Black families could land in jail for cheering too loudly at graduations

Papers were served on black families who excitedly cheered their relatives who had graduated at a school in Mississippi, USA.

Linda Walker, mother of an eighteen-year old was ecstatic to witness her daughter graduate from Senatobia High School.

She and another family were asked to leave a graduation ceremony because they had said their daughter and relatives' names out loud as they walked on stage to accept their diplomas.

Wreg.com reports that police present at the Northwest Mississippi Community College ceremony asked the audience to keep quiet and only clap after all the graduates had received their diplomas.

Families who did not comply with the message were then escorted out.

"A week or two later, I was served with some papers. Okay. I can understand they can escort me out of the graduation, but to say they going to put me in jail for it. What else are they allowed to do?," said Walker.

The four people said they had only wanted to express their joy at seeing their loved ones graduate.

They are due in court where they will face a charge of disturbing the peace on Monday, 9 June.