Ugly Race Issues Continue in Natchitoches, Louisiana Over Education Issues
School Discipline and Choice of Superintendent Split on Racial Lines
The film Steel Magnolias was made in Natchitoches. The movie, enjoyed by many people for more than 15 years, depicts the friendly South where people blend and band together during great personal tragedies. It is also the place written about by Harriet Beecher Stowe in the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, with its description of the awfulness of slavery. The plantation described in the book, Little Eva, is but 20 minutes drive from the town center. Natchitoches is also 70 miles from Jena, Louisiana and the nooses incident that created national attention and right next door to Winn Parish where a young man was found wrongfully tasered by police
This becomes the background for the issues regarding the selection of Superintendent of Schools, a district with a majority of African American students, where the high school has seen a number of racial incidents during the past several years. The selection of a white man for little experience in diversity education, over black candidates with recent, hands-on experience with racial issues and differences, reflects the kind of difficulties faced by the town that struggles to recover from its racist past even as the rest of the country has embraced the election of a black man as President of the United States.
I interviewed several people for this article. One of them, the niece of Ben Johnson one of the most influential and respected black leaders of the 20th century in Louisiana, told me how angry she feels. She said, " I have lived many places and thought the South had gotten past this, but what happened here was terrible." This response came from someone who is considered to be a racial moderate with many white friends. But she is worried about the future of the education of Natchitoches children and whether or not black children will be treated fairly.
Two years ago the issue was school discipline over fights. White parents and teachers wanted to see a two strikes, and you're out policy while black teachers and parents wanted children to be evaluated and a thorough look given the causes of school strife. The "two strikes and you're out" policy was adopted with refusal to administer test surveys to determine underlying problems before what the black community saw as punitive policies directed at black students.
Presently the problem is the choice of school superintendent of Natchitoches. Originally there were 17 applicants, with the field eventually narrowed to four, one white and three black. The white candidate, eventually selected, put in his application after the date for applications hand ended; and it appeared the choice would bring an African American as the final choice. The school board President, a white woman, put forth his name; and he was selected by a vote of all the white members of the school board. Derwood Duke, Assistant Professor at Northwestern University, who declared he had no information about how to do the interactive site at the University required by staff nor other technological tools and who had run a nearly all-white school district a number of years ago, but was nevertheless selected over other candidates with recent experience in administration of diverse student populations. They included Mary Nash-Robinson of Greenwood who is Caddo Parish School Board Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Thomas Roque of Natchez, Rapides Parish School System, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Shannon Verett of League City, Texas, Houston Independent School District Leadership Developing Manager for Aspiring Principals Institute.
Prymus and the editor of the multicultural paper, Randy Stelly, both declared that this was a terrible injustice to the children of Natchitoches and a reflection of the fact that the town has not recovered from its angry racist past. Prymus said to me: "This is the Deep South Carol where segregation and racism continue to live. It was unfair and ridiculous what happened, and my uncle would never have allowed this in these days."
I write this story, independent of the official town newspaper the Natchitoches Times, that failed to headline Barack Obama's election as President of the United States and that had no reporter at Obama headquarters the night he won the Presidency. I write this as an independent journalist, associated with an independent newspaper called The Real Views and other journalism sites. Polite brochures describe the town as pristine and perfect, with scarcely a ripple of trouble. The African American community, however, say little has changed and that racial problems remain a part of the legacy of the Deep South in the election of a white superintendent that reflects those problems they say haven't gone away, even in an era where a black man, Barack Obama, was elected President of the United States.
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Published by Carol Forsloff
Oregon - Louisiana resident, 28 years in Hawaii. Retired certified teacher, mental health counselor, life care planner, document examiner with parallel career in journalism, as college instructor, writer, e... View profile
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- Educational problems in Natchitoches continue to bring race conflicts
- The problem of race was introduced in the issue over discipline of children
- Now the issue is the choice of school superintendent, where tensions are increasing
21 Comments
Post a CommentExcuse me? I write on many different places, about 1200 articles in the past 6 months. Want to comb through them and you'll find less than 5% are about African Americans. But that is probably too much for Margaret. Beautiful town, but ugly racial issues; and to report them at all makes one a racist? What a pity the town can't move in the direction of change like the rest of the country. The day after the election of Obama it was like a funeral in Natchitoches. Anyone who thinks there aren't serious race issues in this town, has their heads in thae sand. And as for getting rid of people, well that's how racist hatreds were directed to people during segregation and before that slavery, when Southerners talked about the fact their place was just fine before the outside agitators moved in. Sorry Margaret, this is my home also; and there will be more like me--they are younger, however, with their eyes wide open. So you will just have to move aside because change, my dear, is comin
Ms Forsloff,
My question to you is why do you always write about the opinions of the african americans? The caucasians in this town have strong opinions too so why not write about those? You never do. Don't try to make others believe that you are not racist because your actions show differently. This is a beautiful town! We just need to get rid of people like Ms. Forsloff and others from the Real Views!!!
Of course, why not give the fellow a chance? This was basically a report to say that race is part of the discussion, which it is. There is no denying it, whether it is right or wrong. Also on the day of the rally, Randy told me he was in Natchitoches and was when I saw him that day. Neither he nor I went to Jena. Perhaps, Mr. Hobbs, you confused him with someone else or he didn't tell me the truth, but I did see him later in the day. Again, perhaps it is time to give the guy a chance, but suffice to say the vote was indeed on racial lines, which reveals that race, as I said, is an issue. Furthermore the article does point out that Duke doesn't have recent diversity experience hands on, which is true. It is not a racist statement, because I would have said the same thing of any black candidate who did't have recent diversity experience. Race is an issue, as stated by members of the black community. Whether it is or is not, that is their opinion. Having been at school board me
By the way, I was at the rally for the Jena 6. I marched with the Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers. I was the only white guy there who didn't have press credentials. I even waved at mister Stelly sitting in his lawn chair on the side of the road.
If the candidate selected was white they would have said he/she was preselected, if he/she were black they would have said it was because they were black. Either way you can't win so why not give the guy a chance. But rather than do that you make racist accusations by comparison. Hanging a noose and tasering someone is not the same as selecting an obviously qualified person to run the school system. Your comparisons are obviously skewed toward the bias of racism, so why try to pass yourself as independent? Anyone would be better than the previous superintendent, so lets see what this guy can do.
Thanks for your comments Annette. Natchitoches is beautiful and has many good things about it, but no place is perfect. This article says that race is an issue and was in the selection of the school superintendent. People may deny it, but the fact that it is used in elections for mayor, representative, senator and school board, with people on both sides saying so, and wishing it weren't so, is fact.
White people do understand diversity. We are talking about diversity experience at the elementary and secondary levels in school administration, which is different. The article reflects opinions given by others, not mine.
This is the white superintendent who they would have you believe was not qualified:
FACULTY VITAE
Name: Derwood N. Duke
Rank: Assistant Professor- Retired
Status: Limited Graduate Faculty
DEGREES
Ed.D. Emphasis on Physical Education with Administration minor
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, Louisiana - 1974
M. Ed. Education Administration with a minor in Physical Education
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana - 1959
B. S. Physical Education with a minor in Mathematics
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana - 1958
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT/EXPERIECE
1997-04 Assistant Professor - Educational Leadership
Northwestern State University College of Education
Natchitoches, Louisiana
1988-96 Superintendent, Winn Parish School Board
Winnfield, Louisiana
1981-88 Director, Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches, Louisiana
1974-81 Assistant Basketball Coach, Golf Coach, Assistant Professor of
Health,Physical Education an
This comment is disturbing:
"The selection of a white man for little experience in diversity education, over black candidates with recent, hands-on experience with racial issues and differences, reflects the kind of difficulties faced by the town..."
Only black people understand diversity? The most qualified candidate should win no matter what the race.
This article proves discrimination.
mr. long,
I believe the president had no choice to go by black, because you decided for him. Remeber! I just think, it is unfair to give people postions there are unqualified for. If there was no one else qualifed for the job, there could have been exceptions. It is my experience in the south that many people with high profile jobs either have no or very little education. It is who you know or people just believe taht the job belong to you, because your great grand father or grandmother had it first or known in town.