[Mpls] Minneapolis Public Schools and Racism

[Diane Wiley]

Well, it seems to me that after Doug�s comments everyone skirted around the issue of racism in the Minneapolis Schools. I�ve debated with myself about whether to get into it or not, hoping someone else would. But no one did. Actually, one person wrote that he thought that the schools were actually less racist than society at large. I disagree. I think they are just like society at large. And, just like society at large, there are two issues, Institutionalized Racism and Personal Racism. Frankly, I don�t like to use the word Racism, because everybody gets their knickers in a bunch, but whether you call it prejudice or bias or racism, it amounts to the same problem. For the record, I am white, my son is African American. One funny thing about how race plays out � no African American person in the schools [or elsewhere] has ever asked me if I bore him � white people ask me all the time if he is "mine" or "adopted". I always say yes. My first race based school experience was with a Scandahoovian kindergarten teacher at the first conference who said things to me in this incredible tone, like, "Well you have to read to him you know", when we were discussing why my son was not getting with the program. [With this attitude, it took an extra year to figure out that the kid had serious learning disabilities.] I felt awful, talked down to, scolded, etc. Afterwards I realized that she had stereotyped me as one of "those" "white women with a black kid", probably on welfare, etc. and had talked to me as she felt appropriate for such talking to such a mom. Later that same year, the principal derailed a meeting organized by an intern for parents of African American kids to talk about our concerns with each other. The principal deliberately changed the flyer that was sent out to make it seem like it was a meeting about racial issues in general. This led to a very awkward and painful first part of the meeting where well meaning white parents had come to try to figure out how to help, and the African American parents were furious because the principal had changed the flyer and thus the tone of the meeting. Not a great thing for race relations at the school. We then organized a Parents of African American Students group that got partially funded to do things through the Parent Involvement Initiative from the District, which was a wonderful program that is now defunct. We managed to get more African American parents involved in school events than ever before, but two administrations sabotaged us right and left over 4 years until we finally gave up. We were accused of being "exclusive" for wanting to talk about our concerns for our kids with each other. Even though we were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing � getting more diversity in school events, the administration [and part of the white leadership of the PTSO, egged on by the administration] was beside themselves. It got so bad that at one point I wrote to the school board and to the area superintendent about the problems. Judy Farmer was the only person who responded to our concerns and met with us. I had a zillion conversations with well meaning white parents who couldn�t understand why they weren�t invited and who couldn�t understand that we had different issues and that many of the parents were not comfortable discussing those issues with a mixed group � unless the white people had black kids. This was a new thing in the school, but the administration did not support it or talk to us about it. They just sabotaged us. I don�t know how coherent my examples are to someone who wasn�t there, but I came to the conclusion that the administration was afraid of real involvement on the part of the African American parents. Our African American social worker [the only professional level African American person left in the school and a woman who really supported the parent group � she was our heart and soul] was driven out. It was horrible. Do I think there was racism involved? I sure do. Most everyone agrees that parent involvement makes a huge difference in school achievement. Yet, the African American parents I know, and many of the parents of African American kids who aren�t African American themselves, feel that our concerns are not listened to, we are not made real partners. We felt that the whole parent involvement push was a sham � that they wanted parent involvement so long as it was white, middle or upper class parent involvement which was pleased with everything in the school and feeling all rah-rah and supportive. There was no room for those of us trying to find solutions to hard problems, because that would involve admitting that there were problems to begin with. I hope I haven�t ranted too much � I�m trying to stay constructive. Am I really the only person who feels that there are problems with racism in the schools? Diane Wiley Powderhorn Neighborhood, Seward Parent