They Kicked her off the Plantation
By Mack Rights
Here's to freedom.
In December of 2011, the Rochester City School District, which ranks dead last in all of New York State outside of New York City, held an essay contest for students at school #3. Students were to read Narrative of the Life, an autobiography by Frederick Douglass and write their impressions.
Miss Jada Williams, a 13-year old student, understood it better than I think she was expected to. She wrote an essay that offended her teacher so much that the teacher reprinted it, shared it with other teachers and has created a situation where Miss Williams has been socially forced to leave the school. Upon attending another school, she was forced to withdraw again because the essay followed her and so did the deliberate attempts to make her feel uncomfortable. While she’d been a straight-A student, these teachers, who didn’t like what she had written, decided to deface her academic record with some unearned D’s and F’s. This academic warfare cannot stand.
I’m not exactly sure why the teachers were offended. I can only surmise that it was Miss Williams’ thesis that her “white teachers,” due to their apparent inability to teach her and her black classmates to read, were a part of a racist-based plan to keep the blacks uneducated- just as Frederick Douglass’ slave master had attempted during the time of slavery. Miss Williams writes (all emphasis is mine):
My thoughts: This type of thinking is somewhat still prevalent in our society today. Most white teachers that I have come into contact with, over the last several years of my life, has failed to instruct us even today. The teachers are not as vocal about us not learning how it has been described in this narrative; but their actions speaks volumes. When I myself sit in crowded classrooms and no real concrete instruction is taking place. It makes that saying “history does repeat itself” all the more true. For white teachers to be able to be in a position of power to dictate what I can, cannot and will learn, only desiring that I may get bored because of the inconsistency and the mis-management of the classroom and remain illiterate and ignorant; or better yet distracted because some children decide to misbehave because they don’t understand, and ashamed to ask for help. The teacher recognizing all of these things and still not addressing the matter at hand, so much time has been wasted- then the bell rings and on to the next class, same drama different teacher, different class. When do we get off of this roller coaster? When the white teachers began to pass out pamphlets and packets, they expect us the black students to read the directions, complete it, and hand it in for a grade. The reality of this is that most of my peers cannot read and or comprehend the material that has been provided. So, I feel like not much has changed, just different people, different era, the same old discrimination still resides in the hearts of the white man.
Those were her personalized impressions of the autobiography, and she wrote them right after quoting Frederick Douglass’ recounting of the moment when his slave master initially discovered that his wife was teaching Frederick Douglass the slave to read:
“Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, if you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master-to do as he is told to do. Learning will spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,” said he, “if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there will be no keeping him. It will forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” (Skipping down) “I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty- to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom.”
The truth is, the teachers do indeed have a small reason to feel offended, but not as much of one as they think. Miss Williams goes to a school where it is hard to learn because so few there are actually willing to learn. Classes are indeed hard to manage, and the teachers can claim that as an excuse. These are the children that have come from several generations of minorities who’ve been taught by the Democrat Party in America that America is racist and it is the white Republican that has been trying to keep them down. In other words, they’re taught that the Democrat Party will take care of them with benefits if only they will continue to vote for them. The Democrats will take care of them so well that they won’t even need to know how to read.
This willingness to go through life illiterate is a learned habit. It was the Democrat Party that mandated that blacks be illiterate in the time of slavery, and it is the Democrat Party, through their complete control of the school systems in the inner cities, that encourage blacks to be illiterate today.
This is something that we Republicans know about, because we’re able to see if from the outside, but rarely are we ever given the chance to get on the inside to try and change things. The Democrats have so thoroughly taken over control of nearly all inner-city school boards, city councils, and mayoralships. This process is so thorough that the city school systems are like walled-in fortresses where the Democrats “protect” their future minority voters from the influence of the Republicans, whom they treat as barbarians at the gate.
I’m used to that. I can handle being thought of as a barbarian because I understand who I’m dealing with. However, I also know that the minority students who are being “protected’ from me, as Miss Williams discovered, are analogous to slaves being kept on a plantation. This is not my theory. It is a well-known theory spoken about often, but kept purposely by the Democrat Party from as many of those “protected” students and their parents as is possible.
The Democrat Party is there to make money. They run the teachers’ unions, teachers pay union dues, and union dues go to help reelect Democrats. In other words, the Democrat Party is using the teachers’ union as a money-laundering scheme to take money from the taxpayer to fund their own campaigns and largesse.
The Democrats will say and do anything to protect this fiefdom for themselves from the Republican Party. But the truth must be told. The Republicans aren’t at the gates of the fortress to get themselves a piece of the action. They’re there to help free the “protected” students from the plantation. The gates that the Democrats claim to be there to “protect” the minorities from the Republicans are actually there to keep the minorities in their failed system.
Republicans know, unlike many of those “protected” students, that the Democrat Party is the party of slavery, segregation and the KKK. They also know that the Republican Party is the party that was formed to end slavery, was the party that voted to end segregation and was the party of folks after the Civil War that the KKK was formed to terrorize. That had something to do with the fact that all blacks were Republicans at the time. As a result, instead of trying to steal a piece of the action, folks in the Republican Party believe that gems like Miss Williams need school choice. She needs to get to a place where she can follow her desire to learn and where she can be sure that she won’t be functionally illiterate by the time she graduates.
But the teachers unions hate the idea of school choice. Schools with non-unionized teachers cost less to run and produce better educational results. If that secret were to get out, the whole union-built fortress of cards would collapse.
Nonetheless, I do want to make the point to Miss Williams that it is not that these teachers are white that they fail you. In addition to the fact that they’re tasked with managing very hard-to manage students (and that is a serious component), it is that they’re Democrat union members. Union members are not rewarded for success. They are more likely to be rewarded for failure. If they were to be so successful that Miss Williams and her friends all of the sudden started to read at a higher level than average, what argument would the teachers unions have for demanding more money from the taxpayer? No teachers union has ever gone to the taxpayers and said: “Good news. Students are learning better than ever and are now reading above the national average. We don’t need raises.”
At the same time, Miss Williams’ teachers need to understand that Miss Williams’ immediate conclusion- that it was a racial thing that white teachers were failing black students- is natural. This is especially true considering that so much of the public-school teachings are geared toward creating in minority students a natural distrust of white folks. White folks run the Republican Party and the Republican Party is racist, so blacks need to vote for Democrats. What they don’t tell you is that this is how the Democrats keep blacks on the “plantation.” Functionally illiterate minority students have trouble getting jobs because they can’t read the application. Folks without jobs tend to live on the dole, and folks on the dole vote for Democrats who promise to give them a raise. It’s that simple.
So when the teacher discovered that Miss Williams really understood the meaning of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography and was able relate what happened to Douglass to what was happening in her own school, the teacher alerted other teachers. The teacher took it to his colleagues. “Look at this, fellow teachers union comrades. She’s on to us. What do I do?”
“Persecute her. Give her an F.”
Collectively, they saw Miss Williams as a “runaway slave.” But since they weren’t able to string her up the side of a barn and whip her until she agreed to unlearn what she’d just spent so much effort to learn, they had to get her off the plantation before she infected the rest of the plantation’s population with her radical ideas:
In closing, my suggestions to my peers, people of color, and my generation to try achieve what has been established by the African Americans and Abolitionists that paved the way for us to receive what’s rightfully yours. Blood, sweat, and tears have been shed for us to obtain any goals, which we may set for ourselves. Never being afraid to excel and achieve, because our ancestors have been bound for so, so, so, so, so long. We are free to learn, and my advice to my peers, people of color, and my generation- start making these white teachers accountable for instructing you. They chose this profession, they brag about their credentials; they brag about their tenure, so if you have so much experience, then find a more productive way to teach the so-called “unteachable”. They contain this document that states they have all this knowledge to teach, so show me what you know, teach me your ways. What merit is there, if you contain all this knowledge and not willing to share because of the color of my skin. To all of our surprise, we all have the same warm, red blood running through our veins, regardless of what race I may be. If you don’t believe me, then poke me and poke a white man and you will see. To my peers, people of color, and my generation, start asking questions, start doing the research, get involved. A grand price was paid in order for us to be where we are today; but in my mind we should be a lot further, so again I encourage the white teachers to instruct and I encourage my people to not just be a student, but become a learner.
These are the ideas of a black Republican in the making. And that’s the kind of thinking that can’t be allowed inside the teachers union-run government school fortress. She discovered she’s a human and not just a future voter for more Democrat-Party sub-par status quo. We at the Frederick Douglass Foundation of NY want to welcome Miss Williams as a fellow 21st Century Abolitionist. Welcome to the fight Miss Williams. You may not have chosen the fight, but the fight chose you. You can’t unlearn what you’ve just learned. You can try to rationalize it all you want, but you can’t unlearn it.
Read
Part II A Follow Up on the Persecuted Miss Williams
Part III with video of her reading the essay:
They Kicked her off the Plantation Part III
They Kicked her off the Plantation Part IV
For more information on this incredible story, please contact the Frederick Dounglass Foundation at info@fdfny.org or (585)615-9551. Thank you.
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I am behind this young lady 100% but the author of this article is using her to convince us all that the Republican party is also behind her. The Republican party that freed they slaves is not related to the Republican party we have today. The Republican and Democratic parties of today are nothing more that the”Good Cop/Bad Cop” employed by the corporatocracy to obfuscate the reality of the state of our nation and the racism that is intrinsic to it. Education is our best tool but don’t ever let anyone else do your thinking for you. WE must educate ourselves and our children, we can’t afford to leave it to the Democrats or the Republicans they are just pawn doing what they are told to do, teaching what they are told to teach.
The offense that the teacher felt was the depth of denialancestral guilt in the continual perpetuation of the LIE of their False Sense of Superioity over a people they may even be calling friend. Just Saying…
http://www.reddit.com/r/Rochester/comments/q9ao0/13yearold_jada_williams_persecuted_by_the/c3vv9va
Other than the next to the last paragraph, this message was so factually incorrect that it would be laughable, if the writer hadn’t misspelled the name of the foundation! My Lord, what a role model you are!
Admittedly, I only read through the 2 paragraphs after the 2nd quote, but that’s where I had to stop. The girl is right. The teachers are wrong.
You don’t really believe that black students actually buy into that craziness about not having to learn, do you? The facts disprove that myth. The “acting white” phenomenon is largely a myth.
And you got your history about who didn’t and who didn’t support desegregation all wrong. Outside the South, Dems voted for the passage of the Civil and Voting Rights Acts. For example, while on 8 of the 114 Dems Southern Congressmembers voted for the Civil Rights Act, none of the 11 Southern Republicans supported the Act. Over 95% of Northern Dems supported the CRA. More than the less than 85% of Northern Republicans.
I really feel for the Miss Williams. White teachers have the same anti-black biases as white America at large, and it can be a tough thing to be taught be someone who’s surprised you can learn. I disappointed by the attitude the teachers have taken, but it’s the same reflexively defensive stance most white people take when confronted with their racism. Other than, I not only disagree with your analyses, when it comes to black students and history, you’re factually wrong.
A friend sent this link, and without reading it I forwarded it to friends. I have since apologized to them, for as I read, carefully, I see that this post is a diatribe against progressive, liberal, freedom oriented democratic thoughts and actions. I now, do not believe that the article is truthful, but a manipulation to insult freedom loving, thoughtful, informed, caring people. If I had read your masthead I would never have communicated this propaganda.
A beautiful video, pretty much the same in Indian Country…..could have lived without the Republican rant, which totally ignores the republican educational agenda across states.
PS: Scan the comments for people whose experiences use the pronoun “THEY”. “They” didn’t like me. “They” didn’t teach. Never mind that TOO FEW BLACK COLLEGE GRADUATES ARE CHOOSING TEACHING AS A CAREER. Why? Because teachers are not respected in society. We were, once upon a time. Parents took our side (no matter the color) because we were held in high regard as guardians of a solid education. Good try with your extremist “union-run government school fortress.” Never mind the amazing achievements of students of color far and wide. You set the bar low by impugning teachers at every turn… and that’s where you’ll stay.
“If you have a great deal of knowledge, but you’re governed by negative emotions, then you tend to use your knowledge in negative ways.” — The Dalai Lama
I have looked at just a few of your posts so far, but they stand out because you are seeing yourself as so far above the fray. Because of this you cannot see clearly that, while there are many white teachers who do not fit this interpretation, there are just as many who do. By the way if you are going to quote The Dalai Lama, you might do some more work to open your heart center. You seem to mean well, but you are very constricted as you try to state your position.
Consistent expectations don’t work except on paper. Positive peer groups are the TPR of success. That, and parents who trust teachers FIRST. Chaos comes with a disconnection from the fact that education has VALUE. It’s hard to teach that in a culture (American) that values money, fame, and celebrity.
I have worked in urban, rural and suburban schools. There is a part in what this young lady talks about, referring basically to chaos in the classroom and the fact that white teachers know that no learning is happening and they know what to do. The problem is that most teachers, white, black, brown, whatever, don’t know what to do with kids that are bored, unruly or simply don’t want to learn. I have observed many teachers over the years, and when you have an administration that isn’t consistant with its expectations for its students and teachers, there will be chaos. And it doesn’t matter what the color of the teacher is.
What piffle. Nothing incredible here. I’m offended as a white teacher who has been told by former students, “I liked you because you didn’t see color.” Miss Williams does, and sadly always will. And as long as she does, she’s missing countless opportunities. Today’s world affords her the opportunity to self-engage at any point anywhere using technology available to everyone. She is seeking in the wrong direction. SHE is trapped in the past. Part of what she says is true; some teachers plainly can’t or don’t want to teach. But…a white thing? I could fill an auditorium with my black peers who would disagree with that on its FACE. Unfortunately, Miss Williams’ young opinion is HER LEGACY, and it has less to do with politics than with generational bias. Using her comments as a keystone in this argument is ridiculous at best.
Those comments made by Miss Williams and the comments you, yourself, have posted have revealed one thing in common between students and teachers: the lack of understanding and/or communication. Miss Williams stated her opinion because the assignment dictated so; how she decided to express said opinion reflects how she currently views the world. She most likely seems alienated from the educational system because she compares herself to her peers and the history she’s delved into regarding the United States (which isn’t always a pretty picture to look at). I do agree that some teachers simply don’t care to teach; that much is certain. However, in this case, both sides are to blame. A teacher who reacts in such a manner to Miss Williams’s words is wholly unfit to be a teacher. The teacher might as well have spread some nasty rumour about Miss Williams. A student who relies on solely on the past rather than the future will never see the future. Education is supposed to be a combined effort between teacher and student, views that both you and Miss Williams share. Instead of fighting over the racial issue at hand, why not use that similar view to create a better system where the apparent problem is resolved? Have your opinions, yes, but give more than just “s/he should have” statements.
Maribeth Jones If this is true Ms. Jones, why are you so defensive. Surely you must open your mind to the reality that the young woman says she has experienced. If the shoe does not fit your foot, then why are you so emotional about the essay?
Maribeth Jones And the teacher mentioned in the article should have acted as such. I’m not attempting to bash you; I am merely trying to make sense of the whole situation – the article and these comments that are being made. When Miss Williams chose to define her “white teachers”, her opinions were of no direct correlation to you or of any other “white teacher” outside of the Rochester School District (to the best of my understanding at least). The cultures in New York and Texas should surely be different given the different environments. So, in effect, you shouldn’t be obliged to feel offended by Miss Williams words. If anything, the outrage should be directed towards the occurrence of such unprofessional reactions to a solvable situation.
P.S. I’d like to point out that Miss Williams is 13 years old. She is not yet an adult, barely a young adult, and thus, she has much more learning to attend to. She has yet to experience the diverse culture(s) that the world has to offer, and though Rochester seems like a nice melting pot to live in, there are limits to what “street smarts” one can learn in such an environment. She has to make her own mistakes in order to learn, and teachers should be there to help students like Miss Williams to persevere through those hardships.
For the record I would not have given Miss Williams an F. I would have 1. corrected her grammar mistakes (few). 2. Asked for specific examples of some of the more sweeping statements she made (adolescents globalize). 3. Recommended she conduct a survey at her school to gauge student and teacher perceptions.
I loved her essay and I can’t believe that they would take her initiative and hide it because of their own shame. When we can all see past color and rise against the government fed racism we will overcome!
As a Black parent, I know exactly what this young lady is speaking about in her essay. I was always a parent that stayed in contact w/ my children’s teachers and other school staff. They did not like me. At one elementary school, a lady pulled me to the side and asked me if I knew the nick-name that the teachers and office staff had given me? “Troublemaker”. All because I refused to let them get away w/ the things that were going on, and because I made them accountable in the classroom. One high school teacher, when I kept trying to reach her, leaving messages and notes for her, told me…”Oh, I am sorry I did not get back to you…we are not used to parents that care.” I have hundreds of stories, and they are not pretty. I fought for my sons, and still am fighting for my 17 y/o daughter. She was recently given a C grade…when I looked at her test scores, homework and classwork grades, it did not add up. I spoke to her teacher, and she made some excuse, so I requested a meeting w/ her & the guidance counselor. Needless to say, when we got to the meeting, she had changed the grade and said she had made a mistake. How many black students are being cheated because their parents are too trusting?
Will do!
help us spread this far and wide
let’s take a stand here is the press release http://www.fdfny.org/blog/2012/02/27/breaking-news-13-year-old-jada-williams-persecuted-by-the-rochester-city-school-district/
Trust me, it is not only the minority students who are experiencing these issues. My husband spent hours down at the high school dealing with teachers and administrators who threw out constant roadblocks for our daughter. His sister practically lives down at the school making sure that her son gets a decent education and does not end up running afoul of his teachers and counselors because he is a) a genius and b) has ADD. His mother is strict on him, so it isn’t based on a parent who doesn’t care, or who makes excuses for their kid’s bad behavior.
In all of that, we have also been grateful for some truly shining examples of GOOD teachers and good administrators. But there are too many who aren’t.
Stephanie Hilliard I also have had many confrontations with school personnel, especially at the high school level. The public school system is not interested in teaching any child that is not already at an advanced level – you know those that are self driven high achievers. My children were what I would call average and normal and the school system had no time for them. I ended up pulling my last 2 out of high school in their junior years. I was told by a Vice Principal of the school that my son was unable to read or write at a high enough level and was probably not going to graduate. I immediately removed him from that school and placed him in a continuation high school. At this school they give assignments, explaining the end goal that the student must meet and then allow the student to choose the method of getting there. Teachers are there to answer questions and guide the student along the way. My son excelled in this situation, ended up being the editor of the school news paper. He even graduated from high school 6 months early. He is an amazing writer and went on to earn a scholarship from Mercedes Benz to become a Master Technician for them. Wanting to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he has now enlisted in the U.S. Army hoping to use his education benefits in order to not have to incur any student loans in order to achieve his dream.
My youngest daughter was facing similar situations with the teachers not caring at all if she learned any thing. One Advanced Algebra teacher even told her he had a timeline to accomplish things and couldn’t waste any time on answering her questions. I pulled her at the end of her junior year and placed her in the local adult school and she graduated in 2 months. She has a great struggle ahead of her because of the failures of the public school system but she is plugging away at college courses a little at a time while working as an administrative assistant for a local company.
I say all of this because I hope parents will not wait until the child is so far along in their education – get involved early and do what you know is right for your child. The teachers and the school system won’t. (I do know several good teachers, unfortunately they are restricted by a failing school system!)
The worst thing that this child did, and the biggest mistake she and her parents made, was to fail to live down to the teacher’s expectations of her. Nathan Rutstein said, “Prejudice is an emotional commitment to ignorance.” These teachers and these administrators are perfect examples what what Rutstein was talking about. The cure for ignorance, of course, is education, but it looks to me as though these folks have had lots of schooling, but damned little education. Let’s all make lots of telephone calls and give them some opportunities for some meaningful education.
Sad to hear, because this should not be going on at all for any child. It’s really a shame when we as parents have to fight so hard for what should be a “given” in our children’s education. It’s also disheartening to know that there are many parents that care, but they just do not have the “fight” in them, they don’t know how, or they are afraid. I pray that those who continue to “educate” our children will be exposed and held accountable when they fail to do so. Keep fighting, Sis, you and your sister-in-law!
Excellent article.
Another great article exposing the evil and corruption in our world. I sit here crying for that little girl and all of our children. The government and unions have ruined our schools and are dumbing down our future. God help us to wake people up before it’s too late. Time is running out.
Don’t blame the unions, blame administrators and parents that don’t want to be involved.
Joseph Fountain They are a part of it as well. Society is breaking down because we are taking God and his laws away. We are now living by mans word and not God’s. We need to bring God back and in turn bring back morals and values.
Awesome!
Excellent article, and it needs to be spread far & wide!
yes please send this to every news outlet you can or here is the press release
http://www.fdfny.org/blog/2012/02/27/breaking-news-13-year-old-jada-williams-persecuted-by-the-rochester-city-school-district/
Everyone should take time to read this article with understanding!
Sad but true article. I was rescued from a failing black school at the age of 6, where I was allowed to spell my name with a ‘M’ instead of a ‘W’.
Maribeth Jones Thank you. I was too hasty, forwarding something sent by a friend that I trusted. No more. Your comments are in line with mine. i erred.
What a BRAVE insightful young lady…Miss Williams is… I hope she finds a school that will nurture that mind instead of trying to stifle her.
Elaine Magliacane Miss Williams isn’t being stifled when in the same breath she speaks of teachers who want to tell her what to learn. Granted, I don’t have a lot of great things to say about curriculum decisions here in Texas, which is run largely by Republicans who spend more time dismissing issues of evolution, climate, and real (not redacted) American history… in pursuit of THEIR VIEW of education. And there’s the rub. Miss Williams is oppositional-defiant and 13 years old. Such a chip on her shoulder. I have experience in this kind of retort from minority students quick to blame race for their lack of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them. This, I think, is largely due to our new American “ethic” of consumerism and choice in service to consumption and profit. But that’s another story.
Maribeth Jones , wow, I am reading your comments, but I have to say, you don’t really know what we go through…you really don’t. My daughter is in the same school district that I grew up in…mostly white, w/ mostly white teaching staff. There were problems then, but even more problems now. As black parents, we literally need to be on top of what is going on w/ our children. Appropriate grades are not given, degrading, covert remarks are made, and no real encouragement is given. Why do I have to keep contacting the school about issues that should be addressed, but won’t be, unless I say something. It’s not like that w/ every teacher, but even 1 or 2, is one too many. And it has been happening for years.
I worked in an urban school as a Family Service Worker, and it was horrible…I could write a book on that particular school district alone that would outrage many, many people.
Your comment, “Miss Williams is oppositional-defiant and 13 years old. Such a chip on her shoulder. I have experience in this kind of retort from minority students quick to blame race for their lack of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them”, is really unfair, but typical You are making it personal, and this issue is NOT personal. That young lady is not oppositional, or defiant…she has no chip on her shoulder, she is, however, frustrated. As am I, ESPECIALLY when I read comments like yours.
Did you REALLY say that minority students are quick to blame race for their LACK of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them????? Do I need to list ALL of the things that I have experienced as a Black parent of 4 children in the public school system, from 1985 to the present.
Do I need to list all of the things that I have experienced as a Family Service Worker for 4 years, what my friends have experienced. And that would just be my story…what about all of the other stories out there, including this young ladies, and the other commentators here.
Either you are i denial, or you just really have no clue..and that is sad.
We have much work to do, individually, and collectively, and we cannot allow any room for discouragement!
Maribeth Jones WOW! Speaking of chips….whatever is wrong with a young girl expressing her opinion instead of chastising her for having one. Who defined her as oppositional defiant – a society that loves black kids, but only if they know their place. As a native child, I had extremely similar experiences, and that was a loooong time ago. You would not by any chance be white, would you? Your goal should be to understand and not to judge. I LOVE this child’s intellect and passion.
That was good.
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I am behind this young lady 100% but the author of this article is using her to convince us all that the Republican party is also behind her. The Republican party that freed they slaves is not related to the Republican party we have today. The Republican and Democratic parties of today are nothing more that the”Good Cop/Bad Cop” employed by the corporatocracy to obfuscate the reality of the state of our nation and the racism that is intrinsic to it. Education is our best tool but don’t ever let anyone else do your thinking for you. WE must educate ourselves and our children, we can’t afford to leave it to the Democrats or the Republicans they are just pawn doing what they are told to do, teaching what they are told to teach.
The offense that the teacher felt was the depth of denialancestral guilt in the continual perpetuation of the LIE of their False Sense of Superioity over a people they may even be calling friend. Just Saying…
Admittedly, I only read through the 2 paragraphs after the 2nd quote, but that’s where I had to stop. The girl is right. The teachers are wrong.
You don’t really believe that black students actually buy into that craziness about not having to learn, do you? The facts disprove that myth. The “acting white” phenomenon is largely a myth.
And you got your history about who didn’t and who didn’t support desegregation all wrong. Outside the South, Dems voted for the passage of the Civil and Voting Rights Acts. For example, while on 8 of the 114 Dems Southern Congressmembers voted for the Civil Rights Act, none of the 11 Southern Republicans supported the Act. Over 95% of Northern Dems supported the CRA. More than the less than 85% of Northern Republicans.
I really feel for the Miss Williams. White teachers have the same anti-black biases as white America at large, and it can be a tough thing to be taught be someone who’s surprised you can learn. I disappointed by the attitude the teachers have taken, but it’s the same reflexively defensive stance most white people take when confronted with their racism. Other than, I not only disagree with your analyses, when it comes to black students and history, you’re factually wrong.
This is the reason why our children have to stop calling each other the N word. Please keep us informed. Were still waiting for the school district whom are educated to school themselves about our children. I believe this young ladies book report is accurate and sometimes the true hurts, as we already know so well.
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I was thoroughly invested in your post until you started ranting about politics and then I stopped reading it. That’s not what this is about. I don’t care what party did what, it’s about what PEOPLE are doing what.
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The Democrat Party has indeed always been the party of slavery. Replacing “plantation” with “collective” does not change this basic fact.
Other than the next to the last paragraph, this message was so factually incorrect that it would be laughable, if the writer hadn’t misspelled the name of the foundation! My Lord, what a role model you are!
Maribeth Jones is taking this way too personal. Did she specifically accuse Maribeth Jones or did she blatantly expose the Rochester School District for their lack thereof?!? I agree that stating “white teachers are failing black student” is a bit radical, but ostracizing Ms. Williams’ for relating her education experiences at #3 school to a form of modern day slavery (for any child/parent who is in a poor learning environment) kind of proved her point. RCSD is failing this particular Black student, so imagine how many more have been failed. Too many good apples might cause a revolt and people in control don’t want that. Sad, but I would expect this type of treatment from the American people. The American people have yet to address how this country was founded, so why in the world would they be accountable for where this country is going. It is easier to place blame and stifle the radical mind that can foresee a resolution to the division in society. I wonder how the audience would feel if this was a white student’s opinion? I hope Ms. Williams’ goes into education, we need more educators who can recognize ignorance and act against it rather than be a part of it.
Pingback: 13 Year Old Jada Williams Persecuted by the Rochester City School District Over her essay on Frederick Douglass. | Pennysaver Community – Town of Poughkeepsie
http://www.reddit.com/r/Rochester/comments/q9ao0/13yearold_jada_williams_persecuted_by_the/c3vv9va
A friend sent this link, and without reading it I forwarded it to friends. I have since apologized to them, for as I read, carefully, I see that this post is a diatribe against progressive, liberal, freedom oriented democratic thoughts and actions. I now, do not believe that the article is truthful, but a manipulation to insult freedom loving, thoughtful, informed, caring people. If I had read your masthead I would never have communicated this propaganda.
A beautiful video, pretty much the same in Indian Country…..could have lived without the Republican rant, which totally ignores the republican educational agenda across states.
PS: Scan the comments for people whose experiences use the pronoun “THEY”. “They” didn’t like me. “They” didn’t teach. Never mind that TOO FEW BLACK COLLEGE GRADUATES ARE CHOOSING TEACHING AS A CAREER. Why? Because teachers are not respected in society. We were, once upon a time. Parents took our side (no matter the color) because we were held in high regard as guardians of a solid education. Good try with your extremist “union-run government school fortress.” Never mind the amazing achievements of students of color far and wide. You set the bar low by impugning teachers at every turn… and that’s where you’ll stay.
“If you have a great deal of knowledge, but you’re governed by negative emotions, then you tend to use your knowledge in negative ways.” — The Dalai Lama
I have looked at just a few of your posts so far, but they stand out because you are seeing yourself as so far above the fray. Because of this you cannot see clearly that, while there are many white teachers who do not fit this interpretation, there are just as many who do. By the way if you are going to quote The Dalai Lama, you might do some more work to open your heart center. You seem to mean well, but you are very constricted as you try to state your position.
I have worked in urban, rural and suburban schools. There is a part in what this young lady talks about, referring basically to chaos in the classroom and the fact that white teachers know that no learning is happening and they know what to do. The problem is that most teachers, white, black, brown, whatever, don’t know what to do with kids that are bored, unruly or simply don’t want to learn. I have observed many teachers over the years, and when you have an administration that isn’t consistant with its expectations for its students and teachers, there will be chaos. And it doesn’t matter what the color of the teacher is.
Consistent expectations don’t work except on paper. Positive peer groups are the TPR of success. That, and parents who trust teachers FIRST. Chaos comes with a disconnection from the fact that education has VALUE. It’s hard to teach that in a culture (American) that values money, fame, and celebrity.
What piffle. Nothing incredible here. I’m offended as a white teacher who has been told by former students, “I liked you because you didn’t see color.” Miss Williams does, and sadly always will. And as long as she does, she’s missing countless opportunities. Today’s world affords her the opportunity to self-engage at any point anywhere using technology available to everyone. She is seeking in the wrong direction. SHE is trapped in the past. Part of what she says is true; some teachers plainly can’t or don’t want to teach. But…a white thing? I could fill an auditorium with my black peers who would disagree with that on its FACE. Unfortunately, Miss Williams’ young opinion is HER LEGACY, and it has less to do with politics than with generational bias. Using her comments as a keystone in this argument is ridiculous at best.
Those comments made by Miss Williams and the comments you, yourself, have posted have revealed one thing in common between students and teachers: the lack of understanding and/or communication. Miss Williams stated her opinion because the assignment dictated so; how she decided to express said opinion reflects how she currently views the world. She most likely seems alienated from the educational system because she compares herself to her peers and the history she’s delved into regarding the United States (which isn’t always a pretty picture to look at). I do agree that some teachers simply don’t care to teach; that much is certain. However, in this case, both sides are to blame. A teacher who reacts in such a manner to Miss Williams’s words is wholly unfit to be a teacher. The teacher might as well have spread some nasty rumour about Miss Williams. A student who relies on solely on the past rather than the future will never see the future. Education is supposed to be a combined effort between teacher and student, views that both you and Miss Williams share. Instead of fighting over the racial issue at hand, why not use that similar view to create a better system where the apparent problem is resolved? Have your opinions, yes, but give more than just “s/he should have” statements.
P.S. I’d like to point out that Miss Williams is 13 years old. She is not yet an adult, barely a young adult, and thus, she has much more learning to attend to. She has yet to experience the diverse culture(s) that the world has to offer, and though Rochester seems like a nice melting pot to live in, there are limits to what “street smarts” one can learn in such an environment. She has to make her own mistakes in order to learn, and teachers should be there to help students like Miss Williams to persevere through those hardships.
For the record I would not have given Miss Williams an F. I would have 1. corrected her grammar mistakes (few). 2. Asked for specific examples of some of the more sweeping statements she made (adolescents globalize). 3. Recommended she conduct a survey at her school to gauge student and teacher perceptions.
Maribeth Jones If this is true Ms. Jones, why are you so defensive. Surely you must open your mind to the reality that the young woman says she has experienced. If the shoe does not fit your foot, then why are you so emotional about the essay?
Maribeth Jones And the teacher mentioned in the article should have acted as such. I’m not attempting to bash you; I am merely trying to make sense of the whole situation – the article and these comments that are being made. When Miss Williams chose to define her “white teachers”, her opinions were of no direct correlation to you or of any other “white teacher” outside of the Rochester School District (to the best of my understanding at least). The cultures in New York and Texas should surely be different given the different environments. So, in effect, you shouldn’t be obliged to feel offended by Miss Williams words. If anything, the outrage should be directed towards the occurrence of such unprofessional reactions to a solvable situation.
I loved her essay and I can’t believe that they would take her initiative and hide it because of their own shame. When we can all see past color and rise against the government fed racism we will overcome!
I attended a FDF meeting this past weekend and heard Jada read her essay – truly powerful and thought provoking. Jada is a patriot and she stood up and spoke her mind and as a result she has been persecuted for revealing the truth.
There are many teachers who have similar views but their fear of similar retribution prevents them from stepping up. We need patriot teachers and school administrators who step up and risk losing everything in defense of fighting for what is right and fighting against this racism.
We need to organize support and raise awareness of this retribution and we need to support students, parents teachers and admins who step up and sacrifice in an effort to reveal this truth. Through raising awareness and shining a light on these actions we can shut this down. We must share this story and make it go viral.
Interesting article. I have a white daughter in the RCSD and I definitely do not agree with the premise that the “white teachers are failing this black student”. My little white girl has Black, Latino and White teachers throughout her day. so, yeah… That part is hard to swallow for sure!
As a Black parent, I know exactly what this young lady is speaking about in her essay. I was always a parent that stayed in contact w/ my children’s teachers and other school staff. They did not like me. At one elementary school, a lady pulled me to the side and asked me if I knew the nick-name that the teachers and office staff had given me? “Troublemaker”. All because I refused to let them get away w/ the things that were going on, and because I made them accountable in the classroom. One high school teacher, when I kept trying to reach her, leaving messages and notes for her, told me…”Oh, I am sorry I did not get back to you…we are not used to parents that care.” I have hundreds of stories, and they are not pretty. I fought for my sons, and still am fighting for my 17 y/o daughter. She was recently given a C grade…when I looked at her test scores, homework and classwork grades, it did not add up. I spoke to her teacher, and she made some excuse, so I requested a meeting w/ her & the guidance counselor. Needless to say, when we got to the meeting, she had changed the grade and said she had made a mistake. How many black students are being cheated because their parents are too trusting?
help us spread this far and wide
let’s take a stand here is the press release http://www.fdfny.org/blog/2012/02/27/breaking-news-13-year-old-jada-williams-persecuted-by-the-rochester-city-school-district/
Will do!
Trust me, it is not only the minority students who are experiencing these issues. My husband spent hours down at the high school dealing with teachers and administrators who threw out constant roadblocks for our daughter. His sister practically lives down at the school making sure that her son gets a decent education and does not end up running afoul of his teachers and counselors because he is a) a genius and b) has ADD. His mother is strict on him, so it isn’t based on a parent who doesn’t care, or who makes excuses for their kid’s bad behavior.
In all of that, we have also been grateful for some truly shining examples of GOOD teachers and good administrators. But there are too many who aren’t.
Sad to hear, because this should not be going on at all for any child. It’s really a shame when we as parents have to fight so hard for what should be a “given” in our children’s education. It’s also disheartening to know that there are many parents that care, but they just do not have the “fight” in them, they don’t know how, or they are afraid. I pray that those who continue to “educate” our children will be exposed and held accountable when they fail to do so. Keep fighting, Sis, you and your sister-in-law!
The worst thing that this child did, and the biggest mistake she and her parents made, was to fail to live down to the teacher’s expectations of her. Nathan Rutstein said, “Prejudice is an emotional commitment to ignorance.” These teachers and these administrators are perfect examples what what Rutstein was talking about. The cure for ignorance, of course, is education, but it looks to me as though these folks have had lots of schooling, but damned little education. Let’s all make lots of telephone calls and give them some opportunities for some meaningful education.
Stephanie Hilliard I also have had many confrontations with school personnel, especially at the high school level. The public school system is not interested in teaching any child that is not already at an advanced level – you know those that are self driven high achievers. My children were what I would call average and normal and the school system had no time for them. I ended up pulling my last 2 out of high school in their junior years. I was told by a Vice Principal of the school that my son was unable to read or write at a high enough level and was probably not going to graduate. I immediately removed him from that school and placed him in a continuation high school. At this school they give assignments, explaining the end goal that the student must meet and then allow the student to choose the method of getting there. Teachers are there to answer questions and guide the student along the way. My son excelled in this situation, ended up being the editor of the school news paper. He even graduated from high school 6 months early. He is an amazing writer and went on to earn a scholarship from Mercedes Benz to become a Master Technician for them. Wanting to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he has now enlisted in the U.S. Army hoping to use his education benefits in order to not have to incur any student loans in order to achieve his dream.
My youngest daughter was facing similar situations with the teachers not caring at all if she learned any thing. One Advanced Algebra teacher even told her he had a timeline to accomplish things and couldn’t waste any time on answering her questions. I pulled her at the end of her junior year and placed her in the local adult school and she graduated in 2 months. She has a great struggle ahead of her because of the failures of the public school system but she is plugging away at college courses a little at a time while working as an administrative assistant for a local company.
I say all of this because I hope parents will not wait until the child is so far along in their education – get involved early and do what you know is right for your child. The teachers and the school system won’t. (I do know several good teachers, unfortunately they are restricted by a failing school system!)
Excellent article.
Awesome!
Sad but true article. I was rescued from a failing black school at the age of 6, where I was allowed to spell my name with a ‘M’ instead of a ‘W’.
What a BRAVE insightful young lady…Miss Williams is… I hope she finds a school that will nurture that mind instead of trying to stifle her.
Elaine Magliacane Miss Williams isn’t being stifled when in the same breath she speaks of teachers who want to tell her what to learn. Granted, I don’t have a lot of great things to say about curriculum decisions here in Texas, which is run largely by Republicans who spend more time dismissing issues of evolution, climate, and real (not redacted) American history… in pursuit of THEIR VIEW of education. And there’s the rub. Miss Williams is oppositional-defiant and 13 years old. Such a chip on her shoulder. I have experience in this kind of retort from minority students quick to blame race for their lack of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them. This, I think, is largely due to our new American “ethic” of consumerism and choice in service to consumption and profit. But that’s another story.
Maribeth Jones Thank you. I was too hasty, forwarding something sent by a friend that I trusted. No more. Your comments are in line with mine. i erred.
Maribeth Jones WOW! Speaking of chips….whatever is wrong with a young girl expressing her opinion instead of chastising her for having one. Who defined her as oppositional defiant – a society that loves black kids, but only if they know their place. As a native child, I had extremely similar experiences, and that was a loooong time ago. You would not by any chance be white, would you? Your goal should be to understand and not to judge. I LOVE this child’s intellect and passion.
Maribeth Jones , wow, I am reading your comments, but I have to say, you don’t really know what we go through…you really don’t. My daughter is in the same school district that I grew up in…mostly white, w/ mostly white teaching staff. There were problems then, but even more problems now. As black parents, we literally need to be on top of what is going on w/ our children. Appropriate grades are not given, degrading, covert remarks are made, and no real encouragement is given. Why do I have to keep contacting the school about issues that should be addressed, but won’t be, unless I say something. It’s not like that w/ every teacher, but even 1 or 2, is one too many. And it has been happening for years.
I worked in an urban school as a Family Service Worker, and it was horrible…I could write a book on that particular school district alone that would outrage many, many people.
Your comment, “Miss Williams is oppositional-defiant and 13 years old. Such a chip on her shoulder. I have experience in this kind of retort from minority students quick to blame race for their lack of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them”, is really unfair, but typical You are making it personal, and this issue is NOT personal. That young lady is not oppositional, or defiant…she has no chip on her shoulder, she is, however, frustrated. As am I, ESPECIALLY when I read comments like yours.
Did you REALLY say that minority students are quick to blame race for their LACK of motivation or unwillingness to do the work put before them????? Do I need to list ALL of the things that I have experienced as a Black parent of 4 children in the public school system, from 1985 to the present.
Do I need to list all of the things that I have experienced as a Family Service Worker for 4 years, what my friends have experienced. And that would just be my story…what about all of the other stories out there, including this young ladies, and the other commentators here.
Either you are i denial, or you just really have no clue..and that is sad.
We have much work to do, individually, and collectively, and we cannot allow any room for discouragement!
Everyone should take time to read this article with understanding!
Excellent article, and it needs to be spread far & wide!
yes please send this to every news outlet you can or here is the press release
http://www.fdfny.org/blog/2012/02/27/breaking-news-13-year-old-jada-williams-persecuted-by-the-rochester-city-school-district/
That was good.