Give me a break for the absurdity of making it all about race

OK I am not in the district. But comments like this are outrageously absurd and quite frankly disgusting. It is not like loads of money is not being spent. It is not like you are not running up against state caps. It is not like your property taxes are not very high. No, somehow it is all about race. Comments do not get any more wrong headed that this one by Ms. Lawson-Muhammad :

"Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad expressed frustration and disappointment with the condition of Columbia High School. “Every time I walk into the high school, I am depressed that that is our flagship school,” she said. Lawson-Muhammad asserted that there wasn’t a willingness to tackle the issues at CHS when it was predominantly black. “Now … that it’s a predominately white school there is a sudden willingness to invest in the school.”

She continued: “Mark my words, in 10 years, it’s still going to be a whiter place … and we’re going to have a great school system that people finally want to invest in because were not a black community anymore….I”m just predicting the future.” 

http://villagegreennj.com/scho...

Gilgul,

You may want to watch the whole video of the meeting, and not just respond to that one quoted snippet. 

Lawson-Muhammad also cites redistricting and the Hilton section, which historically has been the 'Black side of town'. The proportion of White families in the Hilton section increased after houses were redistricted to Tuscan (the whitest elementary school in Maplewood east of the train tracks). 

Her examples illustrate how the BOE educational policy decisions/financial investments and race interact. The video also provides some more context for that Village Green quote - as Lawson-Muhammad alludes to the old pool arguments.

There is a history of budget and policy arguments that are being referenced in that debate.

Gilgul said:


"Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad expressed frustration and disappointment with the condition of Columbia High School. “Every time I walk into the high school, I am depressed that that is our flagship school,” she said. Lawson-Muhammad asserted that there wasn’t a willingness to tackle the issues at CHS when it was predominantly black. “Now … that it’s a predominately white school there is a sudden willingness to invest in the school.”

I watched that meeting.  This is exactly what Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad said.  Having lived here longer than most of the BOE members, I take issue with the idea that people in the community didn't want to invest in CHS when it was 55% black but do want to when it's 55% white.  People in the two towns have been and are concerned about their high and ever increasing taxes.  I believe investment in the schools is required now due to the poor condition of our aging buildings combined with a large increase in enrollment.

This coming from a guy who basically denies the existence of racism.

Now, that's outrageously absurd and quite frankly disgusting.

Gilgul said:

OK I am not in the district. But comments like this are outrageously absurd and quite frankly disgusting. It is not like loads of money is not being spent. It is not like you are not running up against state caps. It is not like your property taxes are not very high. No, somehow it is all about race. Comments do not get any more wrong headed that this one by Ms. Lawson-Muhammad :

"Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad expressed frustration and disappointment with the condition of Columbia High School. “Every time I walk into the high school, I am depressed that that is our flagship school,” she said. Lawson-Muhammad asserted that there wasn’t a willingness to tackle the issues at CHS when it was predominantly black. “Now … that it’s a predominately white school there is a sudden willingness to invest in the school.”

She continued: “Mark my words, in 10 years, it’s still going to be a whiter place … and we’re going to have a great school system that people finally want to invest in because were not a black community anymore….I”m just predicting the future.” 

http://villagegreennj.com/scho...

chalmers said:

Gilgul said:


"Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad expressed frustration and disappointment with the condition of Columbia High School. “Every time I walk into the high school, I am depressed that that is our flagship school,” she said. Lawson-Muhammad asserted that there wasn’t a willingness to tackle the issues at CHS when it was predominantly black. “Now … that it’s a predominately white school there is a sudden willingness to invest in the school.”

I watched that meeting.  This is exactly what Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad said.  Having lived here longer than most of the BOE members, I take issue with the idea that people in the community didn't want to invest in CHS when it was 55% black but do want to when it's 55% white.  People in the two towns have been and are concerned about their high and ever increasing taxes.  I believe investment in the schools is required now due to the poor condition of our aging buildings combined with a large increase in enrollment.

Agree with Chalmers. 

Ms. Lawson-Muhammad prefaced the statements by saying they would be "snarky", but they were far more than snarky, basically amounting to a charge that many past and present board members and administrators have been racially biased for years now - to the extent that they would deny funding for a school's improvements mainly because of its majority-black enrollment.  I thought the comments were ugly and not consistent with the facts being presented by the demographer.

I respect Ms. Lawson-Muhammad and I voted for her.  I hope her comments were made in the heat of the moment after hearing a CCR report about demographic shifts in SOMA, and I think she should take the time to clarify her views with the community.  

IMO, this thread belongs more in Education.

I actually first put it there then moved it because it really has more of a universal relevance of the absurdity of how people throw around "race".

Sorry it didn't stay in Education. That way I would not have read it.

My child attended Columbia and I was always amazed at how there didn't appear to be adequate janitorial services there. There was accumulated grime in the corners and the bathrooms were so bad u could smell them In the corridor. The building is old, but no older than many other schools I've seen which were kept in spotless condition. I don't know how valid the racism argument is, but the imbedded dirt I witnessed was at least a few decades in the making.

LOST said:

Sorry it didn't stay in Education. That way I would not have read it.

Clearly you did read it anyway

I read it because it was in Soapbox-Politics. I try to avoid the Education section because the discussions there are far more toxic than anything here.

That may have been true at one time, but not in recent memory.

As a member of the BOE, Lawson-Muhammad's statements were irresponsible and inflammatory.

chalmers said:

Gilgul said:


"Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad expressed frustration and disappointment with the condition of Columbia High School. “Every time I walk into the high school, I am depressed that that is our flagship school,” she said. Lawson-Muhammad asserted that there wasn’t a willingness to tackle the issues at CHS when it was predominantly black. “Now … that it’s a predominately white school there is a sudden willingness to invest in the school.”

I watched that meeting.  This is exactly what Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad said.  Having lived here longer than most of the BOE members, I take issue with the idea that people in the community didn't want to invest in CHS when it was 55% black but do want to when it's 55% white.  People in the two towns have been and are concerned about their high and ever increasing taxes.  I believe investment in the schools is required now due to the poor condition of our aging buildings combined with a large increase in enrollment.

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

From another thread:

RealityForAll said:

Can you provide me with a list of that White-people media?

Do you think that MOL qualifies as part of the aforementioned group?

alex4855 said:

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

I'm not sure what this means.

annielou said:

alex4855 said:

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

I'm not sure what this means.

It means someone is too cowardly to post that without complete anonymity

annielou said:

alex4855 said:

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

I'm not sure what this means.

Nothing really. Someone needs some attention. Best if we starve them of it.

@sprout, I demand that you revise this post so as to provide the full quote from other thread where you are the one who first used the term "White-people media?"  I merely asked a question to what this term means (or is defined as).

Cherry-picking quotes to give a false impression is a manner of smear.

sprout said:

From another thread:

RealityForAll said:

Can you provide me with a list of that White-people media?

Do you think that MOL qualifies as part of the aforementioned group?

ridski said:

annielou said:

alex4855 said:

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

I'm not sure what this means.

Nothing really. Someone needs some attention. Best if we starve them of it.

It's actually a pretty good reverse example that confirms white privilege.  Let's face it, if you see a video of a bunch of white kids in a brawl, no one cites that as representative of all white people.

And also it would not appear to be threatening (which is I assume the reaction the poster was going for). Obviously the poster doesn't get around much, or doesn't live near a college campus where he or she might witness all kinds of kids brawling, boxing, and bar fighting.

It's not a smear -- it was a good thought provoking question. I thought posting it here in a discussion about race might help provide or insight, or a partial answer. 

RealityForAll said:

@sprout, I demand that you revise this post so as to provide the full quote from other thread where you are the one who first used the term "White-people media?"  I merely asked a question to what this term means (or is defined as).

Cherry-picking quotes to give a false impression is a manner of smear.

sprout said:

From another thread:

RealityForAll said:

Can you provide me with a list of that White-people media?

Do you think that MOL qualifies as part of the aforementioned group?

Without looking very far into your personal finances I am convinced you do not buy enough apples. One type is good for pie, others are good for lunch. Recipes are available online in print and video that show apples in harmony with any meal you like.

Banana bread, banana milkshake, nut muffins, Foster, smoothie. You're so willing to invest in bananas, even though they all look the same. You even think they're good when they're rotten!

Mark my words, in 10 years you'll have too many bananas. I'm just reading the crystal ball.

Full disclosure: My life partner is esteemed Professor of History, Apples, and Fruit Policy at Wassamatta U.

And also too cowardly to actually post what they mean.

Let's try some substitutions

Chatham = Newark,

Millburn = Irvington

etc

get it?

ml1 said:

annielou said:

alex4855 said:

Its all BS.

Well, I think this mostly sums up the privilege issue.   We are tired of all these Chatham and Millburn kids coming to town, loitering and littering, conducting themselves like animals, sub-human species.  Waiting to hear how the Maplewood Ethical Cultural Society proponents explain this away. 

White privilege. Bull sh-t.

https://www.rlsmedia.com/artic...

I'm not sure what this means.

It means someone is too cowardly to post that without complete anonymity

No "clever" analogy can mask blatant ignorance.

I don't throw the "r" word around casually.  But the contents of that post were pretty racist.

Anyhow, at least one person on Facebook is reporting that parents who were at DeHart report that there was no brawl or "melee."  The parents who were there apparently described the scene as a large group of kids who went to watch a soccer game, and the visiting coach apparently called the police to disperse them.

That might explain why as the news story reported, apparently no arrests were made.

I was walking my dog at about 4:30 or 5 at Dehart. I was thinking how great it was to see the park being used by so many people. I saw a group of teenagers and one of them yelled, "let's play UNO", and they sat down at a table to play cards. Sorry that things it out of hand.

The video that was posted here showed two kids trying to fight and a lot of others who were excited onlookers. I think the red flag for the poster was that the kids were Black. I have a friend who sees the same behavior from drunk Seton Hall students outside his window almost every weekend. If the point is that young people behave irresponsibly at times, you're correct. But it is a function of their youth, not of their color.

Apples and bananas raised in Chatham and Millburn wait to go into politics or finance before they wreak havoc.

what the hell is this thread about?

The OP twice used the word "absurdity." I started there.