Thom Hartmann: Still don't think racism is alive in America?

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 09:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIM7VSf5rgk   Posted on YouTube: July 27, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheBigPictureRT Views on YouTube: 74   Posted on DU: July 27, 2011 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 1894

 
There's a race controversy breaking out in Arkansas. It centers on what happened at a high school in the city of McGehee. McGehee Secondary School is facing a lawsuit from the parents of 18-year-old Kymberly Wimberly - after Wimberly - who had the highest GPA in her class - was denied sole valedictorian honors simply because she’s an African American. Fearing that naming an African-American student valedictorian at a predominately white school could cause a "big mess" - Principal Darrell Thompson went ahead and named another student - a white student with a lower GPA - as co-valedictorian. Now - Principal Thompson - and the rest of the Arkansas school board in the area - will have some explaining to do in a court of law. Still don’t think racism is alive in America? But beyond the overt racism on display in Arkansas - there's the quiet, underlying racism beneath the socioeconomics of America. According to new numbers from the Pew Research Center - the wealth gap between whites and our nation's two largest minorites -African Americans and hispanics - has grown to disturbingly high levels. Today - white households control 20 times more wealth than African American households - and 18 times more wealth than Hispanic households. This is the greatest wealth inequality between races ever recorded in the history of this nation. So why is this happening? And what can we do about it? Joining Thom Hartmann to weigh in on these issues is Don Rojas - Executive Director of Free Speech TV - and currently attending the annual NAACP Convention in Los Angeles.

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[FBaggins]

1. Of COURSE racism is still alive in America. That doesn't mean that this is an example of it.

We can't get to the point that every time someone doesn't get what she wants and claims that it's because of racism... we simply accept that as fact and run national stories about it.

If the other side of the story comes out and it turns out that there's a reasonable explanation (as there appears to be in this case), will the correction get the same "play" as the accusation?

We owe it to the victims of actual racism to confirm our facts before jerking our knees.

[pepperbear]

6. Where is this "reasonable explanation?" Not sure I've heard any explanation

for the decision at all from the administration. Do you have a link to a story in which the principal or any other member of the administration actually comments? I genuinely would like to see what they have to offer.

[FBaggins]

11. See my #3

The supposed #2 had an equal record except that he took an extra course (and got an 'A'). If he hadn't taken the course, her would have received the exact same GPA - and the class rank policy says that taking extra courses won't hurt your class rank.

He therefore had a legitimate gripe since without that policy he would have been better off not taking a course (even if he received a perfect score).

It was reported on the CNN site yesterday. I'll see if I can find a link

I've also seen reported (though I haven't confirmed), that the superintended who made the decision is also an African American. This further solidified for me that the original story didn't make sense.

[Jimalene]

7. And do you believe that if it was a white student with the highest GPA

that there would be a black co-valedictorian selected. If that happens then you have a point. Otherwise this smells of racism.

[FBaggins]

8. Yes. I do.

Because the supposed #2 has a legitimate claim on co-#1

That doesn't change with the color of his skin.

[Jimalene]

9. Does this school has a history of picking a co-valedictorian?

Then I agree. Otherwise I disagree.

[FBaggins]

10. Has there been a tie (or effective tie) under the rules before?

If not, then it doesn't matter.

[NOLALady]

2. I have to agree with the co-valedictorian here.

"But in an ABC interview, Kymberly said her co-valedictorian agreed that given the racial tensions in their town and school, the situation would not have been the same had Kymberly had the lower GPA - even if by a fraction of a point."


http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/politics-raising-children/2011/jul/26/black-arkansas-student-validictorian-white/

[FBaggins]

3. I wish that I could agree.

Imagine that the situation was reversed. Student #2 has a slightly higher GPA entirely because Kymberly decided to take an extra course (and got an "A" in it!). Her GPA would have been identical if she hadn't decided to take the extra course. You see, an "A" actually pulls your GPA down in a system where a handful of courses are worth more than four points.

The rules for selecting class ranking (and thus the valedictorian) specifically state that you won't be penalized for taking more credits than someone else. So now imagine Kymberly's mother finding out that a white student was named valedictorian by himself... when her daughter would have had the same GPA if she hadn't taken a course that she didn't need to take (again... and got an "A" in it). The rules say that you won't be penalized for this but clearly her daughter was penalized.

I have no confidence that the mother in this case would not have seen racism in that result. Why is the rule book only followed for white students? Why is she being penalized for going the extra mile?

Can you imagine facing the situation in advance? "I know you want to take this additional course... but you need to realize that even if you get an 'A" you'll be hurting your class standing" ???

When the system encourages kids not to learn, there's something wrong with the system... and it isn't race (in this case).

[Mosaic]

4. What needs to be done

Wealth is not the house alone. Blacks and Latinos must invest in stocks, bonds, retirement plans, gold, anything that will equalize the wealth levels.

[FBaggins]

5. Before you can invest... you need to earn more money than you spend.

I won't say that ALL of the difference in outcomes is the result of bias, but I certainly wouldn't go all the way in the other direction and lay the blame entirely at the door of behavior/choices.