Do We Ever Get to Be Right?

As a reporter at the time with the Morning Star newspaper in Wilmington, NC, I spent almost two hours one Monday evening listening to about a dozen African American parents complain that a particular school bus driver disrespected their children, yelling at them and calling them names. These parents claimed that complaints to local school officials sparked no action. "It almost as if they don't care about how our children are treated," one mother said, tears of frustration welling in her eyes.

The next day, I spoke with my editor, a large bewhiskered native northeasterner who shared with love for tracking down a good story. We agreed that I would wait a few days and then follow the bus along its route and observe whatever I could see, interview the appropriate people and write about whatever the facts revealed.

Three possible stories could emerge from my reporting, as follows:

1. The parents were correct. Their children were being disrespected by this particular school bus driver.
2. The parents were wrong.. Their children were misbehaving on the bus, and the driver was simply doing what she had to do to maintain an orderly and safe environment.
3. Some combination of both.

One week later, I was parked about a half block from the first stop for this particular bus that picked up elementary school children from a public housing neighborhood called Greenfield Homes. Slowly, I followed the bus, trying to ascertain from a distance what might be happening. It appeared to me that the children were sitting about as quietly as could be expected for elementary school children. I did notice one thing I found interesting. Apparently, this bus pick up children in an adjacent "white" neighborhood before swinging through Greenfield Home, and the "white" children filled up most of the seats on the front of the bus. Thus when the "black" children boarded, most of the empty seats were in the back.

One of my first thoughts was that given the route, which the driver, of course, had no control over, a simple rule to fill up the bus from back to front would have put the allegedly disruptive children closer to the front of the bus and presumably easier to admonish.

As I followed the bus, I noticed a couple of times, the driver--a young "white" woman who I learned later was 24-years-old-- turned her head to say something, rather loudly to some children. I assumed the loudness--I could hear her voice through one of the opened windows of the bus. I drove ahead to another stop, parked my car, and step onto the bus, following the school children waiting there, I introduced myself and said I would like to schedule an interview later so I could do this story.

The driver angrily ordered me off her bus. I patiently explained that the school bus was public property and as a journalist I represented the public., Therefore, the public had a right to know what, if anything, was happening on this particular school and any others in the system. Again, I asked for an appointment to interview her, She refused and again ordered me off her bus. I left the bus and followed this driver until she dropped off all of her students, and drove to the New Hanover Schools school bus lot where I later learned she had parked her car, Again I approached the driver to attempt to schedule an interview. She yelled her refusal, complete with some expletives. The commotion attracted her supervisor. I explained the situation, Turned out that I had to get permission from an assistant superintendent. Later that afternoon I interviewed the driver, her supervisor and the assistant superintendent, The driver said, during the interview that she felt threatened when I got onto the school bus, That's why she ordered me off, etc.

I wrote the story, It was published the following morning. Later that day two police officers came to the office and arrested me on a warrant signed by the school bus driver, charging me with trespassing and communicating a threat, The district attorney subsequently dropped the charges without me having to go to court, My question: why wasn't I just right? I was following my editor's instructions. I did not violate any laws. I was not impolite. Therefore, why did a New Hanover County magistrate issue a warrant, authorizing Wilmington police to arrest me?

Okay Milton, but you say this incident happened 38 years ago. Look how far we have come since then, all the way to the nation's first African American president. Yes, Afrcan American thrive, excel and some just survive in this country. Yet, the feeling that lying and accusing African Americans, particularly men, of nefarious behavior resonates truthfully among many "white" people remains a cultural cloud in the most suf-filled days of racial relationships.

During his day, Dr. Martin Luther King longed for the day when African Americans would be evaluated based upon the content of their character. I agree. I also want to see the time when African Americans are presumed to be right for the same reasons others enjoy the presumption--the predominance of the facts support their position.

Sometimes being black in America is like beginning an academic examination that includes 100 questions and you already have a score of minus 45. This means that even if you answer each question correctly, you final score is 55 because the first 45 correct answers just got you to zero, where everyone else began,. Talk about grading on a slippery slope.

Just so you do not think that I am a chronic complainer. Examine the facts. The AP story listed in the resource box occurred in June 2009.