Sharpton Is Wrong On Brown V. School Board

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Category: Lifestyle/People

Published: Friday, 23 May 2014 15:43

Written by Adam Blackmon

by Adam Blackman
Sharpton and his ilk, wrongly state that Brown v. Board of Education ruling recognized the importance of integration. They purchased an ad in the New York Times to push for mass integration in public schools. However, the word integration cannot be found in the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. the School Board of Topeka, Kansas.

The Supreme Court used the word Desegregation. Though the results of Desegregation and Integration are similar, the words have two distinct meanings. Integration means the mixing of two kinds by order or scheme. Desegregation means not to deny the mixing of two kinds.

In the Brown case, a little girl by the name of Linda Brown, a third grader, had to walk six blocks to a school bus stop to ride to Monroe Elementary, a segregated black school one mile away. While the neighborhood school, Sumner Elementary, a white school, was seven blocks from her house.

The whole purpose of the case was to allow desegregation, which is to allow a person to attend and or enjoy a public place regardless of race. The case was not designed to force any person to sit next to another person against their will. It simply prohibited laws that stop people from enjoying public places.

This case was handed down in 1954 and Brown II "All Deliberate Speed" was handed down in 1956. The second case was brought to expedite the ruling of the first case.

It should be noted that it was doing this time that Congress amended the Pledge of Allegiance to include the words, "One nation under God." Segregationists were saying we are a nation under God and not under the ungodly Warren Court – The Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren.

So the arch segregationist who were good Southern Baptist considered Exodus 1:10, "Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply… and fight against us."

Sharpton is right, in the 60 years since the Brown ruling, blacks, Latinos and poor students are still attending failing schools with inadequate supplies. And, according to the Center for American Progress, students of color and low-income students are more likely to be taught by inexperienced and unqualified teachers.

In high-poverty schools 27 percent of classes are taught by out-of-field teachers compared with only 14 percent in low-poverty schools. Their data goes on to highlight the fact that students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities and English language learners are less likely to graduate from high school on time.

Sharpton is right, this is intolerable. Yet Sharpton and his civil Rights leaders are moving in the wrong direction. The same wrong direction the nation setout on 60 years ago.

What those arch segregationists did was close schools that were set for desegregation. For years many black students in the South had no public schools to attend. The white leaders open private schools that were beyond the bounds of the law.

Next, when those plans were thwarted, the education leaders closed or demoted black high schools and made them middle schools. Middle School (Junior High) was a new phenomenon created by the racist responds to Brown.

Prior to Brown, students attended Grade schools that span from first grade to either eighth or ninth grade. And then the students went to high school.

By creating Middle schools, the education leaders in the South guaranteed that their sons and daughters were not going to graduate from Booker T. or a high school named for Lincoln. Their sons and daughters would graduate from the loyal white Jackson or Robert E. Lee.

But even more devious, they knew that puberty occurs during the middle school years, and that all important first grade teacher who really knows the child will not be around. Teachers dealing with Johnny will only have files and records to review. No Mrs. Nelson who could talk to Johnny or advice the 6th grade teacher is in the building. Johnny is easy pickings for suspension and sooner or later the big Drop-Out.

Henry Kissinger once said the best way to best the competition is to eliminate the competition. And, elimination is what is going on.

Second, they gave into to busing by which little black boys and girls were bused across town to hostile neighborhoods. And in a few years, black parents were wondering what their children were talking about and thinking. Not realizing that they had sent their children off to the enemy to be ruined.

The whole Brown case was an anti-busing case. Mr. Brown simply wanted his daughter to go to the neighborhood school.

In the integration process, the very best black teachers were sent to the white schools and the worse white teachers were shipped to the black schools. Sounds like what brother Sharpton is complaining about.

The real focus should not be on whether Johnny sits next to a white boy or girl, but rather is Johnny provided a quality education.

The onus should not be put on the backs of children. We live in a new America with black elected officials at every level. The onus is upon the leadership to fight for quality materials for all schools and qualified teachers that are well paid.

Children should attend schools in their neighborhoods. Why? So that mama or grandma can walk to the school for PTA meetings or at least attend school functions. Poor mamma that works and takes public transportation will never make it across town to the white neighborhood for a school event.

If we want integrated schools, then people aught to live in integrated neighborhoods. But the Brown case is not about forced integration, it is about allowing people to live free and make choices without being denied access.

Now, if these civil rights leaders were really serious about education, they would entice our faith-based institutions to open private and charter schools and thereby control the material and the educators working with our children.

Blaming the system is too easy and will never work. The real work comes with the responsibility of being responsible to our children.

Carter G. Woodson is right, "If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. … If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. … you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one."

Sharpton and his civil rights leaders are demanding a back door.