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Leave Ernie Chambers alone

Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 17, 2006 - 4:59pm.
on

Schools Plan in Nebraska Is Challenged
By SAM DILLON

In a constitutional challenge to a state law that would divide the Omaha public schools into three racially identifiable districts, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sued the governor of Nebraska and other state officials yesterday in federal court in Omaha, arguing that the law "intentionally furthers racial segregation."

I believe this is the first time I take issue with something the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund has chosen to do.

Theodore M. Shaw, director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., who filed the suit on behalf of the Omaha branch of the N.A.A.C.P., said he respected Mr. Chambers's effort to give minority communities increased control over school administration.

"But we disagree with actions that will exacerbate segregation in the public schools," Mr. Shaw said. "I mean this is 2006, in a society that is diverse and multicultural."

"[A] society that is diverse and multicultural"? Dude, you're talking abour Nebraska.


People QuickFacts Nebraska USA

 White persons, percent, 2000 (a) 89.6%75.1%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 (a) 4.0%12.3%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 (a) 0.9%0.9%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 (a) 1.3%3.6%

Persons reporting some other race, percent, 2000 (a) 2.8%5.5%

Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2000 1.4%2.4%

White persons, not of Hispanic/Latino origin, percent, 2000 87.3%69.1%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 (b) 5.5%12.5%

Out of every 100 people in Nebraska, four are Black, five or so are Latino. And if all of them ain't in Omaha, they ass better be back there before sunset.

Just joking. Sorta.

Omaha has the residential segregation issues the rest of the country has, only with a much less diverse population to start with. The only way to set up school districts that do not reflect that is busing (a known non-starter) or to "jerrymander" them like they were Congressional districts, which would net out to a busing program anyway.

Once again we got the wrong focus...we keep worrying about the "seperate" part when it is the "equal" part that has never been tried. Give us the "equal" part and the "seperate" part will take care of itself.

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P6 -Did you mean publicly
Submitted by ptcruiser on May 17, 2006 - 7:48pm.

P6 -

Did you mean publicly take issue with...? Or just take issue with...? 

It's the first time I have
Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 17, 2006 - 7:54pm.
It's the first time I have to call it an error instead of a difference in goals or approach.
I know that guy
Submitted by Temple3 on May 17, 2006 - 9:53pm.

Theodore M. Shaw used to be Ted. I bet he still is. Always tight with his stuff - 'cept I guess this old school NAACP policy/principle stuff. Integrate no matter what.
It's just pointless. Win or
Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 17, 2006 - 10:24pm.

It's just pointless. Win or lose, the schools are still functionally segregated and it really looks like physical fact prevents that from changing. Got better stuff to focus on.

I said folks should leave Mr. Chambers alone, but if asked I'd have told him not to mention Black people being in charge of their own destiny, not for the press or on the Senate floor. Let it be a happy consequence of a common tax base and grouping the schools into districts by physical proximity. Let the locals know via a whisper campaign.