ST. LOUIS (AP) - A flier sent home with grade school children to promote a discussion of African-American history that read, “Why I hate Black History Month,” has been reprinted with a different headline after a handful of complaints.

The fliers were sent home with students from Jackson Park Elementary School in the St. Louis suburb of University City. They were intended to encourage parents to attend a discussion Tuesday evening at the school about the importance of learning about black history all year long, rather than simply in February.

The co-president of the school's Parent Teacher Organization, Karin McElwain-West, said event organizers wanted to generate attendance at the meeting, but hadn't meant to offend anyone. The revised flier is titled, “Why I LOVE Black History Month.”

The first flier encourages people to join a discussion about black history, and then includes two questions: “Do we still need it? Why is it important?”

The new flier includes a note saying the intention of the original flier was not to offend. It adds: “One month is not long enough to cover the historical significance of African Americans in the U.S.”

McElwain-West said some parents weren't sure of the intent of the original flier and “felt it could be racist.” She heard talk that a few parents also said they try not to use the word “hate” around young children.

McElwain-West, who is white, said she and the presenter for the event, Amy Hunter, who is black, came up with the first title in a conversation. Hunter is the director of racial justice for the YWCA Metro St. Louis. She did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

About 350 students attend Jackson Park Elementary, and 74 percent of the student population is black, 21 percent white and 5 percent Hispanic, Asian or American Indian, said University City School District spokeswoman Daphne Dorsey.

Dorsey said she thinks the first flier was designed for “shock value,” to get people talking about and interested in attending the event.

“They say hindsight is 20-20,” Dorsey said. “If they'd thought about the effect of it, I'm sure the wording would have been quite different.”

Dorsey said the district's schools educate about race and culture throughout the year, including events to commemorate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She said the district also holds a recruitment fair focused on bringing in minority educators.

By Betsey Taylor