Education

General Assembly School Board Recall Bills Laced With Racism

THE TENNESSEE TRIBUNE — State control of local decisions may be at the heart of recently introduced bills in the Tennessee General Assembly. The bills “would cause our board to be more decisive and take away the focus from serious issues that affect our students,” School Board Member James Johnson said.

Published

6 years ago

April 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Malorie Paine

JACKSON, TN — State control of local decisions may be at the heart of recently introduced bills in the Tennessee General Assembly.

The bills “would cause our board to be more decisive and take away the focus from serious issues that affect our students,” School Board Member James Johnson said.

Others are also not pleased with what the bills represent, such as Harrell Carter, president of Jackson Madison County’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The representatives who introduced the bills seem to have not fully thought through the ramifications, Carter said.

“What is done to one could be done to another,” Carter said.

If passed, the bills would allow elected officials to be recalled through a petition process. Representative Chris Todd, R-Madison County and Senator Ed Jackson, R-Jackson introduced bills in their respective houses.

“(The bills) would set a bad precedent,” Johnson said. “Any board member that would be outspoken concerning inequalities would be a target especially if they are part of the majority vote that does not align with special interest groups.”

Both Carter and Johnson said they believe the bills directly target Morris Merriweather, a Jackson Madison County School Board member, who has been vocal about his desire to see improvements within the school system.

Merriweather’s outspokenness was definitely a factor in introducing the bills, Johnson said.

“He is outspoken about some of the poor decisions made in our school district and the lack of urgency addressing turnaround of our priority schools,” Johnson said.

Carter says Merriweather’s passionate approach played a major role in the bills.

“(This) is because he is a passionate African American male who has educational experience,” Carter said. “He came in with a lot of passion, and he certainly has made some hiccups, but it’s not anything that should amount to a law being passed.”

Merriweather has continually challenged the current system’s equity among Jackson Madison County School System students.

Inequities within the school system are not new, but ones that span decades dating back to the 1970s, Carter said. Merriweather is simply the latest to take a stand for equity. Problems in the district include lack of funding in the majority minority schools, failure of the system to provide textbooks and what Carter calls “intentional overcrowding.”

Carter also warned that legislators should be careful when considering their votes on the bills.

“The Constitutionality of this kind of stinks,” Carter said. “This legislation can’t just be for one … it has to be for every elected official in the state of Tennessee. I think they need to be very careful because there are a lot of people who a lot of folks would like to recall. … Is it about race? Yes, it is about race, there’s no question about it. Race matters.”

Johnson said he absolutely opposes the bills and representatives are overstepping their boundaries.

“This is a local issue and also a district position and a district issue that should have never reached this level,” Johnson said. “It’s a political ploy to control the majority vote on our local school board.”

Todd’s bill has advanced to the Election Subcommittee for further review.

This article originally appeared in The Tennessee Tribune.

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Art

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.

By Tamara Shiloh

Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.

Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.

Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.

Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.

Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.

Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.

She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.

In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.

Recognition and Legacy

Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.

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California Black Media

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Robinson

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.

Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”

Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.

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California Black Media

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”

“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.

Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.

According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”

For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:

A United States citizen and a resident of California.
18 years old or older on Election Day.
Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.

Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.

Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.