different perspectives on the incident. An independent report found that the students did not instigate the confrontation and made no offensive or racist statements. The Covington Catholic communications director released a statement expressing regret for the event, while the Diocese of Covington and the school apologised to Phillips and condemned the students' behaviour. In a later letter, the bishop of the Covington Diocese apologised to Sandmann, acknowledging that they should not have rushed to judgment.
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The students were confronted by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites who shouted racist slurs at them
On January 18, 2019, a group of Covington Catholic High School students from Kentucky encountered a group of Black Hebrew Israelites near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The students were waiting for their buses to return home after attending the March for Life rally.
The Black Hebrew Israelites are a loose network of congregations who believe that African Americans are the true descendants of the Hebrews of the Bible, instead of Jews. They have been labelled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which reported that black supremacist groups within the Hebrew Israelite movement have seen increased recruitment following President Donald Trump's election in 2016.
As the Covington students began to arrive at the Lincoln Memorial, the Black Hebrew Israelites started to shout insults and racist slurs at them. According to Nick Sandmann, a Covington student who was present, the Black Hebrew Israelites called the students "racists," "bigots," "white crackers," "faggots," and "incest kids." They also made a reference to "harvesting organs," which may have been a reference to the 2017 movie "Get Out."
In addition to the racist slurs, the Black Hebrew Israelites also shouted homophobic remarks, including words like "sodomy" and "homosexuals." They were described as standing in a row, "shouting scripture from red books" and taunting anyone who walked by, including people of colour, other black visitors, natives, and a Catholic priest.
The encounter between the Covington students and the Black Hebrew Israelites was just one part of a larger confrontation that also involved Native American activists, including Nathan Phillips. The incident sparked widespread outrage and polarised public opinion, with some condemning the students' behaviour while others defended them, arguing that they did not initiate the confrontation.
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The students responded to the taunts with school spirit chants, including a version of a Māori haka
On January 18, 2019, a confrontation occurred between groups of political demonstrators near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The incident involved Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann and Native American Nathan Phillips.
Before the students arrived, a group of five Black Hebrew Israelites stood in a row, shouting scripture and taunting passers-by. As the students began to arrive and wait for their bus, the Black Hebrew Israelites began to shout insults directly at them. In response to these taunts, the students performed school spirit sports chants, including their version of a Māori haka.
Haka is a form of indigenous dance that encompasses multiple ceremonial purposes in Māori culture. It is a posture dance accompanied by chanted or shouted songs and vigorous rhythmic movements. Haka was traditionally performed as part of the rituals of encounter when two parties met or to welcome a visitor into the community.
According to a member of the US tribal group, the Covington Catholic students mocked Native Americans by performing the haka. Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole tribes, said he felt they were mocking the traditional Māori dance. One of the Native Americans who was there for the march also said that he felt "the students were mocking the dance".
However, an independent report found that the students did not instigate the confrontation and made no offensive or racist statements. The Diocese of Covington Bishop Roger Foys said, "Our students were placed in a situation that was at once bizarre and even threatening. Their reaction to the situation was, given the circumstances, expected and one might even say laudatory."
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Native American Nathan Phillips felt that the students were mocking him and his dance
On January 18, 2019, a confrontation occurred between groups of political demonstrators near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The incident involved Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann and Native American Nathan Phillips. Photos and videos of the encounter sparked outrage across the United States, with many interpreting the incident as the Catholic students acting as aggressors. However, it is important to note that initial media reports may have omitted certain details.
In the videos, Phillips, an Omaha elder and a well-known Native American activist, can be seen singing and playing a drum while a crowd of students surrounds him, laughing, chanting, and filming on their cell phones. Some of the students wore red "Make America Great Again" hats, and one boy stood inches away from Phillips' drum, staring at him with a wide smile. Phillips, who was participating in the Indigenous Peoples March, continued drumming and singing, displaying a stoic response amidst the jeers of the students.
Phillips expressed that he felt threatened by the boys swarming around him. He also stated that he walked between the students and a group of Black Hebrew Israelites, who were exchanging escalating racial taunts, out of concern for the safety of the Black Israelites. Regarding the students' behavior, Phillips felt that they were mocking him and his dance. This sentiment was echoed by another Native American present at the march, who perceived the students' actions as mocking.
The incident sparked widespread criticism and drew apologies from the Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School, who condemned the students' behavior. However, investigators hired by the diocese concluded that the students made no "offensive or racist statements" and did not perform a "Build the Wall" chant. The investigators also noted that the students were subjected to taunts and insults from the Black Hebrew Israelites before Phillips' arrival.
The Covington Catholic communications director expressed regret over the incident, and the school temporarily closed due to safety concerns for its students. While some called for punitive measures against the students, others, including the Covington Diocese Bishop, defended the students, arguing that their reaction was understandable given the circumstances. The polarized responses highlight the complexity of interpreting the incident and the influence of ideological beliefs and racial tensions in shaping public opinion.
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The incident sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the students' behaviour and death threats being made against them
On January 18, 2019, a confrontation between groups of political demonstrators took place near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The incident involved Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann and Native American Nathan Phillips. Videos and photos of the encounter went viral on social media, receiving millions of views and sparking widespread outrage.
Initial media reports portrayed the Catholic students as aggressors, leading to public condemnation and death threats against the students and their families. The students were accused of intimidating Phillips and mocking him with chants of "Build the Wall". Many called for the students to be doxed, and the school temporarily closed due to safety concerns.
However, subsequent investigations and statements offered different perspectives on the incident. An independent report found that the students did not instigate the confrontation and made no offensive or racist statements. The Covington Catholic communications director expressed regret over the event, and the Diocese of Covington issued an apology for prematurely condemning the students' actions.
The incident sparked a polarized response, with some continuing to criticize the students' behaviour while others defended them, arguing that they were placed in a threatening situation. The controversy highlighted the power of social media and the potential for misinformation and fake news to spread rapidly.
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Frequently asked questions
The students were gathering at their appointed meeting place at the steps of the Plaza to wait for their buses to return home.
There was a confrontation between the two parties, with videos showing an intense staring match between a Covington Catholic student, Nicholas Sandmann, and Omaha tribe elder, Nathan Phillips.
Initial media reports omitted details and falsely reported that the Catholic students were the aggressors. The students received death threats, and the school temporarily closed due to safety concerns.
