Remember — in the hyperbolic aftermath of Barack Obama’s election — when some rhapsodized about the onset of “post-racial” America?
Would that it were so. Or imminent.
Undeniable progress, of course, has occurred — and been well chronicled. And the symbolic significance of an African-American president can hardly be understated.
But look no farther than south Pinellas County for a reality check.
With the increasing return to majority-black schools, especially in south Pinellas, there has developed a worrisome pattern in this post court-ordered, desegregation era. Outrageous, rampant disrespect of teachers — invariably white teachers — by black students has become all too prevalent in these neighborhood schools. As if they – the white teachers – don’t belong there. Notably, some black teachers have also been intimidated.
By many accounts, some of the nine majority-black schools are now out of control, and the Pinellas School Board is struggling to help them cope. By some accounts, a couple of these schools are now educational travesties.
Would better teacher training — to lessen incidents of unintentional racial slights — help? How about more black teachers? And a beseeching plea to parents to do a better job of socializing their kids is a given.
The irony couldn’t be more profound or disturbing.
The president is a Harvard-educated African American at a time when America’s survival as a pre-eminent economic power depends on educationally empowering our young people to compete in a global economy. Yes, we need to be a post-racial America to fulfill our enormous potential. No, it’s nothing but a cruel hoax in much of south Pinellas.