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Michigan Teacher Fired for Organizing Trayvon Martin Fundraiser
Afro ^ | 4/14/12 | Alexis Taylor

Posted on 04/17/2012 5:39:37 AM PDT by YourAdHere

A civil rights advocacy group is pressing Pontiac, Mich., charter school officials to reinstate a Black 26 year-old middle school teacher who was fired over what she says was her role in encouraging student support for the family of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

The plight of Brooke Harris, who twice has been named Teacher of the Year at the Pontiac Academy for Excellence Middle School, is becoming part of the firestorm that has evolved in the aftermath of the Feb. 16 shooting death of the unarmed 17 year-old in Sanford, Fla.

So far, an estimated 30,000 signatures calling for her reinstatement have been attached to an online petition generated by the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) Teaching Tolerance project, a rally supporting her was staged at the suburban Detroit school and, on national television when the charges were announced against Martin’s self-admitted shooter, Baltimore’s Empowerment Temple AME pastor Jamal Bryant voiced support for her.

"We stand with Brooke Harris, the middle school teacher in Michigan who was fired," he said.

“I’m confused, I don’t really know why I was fired,” Harris told Detroit CBS affiliate WWJ-TV. “I know the circumstances around it. I know it had to have something to do with the fundraiser my students [wanted].” Harris was suspended on March 27 and later dismissed by Superintendent Jacqueline Cassell after asking Cassell if a small number of students, at their request, could conduct a fundraiser for the Martin family. The event called for students to give $1 in order to wear a hoodie on a day already designated as an “out-of-uniform” day for students. Martin was wearing a hoodie when he encountered an armed neighborhood watch volunteer.

Cassell rejected the request and suspended Harris for two days.

When the teacher returned to the school to deliver materials for a literacy showcase she had previously organized, the suspension was increased to two weeks. She was fired after she asked for an explanation detailing her original suspension.

The SPLC, an Alabama-based nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, quickly came to Harris’ support.

“Young people have to feel empowered. They have to feel like they can be agents of change. I think her firing just sends the message: 'Don't cross the system- Don’t question it, accept the decisions that are made and move on.’ That is the wrong message to send to kids,” said Maureen Costello, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program.

The education branch of the civil rights organization has rallied teachers and communities across the nation to put pressure on the school board to reinstate Harris.

“We talk with teachers all the time about the best ways to bring up issues that are difficult to bring up- but which we have to talk about, such as race, such as oppression and uncomfortable topics of all kinds and she did it right,” said Costello.

Pontiac Academy’s Cassell told ABC News that although she was raised during the civil rights movement, students could not afford to be sidetracked from their studies at this time. “In every situation, there are work rules. When rules are violated, there are consequences."

Trayvon Martin, who is Black, was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a White neighborhood watch volunteer, while walking to the house of his father’s fiancée from a convenience store. After Zimmerman told a police dispatcher Martin was “real suspicious,” the neighborhood watch volunteer said he followed the youth and shot him during a physical confrontation.

Two months later Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder. He claims he acted in self defense.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: blackkk; florida; georgezimmerman; michigan; trayvon; trayvonmartin
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To: YourAdHere

““Young people have to feel empowered. They have to feel like they can be agents of change. I think her firing just sends the message: ‘Don’t cross the system- Don’t question it, accept the decisions that are made and move on.’ That is the wrong message to send to kids,” said Maureen Costello, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program.”

Time to deconstruct this Black Empowerment Manifesto and the ffeestring lies embedded in its premises.
1. “Young people have to feel empowered.”
Young people have no power, being minors, unable to earn anything meaningful, uninformed and inexperienced. They are supported by society that they may be free to learn. “Black Activists” don’t agree and this one was fired for her violation of the social contract. Kids are kids, not political pawn.
2. “They have to feel like they can be agents of change.”
Change actualized by the ignorant and the inexperienced is unlikely to be supportive of the Constitution. That is why ‘activists’ like “empowered youth”. Think “Lord of the Flies” and you know where this “student empowerment” will end up.
3. “accept the decisions that are made and move on.’ That is the wrong message to send to kids,” - but they are just kids! They can’t make informed decisions, and thus those kids have to accept the decisions made by adults.
4. “said Maureen Costello, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program.” Sources are important, and this one is clearly commie to the core.
By the way, this commie is an old, white, commie, and looks somewhat female - and is a race baiter. They are not all black and male, like Sharpton.


21 posted on 04/17/2012 7:54:28 AM PDT by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon freedom, it is necessary to examine principles."...the public interest)
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To: Psycho_Bunny
Good Point Psycho,

“Young people have to feel empowered. They have to feel like they can be agents of change.”

Oh, puleeze.
If "teach" wants to "empower" her students, how about teaching?
22 posted on 04/17/2012 10:06:37 AM PDT by Peet (Cogito ergo dubito.)
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To: YourAdHere
Trayvon Martin, who is Black, was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a White neighborhood watch volunteer, while walking to the house of his father’s fiancée from a convenience store.

Interesting! The MSM pictures doctored by ABC show Zimmerman as crimson faced with a pink shirt (original pic he is tanned and has an orange shirt). So if they were trying to lighten him to make him "white", then how come they lightened Martin to make him a light milk chocolate color? I mean if they want black, then his original dark chocolate color shouldn't have been doctored by the MSM. It's all race-baiting, and continues to be so.

23 posted on 04/17/2012 11:21:44 AM PDT by roadcat
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To: cripplecreek

Thanks for the post.


24 posted on 04/17/2012 11:34:40 AM PDT by YourAdHere (Spike Lee's films are boring and unoriginal.)
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To: roadcat

They lightened Trayvon for the same reasons that People magazine darkened OJ Simpson. When it comes to blacks, darker skin gives people a subconscious impression that the person is more threatening. They wanted to make OJ out to look more sinister and they want to make Trayvon look less sinister. These folks can be pretty slick when it comes to manipulating public opinion.


25 posted on 04/17/2012 11:43:01 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: YourAdHere

I see this is written by “Afro.”

Do we have an opposite point of view from “Whitey?”


26 posted on 04/17/2012 3:30:07 PM PDT by sergeantdave
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To: cripplecreek; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks cripplecreek.


27 posted on 04/17/2012 6:18:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: YourAdHere

““Young people have to feel empowered. They have to feel like they can be agents of change. I think her firing just sends the message: ‘Don’t cross the system- Don’t question it, accept the decisions that are made and move on.’ That is the wrong message to send to kids,” said Maureen Costello...”

What is it with these people?...always so concerned with what message is or is not being “sent”. Well, I have a message for them: Uncle Buck would like to have a word with you.


28 posted on 04/18/2012 7:24:21 AM PDT by equaviator
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To: equaviator

“Here’s a quarter. Go downtown, and have a rat gnaw that mole off your face.”


29 posted on 04/18/2012 9:01:26 AM PDT by YourAdHere (Spike Lee's films are boring and unoriginal.)
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To: YourAdHere

Hahah...

“Here’s a hundred dollars. Stay where you are and have another democrat sit on your face.”

(having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have)


30 posted on 04/18/2012 9:22:29 AM PDT by equaviator
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