Posted on 01/16/2002 6:44:03 AM PST by Bubba_Leroy
Millwood Public Schools Superintendent Gloria Griffin says she is "dumbfounded." Since Monday, she has been swamped with angry e-mails accusing her administration of espousing black separatist doctrine to Millwood students. She said nothing could be further from the truth.
"This is very unfortunate," Griffin said.
At the center of the misunderstanding is a copy of "The Black Pledge of Allegiance," which appears on the Millwood Public Schools Web site immediately beneath the traditional American Pledge of Allegiance.
Griffin said the pledge, the origin of which is unknown to her, has appeared on the Web site since it was created last spring. She said she had forgotten all about it until the angry e-mails started arriving.
The pledge is not something the students recite in school, she said, although it apparently has been characterized that way in e-mails that have circulated over the Internet.
"Let me tell you how this came about," Griffin said. "Two or three years ago, one of the middle school teachers was doing a study on black pride or cultural pride.
"This particular pledge was among the items the students found through their research."
Black students make up about 99 percent of the Millwood school system's population, she said.
Some students found the pledge to be encouraging and inspirational and asked if it could be used in the Student Planner, a book where students keep track of their assignments, Griffin said.
It was approved and later was placed on the Web site, she said.
Griffin said the idea that some people might interpret the pledge as advocating separatism never occurred to her when she read it.
"When I read it, I focus on the words 'united in love, freedom and determination,'" she said. "If you look at history, there is a great need for African Americans to love. It is very important that we appreciate freedom. And it is very, very important to have self- determination, and I don't mean that in a sense of separatism."
Others have interpreted the pledge differently.
One of the nicer e-mails Griffin received said: "So much of the Millwood Web site is worthwhile. However, it is a shame that this pledge to black separatism is allowed in your school system."
Another says: "I am offended by the Millwood Black Pledge of Allegiance. It is one of the most racist pieces of propaganda I have read in many years. In a nation which encourages equality, I am surprised to see such stark racial division being taught by a public school."
Griffin said she is particularly upset by e-mails that have been blatantly racist, e-mails that falsely accuse the district of asking students to recite the pledge and e-mails that seem to question students' patriotism.
The pledge is not recited in Millwood schools, she said. The Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag is recited often.
"The elementary school opens each assembly with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag," Griffin wrote in a response to one e-mail. "Since August, this pledge is recited each morning. With a backlog of requests for American flags, the elementary school art teacher made attractive American flags for the classroom."
Middle school assemblies begin with a presentation of colors by the Civil Air Patrol and students reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. At the high school, the Junior ROTC posts the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag is recited, she said.
"Other than being the target of misinformation, I don't know what to make of this," she said. "Something has been taken out of context. As a result, it really borders on slander."
Griffin said she doesn't know the origin of the black pledge or the red, black and green flag it refers to -- although she does recall seeing the flag surface during the 1960s civil rights movement.
She also said she didn't know whether the pledge would remain on the school's Web site. She said she has asked the middle school principal to research its origin so appropriate action can be taken. At the least, a paragraph of explanation identifying the pledge as cultural study material needs to be added, she said.
Don Ross, a black state representative from Tulsa, said he is unfamiliar with the pledge. Like Griffin, he recalls the flag surfacing during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
"I don't think it has anything to do with black separatism. If anything, it symbolizes unity," he said.
Ross referred to the red, black and green flag as the "freedom flag." He said it is frequently presented, along with the American flag, at gatherings of many traditional black groups that have nothing to do with black separatism.
The flag is frequently flown at Martin Luther King Day parades, he said.
However, as is the case with many symbols, the red, white and green flag apparently means different things to different groups.
The Kwanzaa Information Center Web site has an article on the origin of the red, black and green flag. It said the flag "has become the symbol of devotion for African people in America to establish an independent African nation on the North American Continent."
"Red is for the Blood. Black is the Black People. Green is for the Land," the Web site says.
Eaker
It is not a muslim flag.
No - you're not paying attention. Already posted in this thread or in a thread linked on this thread is the origin of the flag. And the link to the Kwanzaa Information Center of melanet has a description of its origin.
It was invented around 1920 by racist, black nationalist (the father of the movement) Marcus Garvey.
While it may have been used by several black nationalist gangs in the 60's (Black Panthers and US) it was not invented by them.
Bump
Here's what I posted: And I think it may have been the 'Black Panthers' or Black Muslim flag in the 60s.
Nowhere did I state that they 'invented' it.
Principle contended that it wasn't racist or separatist in any way. Explained that a middle school teacher and his class did some research on the flag last year and then wrote this pledge. So, it came from the students you know. Also explained that the district was 99% black.... (like that should make a difference) Racism is Racism.
She also said that the superintendent was out of town and would be meeting with the school board when she got back to sit down and discuss this issue. The only decent question the interviewer asked was if there was a chance it would be removed from the web site.... which the lady side stepped calmly.
I think that if people read the Pledge they will see the truth. We will keep pounding. Again, thanks for the update!
This lady posts something that is racially charged and NO ONE at the school knows its origin????? Talk about stupidity at its best.
She also focuses on the words "love, freedom, and determination", when the pledge says clearly "BLACK love, BLACK freedom, and BLACK determination".
She must believe that everyone else is just plain stupid. She is insulting our intelligence. She knows EXACTLY what that pledge means.
She says the Black Nationalist Pledge and the Negro National Anthem were brought up by students from a research project. Well, that may be so, but why was it posted on the page that had the real Pledge of Allegiance as well as the School Song and other things implying that it was a regular part of the school day? Why was it printed in the Student Planner that the students use throughout the school day if they weren't to look at it or recite it regularly?
I'm sorry - she's full of it and she's been caught.
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