Miss. school reverses race-based rules for student elections

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC

Under former policy, blacks could not be class president

The school board in Nettleton, Miss., voted Friday to reverse its policy under which race determined whether a candidate could run for class positions, including president.

According to a memo sent home with students last week, African-American students could not run for class president in Nettleton Middle School this school year. However, the board voted at an emergency session Friday to drop that policy, according to Craig Ford, a reporter with the NBC News affiliate WTVA, who attended the meeting.

According to the district's statement, the practice had been in use for more than 30 years with whites and blacks rotating among offices annually.

"It is the belief of the current administration that these procedures were implemented to help ensure minority representation and involvement in the student body," Superintendent Russell Taylor said in a statement.

"Therefore, beginning immediately, student elections at Nettleton School District will no longer have a classification of ethnicity. It is our intent that each student has equal opportunity to seek election for any student office."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38880820/ns/us_news-life/

[mike r]

1. So they had a racial quota system

Heck of a lesson for the kids.

[bluestateguy]

2. The policy assumed white students would not vote for a black student

which seems to sort of endorse that behavior in perverse sort of way.

I'm glad that policy was thrown out. Now let's see if any black students are elected to office.

[The Croquist]

10. Does it also assume that black students would not vote for a white student?

All racial discrimination is wrong period.

[jobycom]

3. I believe that, actually.

Growing up in Mississippi during busing, I can tell you there was a lot of tension. Students had "hit lists" of other students they were going to beat up or kill. No one ever really acted on them, but there was a lot of racial tension, and a lot of fights. A school that was 65% white and 35% black at the time meant that no black student would get elected to anything. That changed, even while I was there (at my school, not the one in question), but it was certainly the case for a while.

So I can see that rule as being well-intentioned 30 years ago. It should have been ended before them, and cudos to the school for not trying to fight it once it was exposed. They could have done like the school that opposed the lesbian couple at the prom, and just canceled the elections or some other typical conservative response.

So, progress happened. That's good.

[Stuckinthebush]

6. A nice, reasonable analysis

Thank you.

It was probably a well intentioned act 30 years ago but, ironically, became an institutionalized racist endeavor.

I'm glad that the administration recognized the foolishness of this system in the current climate.

[davidinalameda]

8. that's the same argument that people use against affirmative action

African-American students can't compete so they have to have extra help so to speak

[Stuckinthebush]

9. In the 1960s and 70s in Mississippi they couldn't

There was a need for such a system to make sure that minority students would have an opportunity in school governance.

[davidinalameda]

11. so is it still neeed today?

[Stuckinthebush]

13. No

[activa8tr]

4. Is this one of the same school systems that has two separate Proms?

Or doesn't allow someone to bring their lesbian partner to the prom?

I just don't know much about the south, which state and which town is which.

[totodeinhere]

12. Yes, but there are a lot of good progressives in the South fighting the good fight. n/t

[onehandle]

5. Well, they only banned slavery in 1995. So it's only 1880 there.

They still have a lot of catching up to do.

[hayu_lol]

7. The school board called an emergency meeting and ...

thanks to the net, some positive action resulted immediately without fuss. That is progress.

Now we have to hope that the student body will be fair to all candidates.