A new lawsuit accusing a private K-12 school in Hawaii of racial discrimination against non-native residents is triggering painful memories of colonialism across the state.

“It’s upsetting to a lot of people, and it’s upsetting to me,” said Kealahou Alika, a semi-retired United Church of Christ pastor and denominational leader and an alumnus of Kamehameha Schools, the institution targeted in the legal action .

Kealahou Alika

The school, which has campuses on three islands, was founded in 1887 by a descendant of Hawaiian royalty to provide education to native-born people excluded by exclusively white schools.

A Christian school with a long-time relationship with the UCC, the institution has become a leader in reviving and preserving the Hawaiian language and culture once suppressed

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