EARLIER THIS WEEK I LEARNED that African-American students at Benicia Middle School were taken out of class to attend what was later discovered to be an unauthorized assembly related to African-American History Month. I learned this through a Facebook post by another Benicia parent who wondered why only African-American students were selected. The subsequent FB comments to his post were immediate and severe in their condemnation — including calls for a local news station to investigate, and allegations of racism with indications that faculty terminations were in order. A few comments went further, indicating that racism was a larger problem town-wide.
I did what most parents of a middle-schooler would do — I turned to my eighth-grade son and asked him if he knew anything about this. To my surprise, he stated he was one of the students invited to attend. While my wife is from Kenya and is a quarter African, she and my kids do not identify as “African American” in the popular sense of the term. And though I found it odd that my one-eighth-African son was selected to attend — odd in the sense that neither he nor anyone in our family has direct or indirect experience with the African-American diaspora, and odd in the sense that the percentage of African blood required to attend the assembly seemed arbitrary — I was really more curious than anything else to hear his thoughts on this event.
My son told me that Ms. Yvette Brown, the sole African-American teacher at BMS, led the assembly of approximately 110 students, which consisted of filling out a questionnaire with answers to such questions as, “Do you enjoy being at BMS?” “Do you feel comfortable here?” and “What is racism?” He said the remainder of the session included a short film on the civil rights movement and a discussion of racism. Importantly, they discussed the negative connotations of the “N” word, and why it is both disrespectful and hurtful, even when used casually among African-American students.
I asked my son why the rest of the student body might not have been included and he told me that it was a relatively small percentage of students in attendance — 20 percent was his guess — who were most frequently using this word. I asked if he had heard other students using this word at school, and he said yes, but it was mostly from the same few African-American students.
The assembly therefore appeared to be designed to enlighten African-American students on the civil rights struggle with the hope that it might curb the casual, if not rampant, use of the “N” word, which I later learned has become a persistent and thorny issue at BMS. I asked if he thought the discussion would have been effective had the rest of the student body been present, and he said the discussion may not have been as open.
The following evening, Channel 2 KTVU ran this as their lead story on the 6 p.m. news, referring to “segregation” at BMS. Janice Adams, our superintendent of schools, was in the unenviable position of doing damage control on TV. A Benicia parent who was interviewed angrily referred to 1960s segregation. It was strange seeing this awkward story unfold in front of BMS, where many uplifting stories have taken place in the past.
So, it appears this was a situation where an African-American teacher, with commendable intentions, tried to connect with African-American students to share some historical perspective and address a problem at the school, namely the use of the “N” word. I asked my son if he thought this discussion would likely change any behaviors. He opined that some kids may stop, but others probably won’t, while kids who don’t are not likely to start.
I applaud this teacher’s moxie. I think she is someone who cares about students and wants to provide them direction and guidance. And I will go ahead and say what many know to be true: If she were a white teacher who called an unauthorized assembly of African-American students to talk about these issues, she would have been viewed in a much harsher light. Our general lack of color-blindness is collective.
Still, this clearly should have been handled differently. Apart from having a private discussion with parents of the offending children (of any ethnic background), this situation presented an opportunity for school-wide enlightenment. Let me rephrase that: It continues to present an opportunity for school-wide enlightenment. Given the subject matter and potential for parental concern, seeking parental notification and/or permission for a child to attend would have been advisable. Addressing the multiple issues involved, including the “N” word, as part of an overall African-American history awareness program to the whole school would seem the way to go.
I mentioned to my kids that there was a lot of negative chatter on Facebook about this issue, and they were surprised that adults would react so vehemently when they weren’t at the assembly, don’t go to the middle school, don’t know its day-to-day problems firsthand and had only partial information on which to base their opinions and severe recommendations.
I shared with my kids some of the posts, which included a tangentially related rant about the KKK and several calls for firings. I took the opportunity to discuss with my three teenagers the importance of being very careful what one posts online, as it is there for everyone to see and may create unintended perceptions of the writer, as well as immortalize comments made in the heat of the moment or done with very little investigation or introspection. All three of my kids respect if not adore Ms. Brown, and Principal Christina Moore, as do many of the kids and parents in town whom I’ve gotten to know over the years through sports, Scouts and other activities. My children were really shocked (and if you know my kids, they aren’t easily shocked) that some would voice such extreme opinions with incomplete information. They saw the entire matter as well-intentioned, though they could not agree among themselves whether it would have been better for the entire student body to have attended, given the apparent purpose of the assembly.
Curiously, once it was revealed that the teacher in question is African American, the tenor of the FB posts changed from charges of racism to either an absence of further posts or new charges of scapegoating. People can and will draw their own conclusions, but this was another interesting observation I shared with my kids regarding human behavior.
How the administration and the parents collectively respond and resolve this matter will say a lot about our community. We can let this divide us, or see it as an opportunity to make things better. If Ms. Brown did this on her own, it clearly was with good intentions. Poor judgment? Yes. But I imagine that many of us have on occasion exercised poor judgment at work — just not under the watchful eyes of hundreds of parents. The main issue, as I see it, is that all students should have attended and parents should have been asked permission for their child to attend.
So where does this leave us? Angry at a liked and respected teacher who reached out to African-American students to encourage them not to use the “N” word and disrespect the efforts of the civil rights movement? Angry at an administration for lack of controls? Angry at some parents for not doing a better job teaching and supervising their children’s language and behavior? Do we show charity to what is (temporarily, I am sure) a beleaguered school and work toward ensuring that the lessons learned from all of this will heighten overall awareness of the issue of race, so that something positive may come of it? No doubt some people will remain angry no matter what, and that is their choice.
In our home we viewed this as a teachable opportunity and a springboard to discuss race relations in America; our family’s ancestral history; the beauty and strength of our own bi-racial and bi-religious family; the prevalence of bias; and how we can be an agent for positive change at a grassroots level. I think a teachable opportunity — a golden one at that — now exists for the parents, educators and students of BUSD. Let’s have frank discussions. Let’s put it on the table. And let’s be civil about it because we are an example to our children.
My wife and I have lived in Benicia for 14 years. We love this town and have made many lifelong friends, as have our children. We have a vested interest in our community, including our schools. That is why I felt compelled to write this — as a show of support for efforts being made to instruct our children, and for temperance and charity to be the first order of response when mistakes happen. I have every faith in the professional staff at BMS, the overwhelmingly supportive parents, and the inherent goodness of children — yes, even teenagers — to collectively learn from this experience and come out better.
Paul Ruiz is an insurance executive who lives in Benicia with his wife, two high school-age daughters and middle school-age son.
Sharing is caring!
Hey she got it done and delivered the message purely un- cut, non political, to the attended audience (young African American students, abusers of the N word). Yes she should have went through proper channels, however we all know it wouldn’t happened (at least in it’s current form ) or been as effective (for one how do you get to the attended African American student audience again?). Again the message she was able to deliver to the target audience will remain with them for ever not the method. At the end of the day you got to get it done and she did it period.
She like me is probably tired of hearing the “N” word from youngsters too far removed from the history. I look at her utilizing her African American school role model status to get to the kids. Honestly I think you would have to identify yourself as African American to get it. If not her than who in the (whole yikes) district.
I’ve always liked Paul’s in a “perfect world” solution (let’s all talk about it) however those talks are too hard to organize and quite frankly Ms. brown’s approach is a lot quicker and efficient because the older folks should already know better not the Middle school kids in the meeting. That was a rare opportunity she seized.
I’m African American (identify myself as) have lived in this town for over 30 years, and had a child who attended and was enlightened by the meeting (also ironically am an Insurance Executive),
As for the African American parent who compared the meeting to segregation in the 60’s, that was separate but not equal for negative reasons while this was separate and equal but for positive reasons.
Paul, this was brilliantly expressed, and I especially enjoyed hearing your kids feedback on this situation. I think ‘our kids’ viewpoints and opinions are often overlooked, and usually to our detriment, Thank you for sharing this.
This article was outstanding. Why Channel 2 thought this was worth covering at all is beyond me..
Channel 2 = Fox News. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Love Fox News channel 2. More folks should watch Fox News. You will be better informed.
not THIS Fox News.
Reg Fox 2 is not Fox Cable. I do watch both and for sure love Fox cable.
Channel 2 became infamous in 2013 for falling for the ruse about the names of the pilots of the Asiana airlines plane that crashed at SFO. While they are a Fox affiliate I don’t think they are committed to taking the FNC news feeds or programming.
This article was exceptionally well thought out. It is a reasoned response and certainly a teachable moment to the parents who over reacted. It sounds more like Pauls children were adults in their views than most adults. I am impressed that a teacher would be concerned enough to teach children how important the civil rights movement was and still is. If the children using the N word had been white or any other racial background, it would have been appropriate to include them in the assembly. From my understanding that was not the case, so the “target” group for the information was Afro-American children using the N word. It appears, like any good teacher, Mrs. Brown did her homework as to who needed the information. I personally applaud her efforts to improve, not just the understanding of how abhorrent the use of the N word is, but also that she cares about her students and their future relationships with their own race as well as others. Isn’t that what Dr. King was trying to teach us all? We need to support Mrs. Brown and her efforts as well as other teachers who recognize that moment when something needs to be said, and is.
Paul – What a wonderful concept you’ve employed- researching before jumping to conclusions. If more people did this, the world would be a better place with considerably less argument.
Thank you so much for sharing what you learned. It’s great to know that there are teachers out there who still care about making a difference in student’s lives.
Doesn’t it speak volumes that there is one black teacher at Benicia Middle School, and she was the only employee who recognized the necessity for black students to have a conversation about their experiences with racism? Most importantly, she knew the assembly should take place where they felt safe and free to express themselves.
Following that, I imagine the entire student population could benefit from having this conversation.
If anyone made a “bad decision” (the superintendent’s description of the teacher’s actions without following protocol), it was the Wizard behind the curtain herself; she had done nothing about the problem.
I know from experience that nothing would have happened had the teacher gone through the “right” channels.
If we experienced racism a black person endures daily, in a community that is predominately white like Benicia, we would understand why this teacher took such a bold step. She should be commended, not criticized.
After teaching in Benicia 23 years, I learned how the District Wizards operate behind the curtain when they’re dealing with controversy.
They are masters at censoring and sweeping controversial issues under the rug. Only this time their problem was exposed on the evening news.
Now they are scrambling to repair the school district’s image, and that seems to take precedence over all else.
Peace,
Jane Hara
Those of us who have always lived with white privilege cannot truly understand this. We need to learn. Please listen.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000003575589/a-conversation-with-my-black-son.html?smid=nytcore-iPad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/02/ways-racial-microaggressions-sneak-in/
This resonates with me, even though I’m not a person of color.
For the first few years that I taught in Benicia, I didn’t reveal I was Jewish and came from Berkeley because I had a sense it would negatively affect my life there.
After I decided to openly be who I am, I experienced more anti-semitism in Benicia (and the school in which I taught) than I had my entire life. The religious hypocrisy at my school site was disturbing.
For those who deny there is racism and anti-semitism in Benicia, reading this article may change your way of thinking.
This is the best explanation of racism I’ve seen:
“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is a serious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who says no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe.It’s not a cold that you can get over.There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.”
-Scott Woods
Jane,
Thank you for posting that definition as it sheds light on many facets of the issue on racism.
Here is another definition on the subject which manifests itself in many forms.
DDL,
That “definition” is actually a diversion created to avoid the problem. And that is sad.
Actually what is sad is the fact that the nation is denied an honest discussion on the problem because too many people make false claims, which are then are promoted for either personal goals (financial, ego) or political gain. People making such initial claims are rarely punished, while the promoters of such claims reap a bonanza.
Tawana Brawley, the Duke Rape case, “Hands up Don’t Shoot” are a few examples that spring to mind.
Promoting falsehoods detracts from the real issues and problems.
If we are going to resolve the issues, then people need to be honest with each other about the issue.
Too much false information here to respond in the wrong forum; but don’t forget to tell this to Donald Trump and his followers.
I wish I could have shared this comic with the staff at the public school where I taught.
It helps explain and validate who I am, something that didn’t happen during my time there.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/no-war-on-christmas/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare
i>the so-called ‘War on Christmas’ – a supposed attempt to keep Christians from celebrating their holiday
Kind of like the so-called ‘war on women’ – a supposed attempt by evil Conservatives to keep women down?
Dear DDL: This is a good explanation.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/examples-christian-privilege/
Jane
I have taken a vow to not respond in a condescending or insulting manner to postings that represent the confusion or hypocrisy that emanates from far left fringe elements of society. It seems that responding to such posts serves no real purpose, as those that exist on the fringes of this group are too open minded to consider any other POV.
This vow is taken today, (commencing after this post) and will last for the rest of the year.
Thank you GOD, that there is only one day left.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and that God grants you the wishes you seek for the New Year. Happy Chanukah as well (if that applies).
DDL: It’s clear you read neither article through before rushing to judgment.
p.s. I celebrate neither of those holidays.
.
And this:
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/christian-privilege-holidays/
https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/671072446367599/
WHY PROTESTS ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY NOW IN THE NAME OF BLACK LIVES MATTER
“Rather than saying racism doesn’t exist, just say you don’t care. That’s easier to respect, less insulting and more accurate.”
-author unknown