Racist Policies Still Exist In Some Schools. Wait, Aren’t We Living In Post Racial America?

Posted by The Marksman at 3 September, at 14 : 30 PM Print

At this point in American History we are supposed to be living in post racial America, if you are Black, you can be president of the United States.  Well students of at least one middle school in Mississippi, until recently could not be president of their class.

It is sad but true. Nettleton Middle School in Nettleton, Mississippi recently released its guidelines for students running for office. And one of the “qualifications” for the office of class president was whiteness.

The highest office a Black student could hold at Nettleton Middle School was vice president of the 8th grade. Out of twelve available offices, 8 were reserved for whites, while 4 were set aside for Black students. Apparently, the school believed that for children, “good moral character” (another requirement for holding office) included accepting segregation.

In the same tradition, the guidelines for the school’s homecoming court does not allow for the election of four INDIVIDUALS, but rather for two COUPLES – one Black and one white. Apparently, they want to avoid the appearance of supporting interracial relationships if students of opposite races were to be chosen as King and Queen. And, these rules are in place DESPITE the fact that the school principal is an African American woman!

These polices were only recently changed in the last few weeks when a parent complained because her mixed race daughter would not have been eligible to run for Treasurer.  They said that the policies were implemented 30 years ago to ensure that all races would have an opportunity to hold different offices.  I am not sure how effective the policy was 30 years ago, but it sure is archaic and useless now.

There are still segregated proms in the South in some areas, and there are still laws on the books from the days of segregation that should be eliminated.  But laws and traditions are kept on the books because people do not like change and accept things the way they are because of fear.

We are in 2010 and still having segregated proms, and dumb policies in place that only servet to alienate people?  America needs to take a hard look at itself, as many in this country seem to think it is okay that a school mandates the color of it’s class elected officers.  The people who like these policies are just as bad as the parents who held a separate “White Only” prom for their children when the school finally eliminated a old policy of having segregated proms.

For those that thought we are living in post racial America please wake up.  This country still has major issues with race and culture that are not going to be resolved anytime soon, if ever.  Maybe several decades of children will help the problem not be as pronounced, but hate and racism are learned behaviors.  We all play with each other as babies right?  When you were three years old did you care about color?

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