Arkansas High School Appoints Co-Valedictorian Because Top Student Was African American

I can't even fathom this. What year are we in?

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/25/278437/arkansas-valedictorian-discrimination/


Arkansas High School Appoints Co-Valedictorian Because Top Student Was African American | A high school student in Arkansas was blocked from receiving sole valedictorian honors this summer, despite earning the highest G.P.A. in her class and receiving only a single B in her four years at McGehee Secondary School. Kymberly Wimberly’s offense? She’s black. School administrators worried that Wimberly’s accomplishment would result in a “big mess” at the majority-white school, so Principal Darrell Thompson told the student’s mother “that he decided to name a white student as co-valedictorian,” even though the white student had a lower G.P.A. The matter is currently pending in federal court.

Let these idiots secede already!!:mad:
:

someone needs to give that child a full ride scholarship to the college of their choice. I can't imagine the sorry they feel and more than that, their family.

and this student ends up owning her own school district.

From another article:

"Although the high school is predominantly white, it is also 46 percent African-American."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/black-student-cant-be-val_n_909163.html


That school needs to loose bad on this case.


edited to add: read the case here - http://www.scribd.com/doc/60902397/wimberlypdf

:wow:

:mad:

This girl oughta sue her mother too.

Not to criticize the state, but this sucks big time. Open racism. Good for her for suing. I can't imagine that she won't win. Probably, what will happen is that the school will stop naming a valedictorian to prevent such a thing from happening again.

Obama won, but even tonight, we get a "dueling" speech from a U.S. Representative
who has already stated that his job is the "same" as that of Pres. Obama's.

Same shit, different day!

Anyone who thinks racism is not alive and well in this country is blind.

Anytime someone talks about racism, the predictable response is "Yer playin the race card!!1"

As if racism consists only of segregation and lynching.

Somehow we don't seem quite as quick to suspect, identify and complain about some of those other forms of discrimination however.

Not being critical - just trying to say that we also need to be vigilent against all forms of bigotry and discrimination.

decision. The student with the highest GPA should be the only person honored as the top student. The decision was gutless.

after the walmart case. Things like this happen all the time. As a Black woman, I just put it in the filing cabinets of things to fight and move on.

in the 1890s when the Cambridge scholarship was given to a white boy over the black winner - his parents went to court and won and from that day selection was based on merit. His folks still packed up and left the island.

did this principal not ever stop and think and notice that these kids have been in school together for four years? they knew a long time ago who earned the valedictorian slot, just get out of her way and let her enjoy the honor she has earned

i suspect the students are better human beings than this principal

he didn't just cheat the young lady who earned top honors, altho he obviously did that, he also cheated the students who have been learning together w. this young lady and who have undoubtedly been aware of her fierce desire for learning for a long, long time

if you want to fuck w. someone's chances of being a valedictorian, you have 4 years to do it, instead, her fellow students allowed her the equal chance to succeed and to excel...why assume the worst of such students instead of assuming the best?

i just don't think the principal's argument makes any sense, nor if i was the white student chosen would i feel comfortable w. any title other than saluditorian (can't spell it, obv. i was neither one ha ha!)

"I'm racist, and so can you..." will make a wonderful tea party poster...

The worst part is these asshats probably really believe they're doing Wimberly a favor... protecting her and some such bullshit rationalization.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

... who is in a position to make a very big difference: the white kid with the slightly lower average could, in her or his speech to the graduating class, effectively refuse the "honor". Yes, this should never have happened, but that kid has an opportunity to right a great wrong here. I hope it is something this person is capable of doing gracefully.

It'd be like being able to tell your grandkids about separate bathrooms or water fountains - an unimaginable place from another time with which to punctuate your lessons about right and wrong.