Alexandra said she wants the school to form a diversity or multi-cultural club at the school.
Obama Youth on the march...
Posted on 12/08/2008 1:35:02 PM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
An incident at South Rowan High School after Barack Obama won the presidential election last month has led Renay Caldwell and her teenage daughter, Alexandra, to call for more diversity awareness at the school.
The discussion that occurred during a class Nov. 5 wasn't the first time the family has experienced racial issues at South, said the Caldwells, who are African-American.
On that day, Alexandra, a senior, went to art class, where talks turned to the recent election and race.
According to Alexandra, the teacher, who is white, said since America elected a black president, people can't complain about slavery anymore.
"I was very upset," Alexandra said. "I felt that her being a professional ... she should not have given any input on her political opinions."
Renay and Alexandra met with Dr. Don Knox, the principal at South, and the art teacher, to talk about what happened.
"I could tell (Knox) was really disturbed when I quoted what the teacher said," Renay recalled.
And as for the teacher, Renay said, "She apologized. She apologized profusely."
It is unclear if the art teacher faced any repercussions for the statement. The Rowan-Salisbury School System does not make public such personnel matters.
"At this point in time, we're simply looking into it," said Dr. Walter Hart, assistant superintendent for administration.
Renay said she wants the teachers at South to participate in diversity training. She addressed the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education about her wishes last month.
Alexandra said she wants the school to form a diversity or multi-cultural club at the school.
The staff at South has not had any diversity training this school year, Knox said.
The school system doesn't automatically offer all its employees diversity training, said Dr. Rebecca Smith, assistant superintendent for curriculum. If school principals request training sessions for their staff, she said, the school system provides them.
Training sessions are also available online, Smith said.
Knox said he plans to work with South's PTA about putting in place a diversity program. He has also talked to representatives from the N.C. Association of Educators, he said.
"It's a real charged issue," Knox said. "Luckily, we have a PTA that is a very eclectic group, racially and ethnically."
The Caldwells said they are upset about events that happened at South on Nov. 5 before Alexandra's art class.
To show her support for the presidential winner, Alexandra wrote "Obama '08" in marker below her collar bone. During her advanced-placement statistics class, a teacher told her to wash off the writing or cover it up.
Alexandra contacted her mother, who went to the school to help her daughter deal with the situation.
"She felt that she had the right to show her support," Renay said.
In the end, after the Caldwells talked to Knox, Alexandra decided to wear her coat throughout the rest of the school day instead of going to in-school suspension, they said.
The writing on Alexandra's skin is partly what sparked the discussion about the election during art class, she said.
Alexandra said the teacher approached her and said some people might be offended by the writing.
What happened last month wasn't the first time Alexandra says she has been offended at South because of racial reasons.
Last school year, she said, she noticed a student had painted a Confederate flag on the rock outside the school. She told an assistant principal about it and headed to dance practice, she said.
Alexandra had expected school staff to immediately paint over the controversial symbol.
"But sure enough, it was still there," Renay said. "So we both had to paint the rock."
Renay said her son, Bo, became upset during his junior year at South. Bo played on the basketball team, and someone put a T-shirt with a Confederate flag on it in his gym bag one day, Renay said.
Bo didn't quit the basketball team.
"He went on," Renay said. "That didn't stop him from playing."
Bo was the valedictorian at South last spring.
Hart said the school system needs to look into the Caldwells' claims. But Hart and Knox both said the family's concerns — including those about confederate flag symbols — aren't isolated to South.
"I doubt there are any high schools in this region that don't have some folks who have less-than-sensitive views when it comes to those issues," Hart said.
Knox is in his first year at South, so he was not the principal when Alexandra complained about the school rock and someone put the T-shirt in Bo's bag.
But he said he knows many people identify with the Confederate flag symbol.
"Unfortunately, that's part of the culture of the South," he said.
Renay, who has an African-American father and a Japanese mother, said she grew up in an environment where people were understanding of others' differences.
She's disappointed her children haven't always had the same.
"They have experienced more racism at their age than I have," Renay said.
This is clearly an affront to the racism industry. This is big business folks and you best get used to funding it.
I agree with the teacher. White guilt died November 4, 2008. I especially enjoyed the following:
White guilt is dead...
By Tom Adkins
Look at my fellow conservatives! There they go, glumly shuffling along, depressed by the election aftermath. Not me. I’m virtually euphoric. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not thrilled with America’s flirtation with neo socialism. But there’s a massive silver lining in those magical clouds that lofted Barak Obama to the Presidency. For today, without a shred of intellectually legitimate opposition, I can loudly proclaim to America: The Era of White Guilt is over.
This seemingly impossible event occurred because the vast majority of white Americans didn’t give a fluff about skin color, and enthusiastically pulled the voting lever for a black man. Not just any black man. A very liberal black man who spent his early career race-hustling banks, praying in a racist church for 20 years, and actively worked with America-hating domestic terrorists. Wow! Some resume! Yet they made Barak Obama their leader. Therefore, as of Nov 4th, 2008, white guilt is dead.
For over a century, the millstone of white guilt hung around our necks, retribution for slave-owning predecessors. In the 60s, American liberals began yanking that millstone while sticking a fork in the eye of black Americans, exacerbating the racial divide to extort a socialist solution. But if a black man can become President, exactly what significant barrier is left? The election of Barak Obama absolutely destroys the entire validation of liberal white guilt. The dragon is hereby slain.
So today, I’m feeling a little “uppity,” if you will. From this day forward, my tolerance level for having my skin color hustled is now exactly ZERO. And it’s time to clean house. No more Reverend Wright’s “God ____ America ,” Al Sharpton’s Church of Perpetual Victimization , or Jesse Jackson’s rainbow racism. Cornell West? You’re a fraud. Go home. All those “black studies” programs that taught kids to hate whitey? You must now thank Whitey. And I want that on the final.
Congressional Black Caucus? Irrelevant. Maxine Waters? Shut up. ACORN? Outlawed. Black Panthers? Go home and pet your kitty. Black separatists? Find another nation that offers better dreams. Go ahead. I’m waiting.
Gangsta rappers? Start praising America. Begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. And please no more ebonics. Speak English, and who knows where you might end up? Oh, yeah, pull up your pants. Your underwear is showing. You look stupid.
To those Eurosnots who forged entire careers hating America? I’m still waiting for the first black French President.
And let me offer an equal opportunity whupping. I’ve always despised lazy white people. Now, I can talk smack about lazy black people. You’re poor because you quit school, did drugs, had three kids with three different fathers, and refuse to work. So when you plop your Colt 45-swilling, Oprah watchin’ butt on the couch and complain “Da Man is keepin’ me down,” allow me to inform you: Da Man is now black. You have no excuses.
No more quotas. No more handouts. No more stealing my money because someone’s great-great-great-great grandparents suffered actual pain and misery at the hands of people I have no relation to, and personally revile.
It’s time to toss that massive, obsolete race-hustle machine upon the heap of the other stupid 60s ideas. Drag it over there, by wife swapping, next to dope-smoking. Plenty of room right between free love and cop-killing. Careful…don’t trip on streaking. There ya go, don’t be gentle. Just dump it. Wash your hands. It’s filthy.
In fact, Obama’s ascension created a gargantuan irony. How can you sell class envy and American unfairness when you and your black wife went to Ivy League schools, got high-paying jobs, became millionaires, bought a mansion, and got elected President? How unfair is that? Now, Like a delicious O’Henry tale, Obama’s spread-the-wealth campaign rendered itself moot by it’s own victory! America is officially a meritocracy. Obama’s election has validated American conservatism!
So, listen carefully…Wham! That’s the sound of my foot kicking the door shut on the era of white guilt. The rites have been muttered, the carcass lowered, dirt shoveled, and tombstone erected.. White guilt is dead and buried.
However, despite my glee, there’s apparently one small, rabid bastion of American racism remaining. Black Americans voted 96% for Barak Obama. Hmmm. In a color-blind world, shouldn’t that be 50-50? Every black person should ask forgiveness for their apparent racism and prejudice towards white people. Maybe it’s time to start spreading the guilt around.
Well, let's not mention all the times public ed teachers praise Democrats and demonize Republicans in front of a class. Nosiree, Bob. That's different.
And, every Republican parent in that district that knows of a teach that praised Democrats in class needs to be scheduling a visit with the principal and the perp teacher.
Believe it not, but I actually was a teenager-- and a teenage daughter to boot-- and I can tell you I would have died of embarrassment if my mother had done something like that. I mean, take up a "cause", get pushy about it, makes sure all the newspapers and TV people know about it, and do it at my high school in front of all my friends!! (not to mention those mean girls, and those cute boys)
Poor kid.
Because nobody at the school has anything to do other than take care of poor Alexandra's little feelings. Merciful heavens, she's the second coming of Michelle Obama already.
The column in your post should be forwarded to the editor of the Salisbury Post.
Since I copied and pasted for future reference from someone else, please feel free to pass it on.
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