Racial Remarks Hurt Education

The education of our children is in dire straits! As a teacher at Hawthorne High School, I know the school climate is in turmoil. The educational environment grows increasingly negative each day. The situation has been created by a growing conflict between professional staff who are divided along racial lines. Specifically, the division of the staff has been manifested with racial remarks, accusations and statements that are resulting in serious damage to the educational climate in our district.

The California state Legislature has recognized the need for increasing numbers of professional educators who represent ethnic minorities in our society. Recent experience has shown that there is a reaction and backlash by members of the majority group whenever minority members are in a position of authority. We encourage our children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. This pledge concludes with the statement “ . . . with liberty and justice for all.” Apparently, many majority group educators have failed to accept our nation’s creed. There seems to be great difficulty in accepting liberty and justice for black Americans.

Too often when black Americans work to advance themselves in our society, other Americans take a united stand to negate the progress of these educators whose skin color happens to be different. Our Constitution states: “That all men are created equal.” Our challenge today, at this critical time in our history, is to live up to our nation’s creed and the Constitution of the United States of America.

ADRIENNE BILLINGSLEY

Hawthorne