Young girl writes letter to classmate saying she may not be allowed to attend her birthday party because she is black

The letter explained that her father may not let her go

The letter sent by the young girl to her classmate (Fox13)

Parents of a young girl have spoken of their shock after their daughter received a letter from her classmate telling her she might not be allowed to attend her birthday sleepover because she is black.

A ten-year-old girl wrote the note for her friend Harmony Jones at a school in Memphis, Tennessee, after she was invited to her birthday celebrations, WREG reports.

The letter read: “Maybe I will not be able to go to your birthday sleepover because my dad will not let me go because you are black. Not trying to be races [sic], but my mom let me no [sic] Happy birthday!'

Local civil rights activist Lasimba Gray described the note as “regrettable” but said he hoped it could be used as a learning curve.

Harmony dances at her birthday party

“Fifty-two years since the Dr. King ‘I have a dream speech,’ you would think that the basis for racism would disappear, but evidently it is being perpetuated by those who teach it,” he added.

Harmony’s father Christopher Jones said he was shocked that his daughter received a letter of this nature. “It angered me a little bit," he told the network. "It hurt me that my 10-year-old girl had to deal with this, and I myself never thought I would have to deal with this."

“I guess as parents we have to be more aware and more conscious of what we teach our children.”

The girl’s family has not commented on the letter.