ACLU Reports Harassment of Young Obama Supporters in State

WAPT is reporting that students in Pearl have been told not to say Obama's name


http://www.wapt.com/politics/17925627/detail.html

From that story:

On Thursday, the Pearl Schools superintendent said that a school bus driver and a coach were disciplined for allegedly telling students not to say President-elect Barack Obama’s name.
Reporters with 16 WAPT News received several calls from upset parents that said a school bus driver told the children on a Pearl school bus that if they said Obama’s name, they would be written up and taken to the principal’s office for disciplinary reasons.

Another parent said that a coach at Pearl Junior High School told students that if they speak Obama’s name, they would face expulsion.

They should be fired. This is unbelievable, and it's how Mississippi gets our bad reputation—from a few fools who don't want kids to say the name of the new president of the United States.

Horrifying.

Thank you for this information.

I know parents have been concerned.

Mine was a little tense after school Wednesday, but, couldn't specify anything particular. I imagine he had a stressful day with it all being the "minority voter" in the student ballots.

He did learn from those who share his leanings to say, "My vote is a private matter. Thank you very much." Of course, he doesn't have a filter like that.

It's tough because the election was such a teachable moment, not in who or who not to vote for, but in tolerance and listening to others. Such an opportunity to foster critical thinking and inquiry skills.

It seems we've always tended to just say "no talking about it" instead of teaching students to discuss and manage the emotions at the same time.

I have been wondering if the responsible adults in the metro area do not need to take some sort of concerted action (I don't have a detailed plan!) to address a high level of tension in the public schools due to the poor example that is being set by some irresponsible adults: parents and school employees.

A student at Terry High stated that she heard that two white male students with were in the cafeteria with "Nobama and America R.I.P." written on their arms and that when black male students saw it they poured milk on them. One her best friends allegedly threatened a white student based on the belief that she had sent a text message that referred to black students using the N word and stating that white students should boycott school due to Obama'a election.

Of course, on one level, I think this is a lot of silliness; however, I am concerned that insults and rumors of insults can swirl into hostilities if responsible heads do not call for civilized behavior. I would hate for things to get any worse. I thought about keeping my fears to myself until I read you all's posts above.

There seems to be a pattern of threatening and provocative behavior from Texas to Tennessee. I remember in the late sixties and early seventies when we had serious fisticuffs with fellow students over the N word and other derogatory terms. We do not want to go backwards.

It seems from anecdotal information that there is only a minority of students involved in threatening behavior on both sides of the partisan divide. That minority should be circumvented from propagating their poor anger management symptoms among others. Can anything be done?

I do know that November 14th is Mix it Up Day :) Idea is to sit with someone you don't usually sit with at lunch and interview each other.

But this only works if kids get to sit with others at lunch!

I'm a firm believer in establishing a school culture/spirit of tolerance and acceptance. You can't MAKE a kid participate in Mix It Up Day, but you can set an expectation of understanding as part of the school climate, and model that understanding. That's always been my philosophy anyway.

Students can go to teachingtolerance.org to get information...

I promise you, there are students at every school who want to have an outlet like that.

I will refer my daughter to that site. Hopefully she will pass it on to her angry friends. I am glad that she is the calm one. I am trying to set the example for her. Thanks.

If she's the calm one, she should be the one to initiate the day instead of just forwarding it on. It would probably help her spirit to do something positive to help her friends.

Email me if you want to chat off the board about it.

My children attend Brandon High and they have reported the day after the election a group of white kids all wore Mccain shirts and expressed hatred towards Obama.
One student had a t-shirt on that stated what he wanted to do to Obama and another had a shirt on with a picture of Michelle Obama on the front and Mutt for sale on the back.
The students were told to take the shirts off but the next day and remainder of the week wore green tape and camaflouge jackets to represent their hate.
My daughter has talked all week about arguments between the white students and black students regarding the election.
Of course Brandon still allows on their courtyards before school the whites to be on one end and the blacks on another. I am also told the lunch room setting is the same way.
I will get more information and pass it on to the ACLU. It is obvious this is LEARNED BEHAVIOR, so it really all goes back to the parents.

It seems to me that there are two elements to this. First is the desire for some white teachers (why is it always the coaches?) to keep their "uppity" black students in line. I have heard stories from both Rankin and Pike counties that make me want to puke, but then, I'm never surprised by the authoritarian impulses of Rankin.

Second is the fact that white students who act out about Obama are only reflecting the hateful rhetoric of their parents. It's one thing to tell your kids, "I don't think Obama is the right choice in this election because I believe that low taxes help the economy grow." It's quite another to say, "Obama is a socialist, muslim terrorist." When kids hear nothing but lies, it must seem impossible to them that this man is now president. Anyone who supports Obama is part of a conspiracy to destroy the United States. That sort of rhetoric is child abuse.

I agree Brian, but what lingers with me is the fact that these racist attitudes are stll allowed. As for Rankin County, they encourage this behavior because they don't openly address it.
I don't want my child's memory of this historic event to be the rebellion he witnessed whites display at school. What is this teaching our kids about respecting authority?
After all whether they like it or not for a least the next 4 yrs Obama will be in control of the White house.
Guess we should renamed it the Clear house..LOL.

The worst thing I've heard was from a teacher in Pike County. She said, "Of course these (black) kids are excited, because Obama's going to expand welfare, and they'll all wind up on welfare anyway."

She didn't say it in front of her students, thankfully, but the thought that she is "teaching" students greatly disturbs me.

If true, this is disgusting. However, it is generally true that harrassment comes from nuts in both parties. It is disgusting and needs to stop. See Haley's comments in today's paper. He had some good comments that are reflective of the overwhelming majority of Republicans.

I don't think we need to falsely equivocate instances of harassment, Mallen, by saying that "both sides" do it. Obviously, that's true, but pointing it out makes it sound like you're trying to lessen the blow of white racism (which I doubt you mean to do, but it could help you to know how it comes across).

What is disturbing here is that the hold-out South is seeing a lot of instances of this kind of thing coming from white people. And it shows the work we all have to do and calls bullsh!t on all the people who try to say that "all that's in the past." Obama is going to make us work through these things and for that, I am grateful. I just hope no one, including him, gets hurt.

What we have at hand is the end of white supremacy as a system, and some people aren't going to take it well, especially young people who were raised to hate or look down on blacks. That's inevitable.

As for Barbour, it seems clear that he sees that the bell has tolled and his, and his mentor Atwater's, nasty southern strategy, and it's time to choose a path that doesn't try to pander for the racist vote. It's about time.

Too bad he's changing out of political necessity, though. I wish he had the integrity to stand up like Ken Muhlman (sp?) and apologize to African Americans to what Republicans did to them on his RNC watch.

While we will certainly disagree on Barbour and his motives, I agree with much of what you have to say. I obviously vote the Republican ticket 9 times out of 10, but I am very hopeful that this election does one thing you pointed out: it moves the race discussion forward. Everyone needs to get behind President Obama now. This is a critical time in our nation's history. We can (the parties) hash it out come next election, but now is not the time.

I have exercised my right to vote for over 37 years. There was so many times that I had to accept the results of the elections of individuals that were against people of color and I did not see these people go out and act like fools because their candidates did not win!!! Mississippi is supposed to be in the middle of the Southern Bible Belt and they are still want to spread racism and hate? What God do they serve? The parents of the children that feed this hate should put their feet in or shoes that we were forced to wear for years. Now it's a new era and they want to go back to the hate of years ago is so wrong. Any adult that is paid by taxpayer dollars that want to violate the Civil Right of our children need to be prosecuted and terminated. Barbour, you are the so call leader of the Mississippi Republican party and the Govenor of our state then why aren't you publicly condeming these acts against the children and citizens of the State of Mississippi. Maybe, the reason you and the other so called Republicans haven't said anything because these issues will affect the power and wealth for your private group. Barbour, and placed onl a few people of color in his adminstration for his tokens but now he will now have a person of color making decisions for the future of our country. A country for all the people and not for just your people.

Remember this one?
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, HE learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, He learns to appreciate.
If a child liVes with fairness, He learns justice.
If a child lives with security, He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, He learns to find love in the world.

IF THE PARENT FOLLOWS THIS COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL APPROACH, WE COULD ADD ANOTHER LINE TO AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: WE COULD SING, FROM SEA TO MISSISSI - PPI!

yes we can.

At least MS is not the only state with issues:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-briefs12-2008nov12,0,6700699.story?track=ntothtml

I know Whitley that MS is "not the only state with issues." This, however, is the State we live in and our CHANGE must start at home. Our position of being last in most positive categories, i.e., education, health care and first in most negatives, i.e., infant mortality, HIV-AIDS, we can not point fingers to anyone but ourselves.

No doubt about it, justjess. It amuses me that some people get angry if you talk about racism in a particular location. I think it says more about those who object than about those who point it out.

Great point, Whitley.

The kids need to protest and refuse to play on the sport teams until some changes are made. This kind of reminds me of my high school days when we were colored and supposed to act like second class citizen without fallout or blowback (protesting.) A black male I couldn't hardly stand at the time kept us walking out of school and protesting. A Madison police officer pulled a gun on me back then and threatened to shoot me. We walked out again with 1 week left before graduation after being told if we walked out we seniors wouldn't graduate. I hated to do it, but the cause likely greater than any one individual wouldn't let me stay. Thank God the administration still let us graduate.

This same student asked all the black baseball players to quit the team as well. I was one of 3 blacks who refused to quit although the racism and prejudice were clear to me too. I regret to this day I didn't quit as well. Fortunately, no one held it against me but I don't know why they didn't. Maybe it was because they admired my ability to out perform nearly all of my white counterparts in class yet clearly and undoubtedly remember who and what I was. They talk of me in legendary status to this day although I failed so miserably on that call.

As I grew up I realized how ahead of his time that black boy was and we're friends to this day. Back then I just wanted to graduate and get away from those crazy and racist white folks.

This is just my opinion. I leave it totally to the parents to decide what should happen. This same student who urged us to protest told me something several years ago I never knew at the time. It was that his parents and civil rights organizations were telling him what to do, and he knew they had our backs, no matter what the teachers or administrators did. He couldn't tell the rest of us.

Thank you for sharing that Walt :)

Emilyb, I would have emailed you, but I don't have your address. I did ask my daughter to consider initiating the *mix it up day* but it seems she was shy about taking that initiative. She said there was not enough time. Maybe she was right. She has stopped sharing stories about incidents at school. Hopefully, it is because things have calmed down and not because I was trying to make her into an activist (ha).