Newly unearthed pictures from Arizona’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs’ high school yearbook, revealing that the school conducted a “Slave Day” during its spirit week while Hobbs served on the student council board, were cited by opponent Kari Lake as another example of Hobbs’ racist history.
“Katie Hobbs’ record of racism, which already cost Arizona taxpayers $2.75 million after she was twice convicted of racist behavior, goes back to high school. The same Katie Hobbs who paid a woman-of-color $30,000 less than her white male counterparts also thought it appropriate to get involved in a cringe-inducing, racist ‘Slave Day’ and disgustingly celebrated it in her yearbook,” Lake said in a press release emailed to reporters.
Lake added, “This is a clear disappointing and alarming pattern, but this latest bombshell is beyond the pale. Silence and hiding won’t cut it on this one. Katie Hobbs owes it to every Arizonan to come out of hiding and finally take accountability for her troubling record of racism – and if Katie Hobbs won’t come out of hiding to explain herself, then the media owes it to the people of Arizona to find her.”
Twice-convicted racist @katiehobbs cost AZ taxpayers $2.75 million due to her racism—so it doesn’t surprise me that she organized “Slave Day” in high school.
Arizona won’t elect #RacistHobbs pic.twitter.com/2A4TKXXM6j
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 10, 2022
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to the Hobbs campaign for a comment on this situation but did not receive a response.
As reported by Daily Mail, Slave Day was allegedly a yearly tradition at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School, which Hobbs attended from 1984 through 1988. She reportedly played an active role as a yearbook staff and student council member while at the school.
One of the yearbook photos from 1987 showed Hobbs as a member of the student council, which according to a caption in the yearbook confirmed she “coordinated the many class events during Spirit Week.” Slave Day was one of those events that year and was mentioned four times in the yearbook.
Slave Day reportedly occurred for four decades at the school, with the last one reported by a yearbook in 1997. The day traditionally entailed freshman students performing “embarrassing acts of servitude” for senior class “masters.” The 1985 yearbook described the freshman “slaves” wearing unbecoming hairdos and outfits while wearing “embarrassing signs” for the day. Other incidents included students wearing a collar and leash while walking on their knees, a white female student wearing black paint streaked across her face, and a role reversal where freshmen could buy a senior for a couple of dollars at an auction on “Senior Slave Day.”
Garret Lewis, the morning host/program director at KNST in Tucson, said this should end the Hobbs campaign.
Not like @katiehobbs had a chance, but this should end her campaign. Katie was a leader of her school's student council in high school that organized "Slave Day" which had students sold to others and forced to perform embarrassing acts of servitude. https://t.co/mbTaJcdBcJ
— Garret Lewis (@GarretLewis) October 10, 2022
As shown in Lake’s comment, accusations of racism have plagued Hobbs throughout her campaign for governor. Aside from the finding of racist and sexist behavior in firing Talonya Adams, a black woman, while she served in Arizona’s State Senate, Hobbs struggled to offer meaningful commentary about how the Hispanic community has impacted her. As reported by The Sun Times, Hobbs spoke at the Arizona Gubernatorial Candidates Townhall hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce when the incident occurred.
Yet, a reporter for The Arizona Republic wrote that the jury verdicts involving Adams was not enough to call Hobbs a racist.
“Racism, after all, is not a one-time thing. It’s a state of mind. It’s a lifestyle. Could Lake point out any other racist aspects of Hobbs’ past or present? Could she reveal racist statements Hobbs has made or racist actions Hobbs has taken?” wrote columnist EJ Montini.
He wrote that Lake’s focus on one past mistake does not prove Hobbs is a racist, but with the incident at the townhall event and new yearbook pictures coming to light, Lake’s list of evidence grows.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Katie Hobbs.
