Mansfield B. Frazier warned us last year.
“Comedian Chris Rock used to do a routine that questioned why, in most cities with a substantial black population, the most crime-ridden street is virtually always named after Martin Luther King Jr. The answer, of course, is that black folks, in our rush to honor our great civil rights leader, usually picked the most high-profile, well-traversed thoroughfare in the urban community to rename – not pausing long enough to realize there could be a downside: that the busiest street in black neighborhoods is often the most crime-ridden. Call it the Law of Unintended Consequences, and it’s about to rear its ugly head once again – this time in regard to President-elect Barack Obama.”
[...]
“Nonetheless, when Obama asked us to get involved, I think he was asking us to do something more substantial, like going into the schools and helping by tutoring, not just taking the easy, cheap and hollow shot of naming a school after him. I can see a future headline now: ‘Reading and math scores at Barack Obama Elementary School in Cleveland among the lowest in the state.’”
Did they listen? Naaaaaaah.
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― The debate to rename two Dallas schools after President Barack Obama and newly sworn-in Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor is heating up.
Much of the focus has been on the call to add Mr. Obama’s name to a much-loved south Dallas school. DISD school board trustee Ron Price called for the change to Billy Earl Dade Learning Center to Barack Obama Middle School. However, former educators like Wilber Williams said a tribute to the President shouldn’t be made at the expense of a pillar of south Dallas’ education community. (more…)
From trulia.com~
“Dade is a very good school although we have low test scores we still try our hardest to do better we have good teacher such as Ms Washington Ms Murray and many more our principal Mr Welch stays on us like white on rice to do our best. Its all about Vikings.” Posted by a student on 04/15/09
Bless his heart, but he ain’t kiddin’ about those scores. (pdf)
Again, you can name it “Jesus is the Way Middle School” for all I care. But this silly notion that suggests that by changing the name, children will feel better about themselves comes directly from adults who themselves suffer from low self esteem.
We will protest all day long if the words “Fried chicken” come within a planetary system of Obama’s name. But associate his name with a low-performing school when we know full well nothing will come of it only further devalues Obama’s name. Somewhere, MLK is shouting “A-MEN!!!!!”
The warnings didn’t stick (sigh!)
by Duane on August 14th, 2009 at 6:10 amMansfield B. Frazier warned us last year.
Did they listen? Naaaaaaah.
From trulia.com~
Bless his heart, but he ain’t kiddin’ about those scores. (pdf)
Again, you can name it “Jesus is the Way Middle School” for all I care. But this silly notion that suggests that by changing the name, children will feel better about themselves comes directly from adults who themselves suffer from low self esteem.
We will protest all day long if the words “Fried chicken” come within a planetary system of Obama’s name. But associate his name with a low-performing school when we know full well nothing will come of it only further devalues Obama’s name. Somewhere, MLK is shouting “A-MEN!!!!!”