Posted on 11/22/2003 3:38:37 PM PST by Missouri
Speaker is banned at Sumner after racial complaint By MATTHEW FRANCK Post-Dispatch 11/22/2003
White student walks out, says parts of presentation were insensitive. School official says nothing was said to tear down white students.
A St. Louis Public Schools administrator said Friday that he saw nothing wrong with an anti-gang assembly at Sumner High School that some students say took a racially hostile tone.
Sumner High School senior Christopher Anderson walked out of the assembly Wednesday because he felt that some comments were insensitive to white students. Anderson is among the few Sumner students who are not African-American, but his complaints were shared by at least three black students, according to the principal.
The school responded Thursday by banning one of the event's speakers, Anthony Shahid, from further appearances at the school.
Even so, Principal Wade Mayham said he believed some of the controversial comments might have been misunderstood.
"The overall tone of the event was extremely positive," said Mayham, who said he was present for about a third of the assembly. But because some students were offended, Mayham said, he will not invite Shahid to return.
Meanwhile, the school district official who planned the event has no apologies. Charles McCrary, the district's head of security, said the assembly did its job in warning young men at the school about the dangers of gang activity.
Part of that message, he said, was one of making the black students in the audience recognize that they are killing each other through gang warfare. He said black students were asked to take pride in themselves through education, but he said nothing was said that would tear town white students.
According to Anderson, Shahid said that whites stayed in school so when they graduate they can be in charge of blacks. Anderson said Shahid used a racial epithet in making those remarks.
Shahid could not be reached for comment Friday.
The event's emcee, former professional football player Demetrious Johnson , said he didn't hear a comment anything like the one described by Anderson.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he said. "Our purpose is to make black kids stop killing each another."
McCrary said he was present for the whole assembly and did not hear anything that was offensive toward whites. He acknowledged that the event included harsh language, but only so speakers could relate with students.
McCrary said the same assembly had been presented at Vashon and Beaumont high schools without complaints.
Anderson said he'd like the school to apologize for the incident through an assembly or a schoolwide announcement.
Anderson participates in the school's ROTC program and has been elected by his classmates to fill leadership roles. Until the assembly, he said, he always felt comfortable as a minority.
Reporter Matthew Franck E-mail: mfranck@post-dispatch.com Phone: 636-500-4106
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Like I said earlier, word is that he got his education at the Jefferson City Penitentary.
Charles McCrary, the district's head of security
Head of security, what does this guy know. From what I know about how the City of St. Louis is run, his is a politically appointed job. That means he's a rat. <
This would be nice. The machine shop I work in is about 20 to 25% black ( We're all union ). The ones I've talked politics with are well entrenched in the Rat camp. To them its all about getting even with the "Rich".
Face facts. 90% vote democratic and todays democrats are very socialistic, knowing little about our Constitutional Republic.
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