3 posts tagged “north carolina”

nytimes: Florida Legislature Apologizes for State's History of Slavery

Was it really Obama's speech on race that pushed the legislature to apologize? New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, and Maryland apologized in a similar fashion.

My mother is a native Floridian who was the second black woman to pass the Florida bar exam which allowed her to be licensed as an attorney in the state of Florida. She was told that despite having a law degree and her law license that the highest job position that she could have in the state was to be a social worker. This was in 1965! Same year as the voting rights act of 1965.  So, my mother did not stay in Florida but remained in Washington, DC where she went to law school at Howard University School of Law. [My Mom applied to Harvard Law School and Stetson Law School. Both schools told her they were not accepting applications from black women at the time which was in 1962. I was never encouraged to apply to either school. I had completed an application to Harvard Law school but I never submitted it.]

Florida is the same state that denied black people access to the "white beaches" and there were black beaches created for their use.  [Alliance Fights a Plan to Develop a Florida Getaway Born of Racism] For example in Daytona Beach, black residents had to access a small beach called Bethune beach if they wanted to swim or relax on the beach.

My mother shared numerous stories with me how she could not go to the white beach but her father could get away with it only because he was extremely fair and had a British accent. People did not realize my grandfather was a black Jamaican (he was mixed - his mother was a black Jamaican and his father was a white man from England)  but because his physical appearance made white America believe he was white. My grandfather took advantage of the access given to him. However, he always taught my mother and her brother that equality is what he hoped America strives for one day. It was not until my mother graduated from law school did my grandfather become comfortable in becoming a citizen of the USA (which he did). He did not trust anyone but his daughter to help him go through the immigration process.

In addition to the apology, doors of opportunity should be made available to the descendants of slaves who continue to be on a cycle of not having access and training to succeed in the state.

This is a bitter sweet day for many in the state of Florida for I am experiencing a wide range of emotions with my personal family history tied into the state.

ESPN'S BLACK MAGIC

Documentary on African American basketball players during the Civil Rights Era.

Please tune in!

NY Times Article - Black Magic

Please STOP THIS insanity PEOPLE!!!!! [Thanks for sharing with me, Carter!]

When I was in the second and third grade, I attended a predominately black school. I will never forget the
time that the principal spanked my hands with a wooden stick because one of my classmates was
singing Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing to me. Neither of us understood what that meant but she yelled,
screamed and beat our little hands with a wooden stick. I was SCARED and I never told my mother
about this incident until I was in high school.

So, this is why I defend students having a cell phone in school (but with certain provisions in its use) to protect yourself from unpredictable situations. Think of Columbine, weather situations, or any other bizarre incident where  immediate help is necessary. I am so glad a student taped this incident because this is solid proof of what goes on in some classrooms, and no one believes the stories that are shared with school administrators. The tape recording is not hearsay but the truth!

I do not know the context of the teacher's tirade. I am aware that teachers are unpaid and stressed beyond belief in America. However, if the teachers were given training and paid more in accomplishing their goals, then maybe this would start to alleviate a lot of the stress that the teachers and students are under. However, despite how much stress a teacher is under, they should refrain from cursing or using racist slurs towards their students.

In the present situation, this was unacceptable to see that a teacher brought herself down this low to use foul language that is laced in racial epithets. But in a way, you can sympathize that she is stressed and beside herself. I wish I knew more context of the school and the students who made her go off because if it was truly that bad then these kids need to be in boot camp!!

Discipline should start at home but this is not the case in some situations, and teachers have to pick up the slack. Some parents need to be trained how to be parents because they have no clue of how to discipline and train their children.

Warning for the link below. It is raw and unedited:

Raw: Teacher's Tirade in North Carolina school