Special
Reason Reigns Two Weeks Following Superintendent Choice
Race Issues, Money, Power and Misconceptions Remain a Problem
When the school board selected the Superintendent of Schools of Natchitoches,
there was considerable controversy following. Racial issues were seen by many in
the African American community to be heavily involved in the selection. But what is
the status now?
Two weeks days ago Natchitoches, Louisiana selected its school board
superintendent. Out of the top four candidates, one was white, the other three
African American. The majority white vote was solidly for the white candidate, in
what many in the African American community considered a pre-selection. Whether
that was true or not, the race question was of concern since the vote was split on
racial lines at the time. While reason prevails two weeks later, questions continue
as they have been part of social and political concerns for many years. Given a
population divided by actual numbers on racial lines, is the town ready to give up
race as part of political and social decisions? Many people say folks should.
The film Steel Magnolias was made in Natchitoches. The movie, enjoyed by many
people for more than 15 years, depicts the friendly South where people blend and
band together during great personal tragedies. It is also the place written about by
Harriet Beecher Stowe in the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, with its description of the
awfulness of slavery. The plantation described in the book, Little Eva, is but 20
minutes drive from the town center. Natchitoches is also 70 miles from Jena,
Louisiana and the nooses incident that created national attention and right next
door to Winn Parish where a young man was found wrongfully tasered by police.
This doesn’t mean any of these incidents, and the particular details, didn’t have
negatives where people committed wrong acts, but it does mean the race
discussion is part of the equation since race is talked about behind closed doors at a
time when it should be talked about openly and courteously.
Race, along with money, power and a host of other issues, form a background for
the issues regarding the selection of Superintendent of Schools, a district with a
majority of African American students, where the high school has seen a number of
racial incidents during the past several years. The African American community saw
the selection of a white man with little recent experience in diversity education, over
black candidates with recent, hands-on experience with racial issues and
differences, reflecting continuing problems with respect to race. This is part of the
reason why some people like Claire Prymus, niece of Ben Johnson, deceased and a
well-known African American leader in the community, declares dialogue can make
a difference. This is because race issues are still faced by the town as it continues
its struggles to recover from its past, even as the country embraced the election of
a black man, Barack Obama, as President of the United States.
Many people in the African American community felt disappointed and angry after
the school superintendent election, including Ed Ward, Claire Prymus, Reverend
Dupree, Randy Stelly, Reverend Means and a host of others who are concerned that
race reigns either as serious negative talk, interfering with healthy dialogue, or
behavior during elections. At first Prymus said, " I have lived many places and
thought the South had gotten past this, but what happened here was terrible." This
response came from someone who is considered to be a racial moderate with many
white friends. But she was worried at first about the future of the education of
Natchitoches children and whether or not black children will be treated fairly.
Whether Prymus was right or not at the time may be debated by the white
community, and is; however if the election of a white superintendent, and the
process itself, is questioned with respect to race, this seems to reveal the racial
divide continues and can be disruptive during key appointments and elections.
Two years ago the issue was school discipline over fights. Votes over methods of
discipline were often made along racial lines. Eventually some agreement came, but
not without acrimony.
The chronicle of the school board superintendent election revealed concerns in the
African American community that appeared to have reasonable foundation in
discussion. Originally 17 applicants viewed for the job. The choice was eventually
narrowed to four. The former school board President, a white woman, advocated
for Derwood Duke, a Caucasian man who was 13 years ago Superintendent of
Schools of Winn Parish, a predominantly white school district. In the 1970’s he
was a school principal in a mostly white school. Duke, an Assistant Professor at
Northwestern University, declared he had no information about how to do the
interactive site called Blackboard at the University required by staff nor other
technological tools. He was nevertheless selected over other candidates with recent
experience in administration of diverse student populations. They included Mary
Nash-Robinson of Greenwood who is Caddo Parish School Board Assistant
Superintendent of Human Resources, Thomas Roque of Natchez, Rapides Parish
School System, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Shannon Verett of
League City, Texas, Independent School District Leadership Developing Manager for
Aspiring Principals Institute.
Many members of the African American community initially saw the selection of
Duke as a terrible injustice to children and evidence the town had not recovered
from its racial past. Some were angry with African American school board members
for allowing applications to be reopened prior to the final selection. Suffice to say
Prymus was concerned enough to say, "This is the Deep South Carol where
segregation and racism continue to live. It was unfair and ridiculous what
happened, and my uncle would never have allowed this in these days."
Since race was perceived as part of the equation in the selection of Duke as
Superintendent of Schools, this reflects an important and serious concern, as
observed by many who watched from the sidelines in dismay. Race becomes part
of the discussion with one side blaming the other for the problems, it appears from
interviews, with even Mayor Wayne McCullen expressing at one time months ago
how much he wishes racial divisions don’t occur during elections.
During these controversies, misconceptions also abound. For example, it was
rumored that Duke had left the United Methodist Church after Reverend Donald
Avery became its minister. A telephone call to one of the key parishioners by this
reporter determined Duke is and has been a faithful member of the church. Still
during discussions about elections, when race enters into it, these fallacies can
occur.
Small towns have their problems just like big cities. Race can be one of them. The
problem is when anyone who reports these problems is the target rather than the
problems themselves.
I reported the story on a site where my article was picked up by Topix, that not
only features local gossip, which is often just gossip, but also purchases local news,
with most of the same details used in this story. I was accused of being racist and
told to get out of town on gossip threads, that eventually descended into ugly talk
of name-calling with well-known racial epithets.
When some people believe the best way to deal with a problem like race is not to
talk about it, project blame onto others, or get angry, the problem isn’t solved.
Former President Bill Clinton and former current Attorney General Eric Holder
declare race continues to be a problem, even as people who deny it continue the
same practices that have been perceived as hurtful. Mentioning there is a problem
then becomes a problem and a barrier for discussion, which may account for a lack
of serious discussion. The problem is confounding enough to create hurt and
problems during elections, so the divides become greater even as factions develop
surrounding methods to deal with the problem. Talk in the African American
community is about power and control, and their perceived lack of it. Talk about
whether or not equally-qualified candidates have a fair opportunity to be selected,
has been part of the dialogue surrounding the election of the school
superintendent. Newspapers have a responsibility to report these concerns, even
as many don’t want to face them.
After two weeks of wrangling, meetings, controversies, back alley gossip and
innuendos, the facts are these: the issues involved in the selection of the
superintendent are multi-various and the interaction between participants on the
school board and elsewhere in need of fixing. But everyone agrees on one
important thing: the children need good education. The African American
community maintains the biggest issue is reading, and they worry their children are
failing. They worry that someone like Duke may not have the recent, hands-on
experience and technology training to be able to investigate fully education
methods and options. Does his color prohibit that? No one knows for sure, but
some believe he deserves a chance. Still the perception of race may influence his
administration, whether accurate or not. And race is seen as the elephant in the
room during political debates of various kinds.
When an African American is elected President, and the official Natchitoches paper
makes it a second page story while the rest of the nation headlines it, questions are
raised in the African American community and by many in the white community as
well. When important decisions are seen as made on the basis of race, and the
response is to become angry the issue is raised at all, this reveals even more the
need for conversation. This is especially true because people in the African
American community worry their children can’t read and are dropping out of
school.
Hopefully revealing race is a problem will not be the debate but instead that it will
turn to reasonable discussion about how to reach over the racial divide to help the
children with reasonable solutions. This is the hope of people of goodwill in
Natchitoches, who are the majority.
Race Issues, Money, Power and Misconceptions Remain a Problem
When the school board selected the Superintendent of Schools of Natchitoches,
there was considerable controversy following. Racial issues were seen by many in
the African American community to be heavily involved in the selection. But what is
the status now?
Two weeks days ago Natchitoches, Louisiana selected its school board
superintendent. Out of the top four candidates, one was white, the other three
African American. The majority white vote was solidly for the white candidate, in
what many in the African American community considered a pre-selection. Whether
that was true or not, the race question was of concern since the vote was split on
racial lines at the time. While reason prevails two weeks later, questions continue
as they have been part of social and political concerns for many years. Given a
population divided by actual numbers on racial lines, is the town ready to give up
race as part of political and social decisions? Many people say folks should.
The film Steel Magnolias was made in Natchitoches. The movie, enjoyed by many
people for more than 15 years, depicts the friendly South where people blend and
band together during great personal tragedies. It is also the place written about by
Harriet Beecher Stowe in the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, with its description of the
awfulness of slavery. The plantation described in the book, Little Eva, is but 20
minutes drive from the town center. Natchitoches is also 70 miles from Jena,
Louisiana and the nooses incident that created national attention and right next
door to Winn Parish where a young man was found wrongfully tasered by police.
This doesn’t mean any of these incidents, and the particular details, didn’t have
negatives where people committed wrong acts, but it does mean the race
discussion is part of the equation since race is talked about behind closed doors at a
time when it should be talked about openly and courteously.
Race, along with money, power and a host of other issues, form a background for
the issues regarding the selection of Superintendent of Schools, a district with a
majority of African American students, where the high school has seen a number of
racial incidents during the past several years. The African American community saw
the selection of a white man with little recent experience in diversity education, over
black candidates with recent, hands-on experience with racial issues and
differences, reflecting continuing problems with respect to race. This is part of the
reason why some people like Claire Prymus, niece of Ben Johnson, deceased and a
well-known African American leader in the community, declares dialogue can make
a difference. This is because race issues are still faced by the town as it continues
its struggles to recover from its past, even as the country embraced the election of
a black man, Barack Obama, as President of the United States.
Many people in the African American community felt disappointed and angry after
the school superintendent election, including Ed Ward, Claire Prymus, Reverend
Dupree, Randy Stelly, Reverend Means and a host of others who are concerned that
race reigns either as serious negative talk, interfering with healthy dialogue, or
behavior during elections. At first Prymus said, " I have lived many places and
thought the South had gotten past this, but what happened here was terrible." This
response came from someone who is considered to be a racial moderate with many
white friends. But she was worried at first about the future of the education of
Natchitoches children and whether or not black children will be treated fairly.
Whether Prymus was right or not at the time may be debated by the white
community, and is; however if the election of a white superintendent, and the
process itself, is questioned with respect to race, this seems to reveal the racial
divide continues and can be disruptive during key appointments and elections.
Two years ago the issue was school discipline over fights. Votes over methods of
discipline were often made along racial lines. Eventually some agreement came, but
not without acrimony.
The chronicle of the school board superintendent election revealed concerns in the
African American community that appeared to have reasonable foundation in
discussion. Originally 17 applicants viewed for the job. The choice was eventually
narrowed to four. The former school board President, a white woman, advocated
for Derwood Duke, a Caucasian man who was 13 years ago Superintendent of
Schools of Winn Parish, a predominantly white school district. In the 1970’s he
was a school principal in a mostly white school. Duke, an Assistant Professor at
Northwestern University, declared he had no information about how to do the
interactive site called Blackboard at the University required by staff nor other
technological tools. He was nevertheless selected over other candidates with recent
experience in administration of diverse student populations. They included Mary
Nash-Robinson of Greenwood who is Caddo Parish School Board Assistant
Superintendent of Human Resources, Thomas Roque of Natchez, Rapides Parish
School System, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Shannon Verett of
League City, Texas, Independent School District Leadership Developing Manager for
Aspiring Principals Institute.
Many members of the African American community initially saw the selection of
Duke as a terrible injustice to children and evidence the town had not recovered
from its racial past. Some were angry with African American school board members
for allowing applications to be reopened prior to the final selection. Suffice to say
Prymus was concerned enough to say, "This is the Deep South Carol where
segregation and racism continue to live. It was unfair and ridiculous what
happened, and my uncle would never have allowed this in these days."
Since race was perceived as part of the equation in the selection of Duke as
Superintendent of Schools, this reflects an important and serious concern, as
observed by many who watched from the sidelines in dismay. Race becomes part
of the discussion with one side blaming the other for the problems, it appears from
interviews, with even Mayor Wayne McCullen expressing at one time months ago
how much he wishes racial divisions don’t occur during elections.
During these controversies, misconceptions also abound. For example, it was
rumored that Duke had left the United Methodist Church after Reverend Donald
Avery became its minister. A telephone call to one of the key parishioners by this
reporter determined Duke is and has been a faithful member of the church. Still
during discussions about elections, when race enters into it, these fallacies can
occur.
Small towns have their problems just like big cities. Race can be one of them. The
problem is when anyone who reports these problems is the target rather than the
problems themselves.
I reported the story on a site where my article was picked up by Topix, that not
only features local gossip, which is often just gossip, but also purchases local news,
with most of the same details used in this story. I was accused of being racist and
told to get out of town on gossip threads, that eventually descended into ugly talk
of name-calling with well-known racial epithets.
When some people believe the best way to deal with a problem like race is not to
talk about it, project blame onto others, or get angry, the problem isn’t solved.
Former President Bill Clinton and former current Attorney General Eric Holder
declare race continues to be a problem, even as people who deny it continue the
same practices that have been perceived as hurtful. Mentioning there is a problem
then becomes a problem and a barrier for discussion, which may account for a lack
of serious discussion. The problem is confounding enough to create hurt and
problems during elections, so the divides become greater even as factions develop
surrounding methods to deal with the problem. Talk in the African American
community is about power and control, and their perceived lack of it. Talk about
whether or not equally-qualified candidates have a fair opportunity to be selected,
has been part of the dialogue surrounding the election of the school
superintendent. Newspapers have a responsibility to report these concerns, even
as many don’t want to face them.
After two weeks of wrangling, meetings, controversies, back alley gossip and
innuendos, the facts are these: the issues involved in the selection of the
superintendent are multi-various and the interaction between participants on the
school board and elsewhere in need of fixing. But everyone agrees on one
important thing: the children need good education. The African American
community maintains the biggest issue is reading, and they worry their children are
failing. They worry that someone like Duke may not have the recent, hands-on
experience and technology training to be able to investigate fully education
methods and options. Does his color prohibit that? No one knows for sure, but
some believe he deserves a chance. Still the perception of race may influence his
administration, whether accurate or not. And race is seen as the elephant in the
room during political debates of various kinds.
When an African American is elected President, and the official Natchitoches paper
makes it a second page story while the rest of the nation headlines it, questions are
raised in the African American community and by many in the white community as
well. When important decisions are seen as made on the basis of race, and the
response is to become angry the issue is raised at all, this reveals even more the
need for conversation. This is especially true because people in the African
American community worry their children can’t read and are dropping out of
school.
Hopefully revealing race is a problem will not be the debate but instead that it will
turn to reasonable discussion about how to reach over the racial divide to help the
children with reasonable solutions. This is the hope of people of goodwill in
Natchitoches, who are the majority.