October 15, 2009
TO: Valdosta Daily Times Publisher and Editorial Board!
I take issue with the Wednesday editorial from The Valdosta Daily Times. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and NAACP have always been multiracial organizations. Never have either organization insisted that Black children can only be taught by black teachers. Both organizations have consistently maintained that our society is pluralistic and diverse and that all races have equal rights and should have equal access to employment, housing, and education.
Never have SCLC or NAACP demanded an all Black school system, instead we have demanded that our teachers and administrators reflect the diversity that is representative of our society. It is obvious to us that Dr. King's dream has been denied insofar as employment and education int he Valdosta City School system.
In a school system with over 80 percent Black children, approximately 5 percent of their teachers and administrators are Black. Virtually all of the Valdosta aCity School teachers and administrators are White. The superintendent is White. The only two Black administrators have no authority over other people. The do not een merit a secretary while their White counterparts have secretaries.
White administrators have been hired whose qualifications are inferior to those of Black candidates. A White principal was hired whose application package did not meet the standards set in place by the VBOE while Black candidates were held to those same standards. The VBOE consists of five White members and four Black members, with districts drawn in such a way to ensure a White majority even when the city population is predominantly Black.
The longest serving board member is Black but has been repeatedly passed over for consideration as chairman. In a school system that is approximately 80 percent Black, nearly 95 percent of the students sent to ISS/OSS/alternative school are Black. The VBOE under the leadership of Dr. Bill Cason has obviously been practicing racial discrimination in employment and education.
The editorial Board at The Valdosta Daily Times looked at these numbers and concluded that the SCLC and NAACP were being racist for complaining about obvious racial discrimination. Such an opinion should never have passed editorial review at your newspaper.
LEIGH TOUCHTON
Valdosta Secretary
Valdosta-Lowndes County Branch NAACP
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1 comment:
I really appreciate this White Right Sister and the stand she takes in our community so repeatedly. If only Blacks and other White Right American Citizens would take a valid stand for what is right.
Again, she is the reason Blacks should never allow themselves to become bitter or hateful towards any White Person. We must face that the evil force does not care which body he makes his home inside of for the purpose of mind control.
Thanks! And God bless you and everybody else.
G.B.R.
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