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Racism, White Folk, & Portland – Oregon Grant High School ‘Former’ Principal Dr. Myra Rose

There was once an administrator at Portland, Oregon’s ‘White and Racist’ Grant High School who had collaborated in the destruction and racist ugliness heaped on Black students at the school. This administrator rose to become a ‘top’ administrator at Grant and she believed herself to be a ‘part’ of the ‘White’ Grant High School community.

One evening (c.1990s) BlackParentSpeaks received a call at home. The person who called identified herself as a Dr. Myra Rose, the Principal of Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. The person asked that BlackParentSpeaks attend a Grant High school meeting which would be held in the school library. Without inquiring as to the reason for the request, BlackParentSpeaks agreed to be present at the meeting.

Upon entering the library of Grant High School, BlackParentSpeaks quickly took note of the hundreds of people present. The crowd ‘appeared’ to be overwhelmingly – if not totally — ‘White’. BlackParentSpeaks also inventoried the ‘cold’ stares she received upon entering the Grant library. After a couple of ‘failed’ attempts to initiate introductory talk with folk present in the library, BlackParentSpeaks retreated to a chair, near the front of the library, and sat down alone as she observed and waited for the meeting to begin.

Grant High School Principal Dr. Myra Rose addressed the ‘White’ gathering with her resolve to ‘begin accepting and including’ Black students in the school’s opportunities…. Dr. Rose said that ‘she and the White community of Grant’ had heretofore purposely and intentionally excluded and damaged Grant’s Black students. Dr. Rose alluded to ‘higher powers’ and being held accountable for the harm she and others had inflicted….

Dr. Rose told the crowd that she had wrestled with the words to speak to them. She said that in the end, she knew that she had to be truthful about the racial harm and damage she had been a part of…. Dr. Rose expressed that she had to change her ways and that Grant’s ‘White community’ had to be truthful and change as well. She spoke about ‘a New Day’….

Near the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Rose explained her ‘intent’ to begin including Black students in the school’s offerings and opportunities and more.

BlackParentSpeaks listened intently as she recorded the words of Dr. Rose at that initial meeting. I also glanced around at some of the White faces in the library. I both felt and saw extreme anger and ‘hatred’ focused on Grant Principal Myra Rose.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Rose motioned for me (BlackParentSpeaks) to hang around so that we could talk in private — it was then that I noticed the presence of one other Black face in the library gathering as information. That person and I exchanged ‘pleasantries, etc.’

Grant Principal Myra Rose and I spoke in private and via telephone on multiple occasions following that ‘initial’ library meeting. There were times when Dr. Rose felt torn between doing that which was right and doing that which was wrong. She felt pained and saddened by the ‘hatred’ directed at her by Grant’s ‘White’ community following that library meeting. Dr. Rose expressed that ‘although she was Jewish’ she did not know that the ‘White community’ would react so viciously towards her.

Outcries for Dr.Rose’s removal from Grant were made by both ‘White’ adults and ‘White’ students. The hatred expressed by the ‘White’ community was vile and open. Needless to say, the demands of Grant’s ‘White’ community were met and Dr. Myra Rose was transferred from Grant. Upon learning of the ‘official’ reassignment of Dr. Rose, many ‘Whites’ (including ‘White’ students) expressed their loud delight both within and outside of the school.

Today, there is a Myra Rose Scholarship fund for Grant High School graduates. And, now YOU know at least a part of the ‘rest of the story’….

‘Don’t forget our reparations’.

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We are all works in progress. Do YOU know what time it is?

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Undying love for Black people!

 

 

 

 


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Black DC Warrior Dick Jones — 2016 Sendoff….

I been both blessed and protected by a supreme power — a power that is beyond mankind.  And, yes, I am eternally grateful.  BlackParentSpeaks knows that she could not have survived the varied and many attempts to silence her ‘Blackness’ had God not been with her.

Reflecting — accurate reflecting — moves us forward.

BlackParentSpeaks has recently learned that DC ‘Black’ brother Dick Jones ‘gave up the ghost’ in year 2016.  Dick headed up and ran DC’s Concerned Citizens of Central Cardoza (4Cs) throughout my years in DC —  the 1960s and 1970s.  Dick Jones was a fighter and a quite forceful voice who ‘publicly’ worked to hold slum landlords and others accountable in the Washington, DC housing arena.

Dick Jones was a dedicated and true warrior in the DC-based ‘Movement’.  If memory serves me accurately, Dick was born in Philly and moved to DC prior to my arrival in DC.  I met Dick sometime between 1966-68 when he and several other brothers showed up at my DC apartment relative to a matter of ‘Black’ urgency.  Dick expressed that Attorney Florence Roisman (an unwavering and trusted Jewish attorney employed by NLSP in DC) had recommended that he seek my help.

The inhumane and racially-charged horrid situation explained to me that day by ‘Black’ brother Dick Jones sprouted a relationship between us that lasted throughout my years in DC.

DC’s Dick Jones was militantly responsible, brilliant, and a compassionate Black man who was active in the struggle for righteousness and accountability.  Although ‘Black’ brother Jones was publicly and primarily associated with DC housing issues, the breadth of his involvements and actions were unlimited.  Dick was a ‘no limits’ brother who both gave and did….

Brother Dick was a mighty representative for the Black folk who were perceived powerless by others.  Brother Dick was a ‘Black’ man who BlackParentSpeaks intimately knew, worked with, and loved.  He was an integral part of — and a contributor to — the Black Movement.

With undying love and appreciation, BlackParentSpeaks says ‘thank you’ to DC’s ‘Black’ Dick Jones.

‘Don’t forget our reparations’.

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Undying love for Black people!

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Black Is Not White…. 2 November 2016

After yet another very emotional bout with racism and disgust, BlackParentSpeaks feels a need to write and share. My journey is real and it seems that my purpose has always been.

In order to both survive and ‘live’, Black folk must begin to internalize truth. Fact one: White folk do not like Black folk. Fact two: White folk will continue to rationalize their racist words and behaviors as long as they believe they are able to skirt responsibility and blame. And, Fact three: There are significant and obvious differences between White people and Black people.

Essential to ‘Black’ survival is the knowledge that each and every Black life has been impacted as a result of slavery and racism.  Words can never adequately express Black people’s suffering at the hands of White folk.  Both White men and White women are guilty and both should be consciously and actively seeking forgiveness while donating to BlackAngryWomen and/or other entities of racial truth and assistance.

The ‘White’ mindset portends and espouses that we are all one people — Black folk and White folk. The truth is that we are different and a truly ‘Black’ mind is NOT in sync with the ‘White’ mind.  Not only is there difference in our thoughts, there is a difference in how we think.  Our motivations differ and our ‘Black’ values and morals conflict significantly with ‘White’ norms, ‘White’ judgments, and ‘White’ readings.

In ‘Black’ life, it is not okay to address Black men and Black women as ‘boys and girls’.  In ‘Black’ life, it is not respectful for young folk to address elders by their first names without the Black elders extending invitations to be called by their first names.  ‘Black’ life speaks to overstanding and has an ‘undying love for Black people’ foundation.  ‘Black’ life learns from our ancestors and listens to our elders.  ‘Black’ life does not look for — nor does it seek — the acceptance or approval of others’.  ‘Black’ life is about nation building and unity.

I am always aware and conscious of my ‘Blackness’.  I embrace myself with love and appreciation.  I like who I am and I am truly grateful for my journey.  I have seen the beauty of ‘Black’ commitment and loyalty in folk like me.  I have witnessed the strength of Black people and shared in the joys of victory while overstanding sadness and loneliness as fellow warriors ‘gave up the ghost’….

Brother Stokely ‘Black Power’ Carmichael (lka Kwame Ture), Rev. David H. Eaton, Brother Marion Barry, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Brother Ralph Featherstone, Brother Halim Rahsaan, Sister Eleanor Matthews, and so many many more.

Food for ‘Black’ thought:

(a) If you want to die, go to a hospital.

(b) It is often wiser to be proactive as opposed to reactive.  However, it is sometimes better to do and/or say something than to go away and wish later that you had done or said something.

(c)  Click the Donate button at the top right of BlackAngryWomen and donate now if you are so inclined.  Remember to forward BlackAngryWomen posts to others. 

(d)  It is NOT okay for adults to whip or beat children.  Adults should be creative, loving, and patient when motivating and interacting with children.  An adult should never  verbally or physically abuse a child.

(e)  Pick an opportune moment this week and turn off and put out-of-sight your phone for a minimum of 5 to 7 hours.  If you are able to do this, you may experience a true sense of relief and accomplishment afterwards.

‘Don’t forget our reparations’.

Feel free to share this BlackAngryWomen blog with others. We are all works in progress. Do YOU know what time it is? http://BlackAngryWomen.com/

Undying love for Black people!

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The Renisha McBride Case and Avoidance of Race

Renisha McBride

Renisha McBride

According to a November 15, 2013 article on TheGrio.com, Renisha McBride’s family does not want race to be a factor in the prosecution of her killer. Renisha McBride is the 19-year-old Black woman who was shot in the face by a White man after she knocked on the front door of his house in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.  Ms. McBride was apparently seeking help after a car accident.

Renisha McBride’s killer, 54-year-old Theodore Wafer, said he thought McBride was trying to break into his house and that his gun went off accidently. Unfortunately, this has become an all too familiar scenario – a young Black person is gunned down after being “mistaken” for a “criminal.” The cases of 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell in North Carolina and 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida provide just two recent examples of similar incidents. Yet, in spite of this pattern, Renisha McBride’s parents have rejected even the possibility that their daughter could have been a victim of racial profiling.

According to TheGrio.com, “The parents want the public to imagine that McBride could have been anyone’s loved one, not a woman who was shot for being black.” And further, “Preferring to refer to McBride’s death as a ‘case of human profiling,’ [McBride’s father] asked the public to ‘think about the fact that any 19-year-old girl might be in a similar situation.’”

I pose a question to all who read this BlackAngryWomen blog.  Do the parents of ‘Black’ Renisha McBride want so much to believe in White acceptance of us (Blacks) that, even in the deeply tragic and personal circumstance of the killing of their own daughter, they have denied even the possibility that race could be a factor? This is deep, y’all.

I state, unequivocally, that the Renisha McBride case is racial. We cannot extricate Renisha McBride’s killing from the many other cases of young Blacks being shot dead due to racist perceptions of perceived ‘Black’ criminality. Nor should we want to.

We Blacks cannot ignore or deny racism out of existence. We will only experience racial justice when we call, and call out, racism by its name. Similarly, because race is still salient in this country, the public (and, by extension, potential trial jurors) will view this case through a racial lens no matter how many appeals McBride’s family makes to do otherwise.  The implications of the Renisha McBride case go beyond Renisha McBride. Again, this case falls within an all-too-familiar pattern of young Blacks being killed by Whites or “White-minded” individuals (George Zimmerman).

The outcome of the Renisha McBride case may affect the course of future cases. Even more, the McBride case could serve as a rallying point for people to fight or continue fighting for racial justice. That the parents and their lawyers have declared the case ‘non-racial’ is unfortunate; however, it should not dampen any of our efforts to mobilize.

We saw what happened in the George Zimmerman trial when the prosecution declined to bring up a racial motive in the case. Instead, the defense lawyers brought up race, to the benefit of George Zimmerman. The defense seized on the “creepy-ass cracka” comment that Trayvon Martin reportedly made in reference to Zimmerman, to show that Martin was the one doing the racial profiling. The defense created the impression that Martin pursued and “attacked” Zimmerman for his race instead of the other way around.  The defense also had several White residents of the neighborhood where Martin was killed testify that young Black males had been responsible for previous break-ins in the area and that they were terrified of potential future break-ins. Thus, the inference was that Zimmerman had a right to be suspicious of ‘Black’ Trayvon Martin.

Remember that Zimmerman was acquitted.

With Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy already stating that race will not be a factor in the prosecution of Theodore Wafer’s killing of Renisha McBride, I worry that his trial will go the way of the Zimmerman trial. If and when Wafer is acquitted, many of us will cry out in frustration and wonder how such an outcome could have happened, just as we did with Zimmerman. However, maybe we should start by looking at ourselves.

Racism is real.  We need to acknowledge and fight against it 24/7.


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Black Purpose and 2014 New Year

There are times when each of us should take leave of ‘self’ in order to truly see.  Our lives do have purpose even if we know not the purpose.  Have a useful, purposeful, and committed 2014 New Year.

In my thirst to learn and grow, I listen to what people say and I hear some things that are unsaid by others.  I see that which is oft-times unseen and I tap into my ancestors for overstanding.  I allow myself to hear and feel as I welcome and seek the wisdom that comes with Black consciousness.

We who are Black must be grounded in who we are.  The trappings of temptation abound and many of us wake up one night to discover that we, too, are lost in lascivious lifestyles that are void of purpose and commitment – void of Blackness.

Do not idolize or put on a pedestal any man, woman, or child.  None of us is perfect.  We are human and we are all capable of doing wrong and making mistakes.  Some of our mistakes and wrongs afford us and others additional opportunities to learn and grow.

Material possessions do not make any of us better than others.  Attributes that matter include involvement in and supporting us who give of ourselves for the betterment of future generations.

We who are Black must look at accountability and we must keep it relevant to who we ‘really’ are and what we should be about….  Excuses and apologies are not attractive; we must ‘keep it real’!

Offers to compromise our Blackness and to sell-out our fellow Blacks have been around for a long time.  The lures include money, sex, drugs, the facade of power, authority, stardom, celebrity status, a ‘position’ – you name it, the lures are plentiful.  Know that temptation can be a very powerful magnet.

So, we who are Black must be aware.  We must periodically give ourselves a self-constructed litmus test.  We must not get so caught up in ourselves that we become arrogant and think we are above temptation.  Strength demands awareness.  And, we must remember that ‘as long as there is breath, there is hope’.   We must love each other in spite of our mistakes.  Again, ‘as long as there is breath, there is hope’.  Undying Love for Black People!

My litmus test measures who I am.  And, it measures how far I have – or have not — progressed along the line of Black commitment.  As pointed out in an earlier post:  ‘many are called, few are chosen’….  I truly believe that I was ‘chosen’ and my life had — and continues to have — ‘purpose’.

I am in awe at the force that brought the likes of Marion Barry, Rev. David Eaton, Stokely ‘Black Power’ Carmichael (lka Kwame Ture), KoKo Hughes, Chuck Stone, Francis Welsing, Calvin Rolark, Betty Diggs, myself, and so many others together in DC during the 1960s.  Our commitment and work ignited a ‘Black’ force that reverberated throughout the world.  So many things were accomplished and we truly did ‘raise the bar’.  Many many people have benefitted as a result of the things we did and the actions that we took to bring about real change for Black people and all people.

In remembering the past, I think about Martin (Dr. King) and his ‘side’ trip to DC to speak with some of us before he returned to Memphis.  I think about Martin’s words – which I recorded — questioning whether or not White folk, in fact, had a conscience.  I think about the fact that Martin and I both knew that he would likely never return from Memphis and I remember that he was okay with whatever the future held for him.  I remember our talk and I remember that the ‘word’ was out that Martin would be killed if he returned to Memphis….

There are a lot of stories yet to be told.  Fact is, however, most of the stories from the 1960s and 1970s Black Movement will remain untold….

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