Jackson School Board calls for unity after trustee’s ‘whiteness’ remarks reveal division
Board members say they're committed to working together after community members both defended and criticized trustee Kesha Hamilton's social media comments.
www.mlive.com
One reason this Detroit "debate" shocks me is that it is so different than what has happened/is happening here in Louisville - even though Louisville's racial troubles are still on a medium-to-high burner following the Breonna Taylor protests, plus Covid (like everywhere else), and as Louisville begins the end to enforced bussing that began in the 1970's.
Covid has had bad effects in schools here too - assuming test scores are valid tools to measure.
And this semester, families in the socio-economic areas targeted in the 70's for bussing kids OUT to other schools (to "create diversity" and remedy systemic vestiges of segregated schools) have been given the opportunity to elect for NEXT YEAR to be bussed out or to be assigned to schools in their "home" neighborhoods. Elementary elections were reported to be 75% +/- to schools nearer to home. Middle school choices were a lower-lean toward neighborhood schools. High school choices were lower still. (Interesting to me because (1) I went to college with Louisville kids who were here when bussing started and it got violent, (2) a friend and colleague who became a federal judge here had rejected the prior attempt to end the 70's school bussing order-compliant plans, on grounds the "vestiges" were not yet gone, (3) my kids went through public schools here, and (4) I know the parents of the Superintendent - who has gotten high marks throughout Covid. This plan has not yet been challenged, but so far the debate is NOWHERE near the racial tone shown in this article.
Is there a "culture war"?
Just in certain locales? (I am also biased against Detroit because of the 1968 World Series.)
Just among the young? (I gotta say - all us black and white guys my age seemed to get along a HELL of a lot better than what I see in this article. Hell, we even liked most of the same movies and music! Are us Boomers racially superior?)
How the heck did "let's fix Covid in the schools" turn racial in Detroit?
Can we move the white supremacists and black supremacists into one place, let them fight it out, then shoot the last one standing?
Here I am. Educate me.