Durham NAACP President Arrested at School Board Meeting (after white woman gets job)

ABC Local ^ | Aug 9, 2002 | Jim Hill

[Michael2001]

A Durham minister is out of jail, arrested after a protest at Thursday's Durham school board meeting.

A rowdy school board meeting has people talking in Durham. Durham NAACP president Curtis Gatewood was taken to police headquarters for disrupting Thursday night's school board meeting. "I haven't heard anybody read me my rights yet, what are my rights? Why am I being arrested?" Gatewood said as officers took him away, charging him with trespassing.

Gatewood and several other people got angry because Dr. Regina George-Bowden was not chosen to chair the board. George-Bowden is black. Chairwoman Kathryn Meyers is white, and the vote to re-elect her was split along racial lines. Meyers talked to Eyewitness News about the vote and about the controversy that's marked the beginning of her new tenure.

The group is in its seventh day of protesting, which culminated in an effort at Thursday night's school board meeting. Their anger has yet to cease following the chaotic meeting. "They set us back twenty or thirty years, back in the sixties," said parent Jackie Wagstaff.

"They tell us that they want the best for our kids and they do something like that," said parent Herman Davenport, referring to the controversy over staffing changes at Hillside High School. "It's just uncalled for."

Durham County School board members voted to re-elect Kathryn Meyers as chairwoman for her eighth consecutive term. She's a woman some people criticized for backing the superintendent's decision to replace hillside high school's principal. "They knew that there were people looking for a change in that board," Wagstaff said.

Some people in the black community couldn't handle the split decision along racial lines. Things erupted Thursday night, and Gatewood was hauled off to jail for trespassing after he was told to leave the building. The woman who remained at the helm said she took what happened Thursday night personally. "I was stunned and stung by the personal attack about my credibility and my credentials to serve," said Meyers.

"A black boardmember is nominated for chairperson, a black board member that has a degree from North Carolina State Univerisity, a degree from Duke, she taught at Syracuse her resume went on and on and on," Davenport said.

Meyers suggests the decision has nothing to do with race. "It comes down to a positive working relationship with the superintendent," she said.

But as the group continued its determination to get the superintendent removed from her position, some people called for change in the board's leadership. "Dr. Denlinger is making the decisions that are in the best interest of the students at Hillside and at all of the other schools," Meyers said.

Some aren't buying into that. "Our school board speaks of diversity, but we haven't had any diversity in leadership in our school board in the past seven years," said Davenport.

The protestors plan to continue picketing outside the school board offices until school starts next Tuesday. And they say some parents are considering keeping their children out of school.

[2Jedismom]

some parents are considering keeping their children out of school

I'll believe it when I see it. No way are they giving up their free childcare.

[Michael2001]

I've had people tell me (off the record) that they'd rather work with us but they have it from the "higher ups" that they have to work with minorities.

We went from discriminating against blacks (which was before I was born) to discriminating against whites. Can't we find a middle ground?

[Michael2001]

Mind you, if someone dares challenge their position on this kind of idiocy, they/we become nothing short of "Uncle Toms" who have "forgotten who we are."

To them an "Uncle Tom" is any black person who has worked hard and succeeded on their own merits. If I were you I'd wear that label with pride.

[billbears]

ping!!

[panther33]

Affirmative action is bullcrap. America is about (or should be about) the best man (or woman) for the job, period.

We all know the way it should be, but the stupid activists and "political-correctness" promoters keep standing in the way.

[OldFriend]

Seems there is some grumbling in NYC at well. Bloomberg chose a white guy to be the new schools chancellor and certain folks wanted a horse of another color.

Personally, there is no way on earth that Klein is going to accomplish a thing. He's a dem and he is not going to take on the teachers union.

[Mark17]

Hopefully, because of this fact, it will prevent either side from accusing the other of racism.

But then again, maybe not.

[clintonh8r]

The naacp is opposed to voting along racial lines, unless, of course, voting along racial lines results in a win for blacks. Then it's OK.

[peedee]

Did'nt you get the memo, you have to be white to be racist. Come on get with the program.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

You might need the national guard so white kids can go to school!(sarcasm as of Little Rock in the sicksties)

[Rebelo3]

Mind you, if someone dares challenge their position on this kind of idiocy, they/we become nothing short of "Uncle Toms" who have "forgotten who we are."


You're right. I've seen that happen so many times. Good Blacks speak up and they get shouted down by the Black bigots. The NAACP continues to expand the White backlash which they created. Without their attacks on the Confederate Flag, there would be no Southern Movement. ..........HEY!, I hope they keep it up 'cause we're gettin' organized
DEO VINDICE!

[mykdsmom]

NC Ping!

[jmax]

Ever notice that blacks can vote along racial lines, but if whites do it, it's racially motivated?

[TheGrimReaper]

Mr. Gatewood really needs a counseling session with Rev. Jesse Peterson or some of the other brethren from BOND.

[F.J. Mitchell]

THis is the SOS that makes it almost impossible to narrow the gap between the races. Rather than encouraging black parents and the black students to devote their efforts toward tutoring and preaching the gospel of Captialism,"You can be anything you are willing to work toward being, in the USA" to black children, the so-called leadership demands prefferential treatment and affirmative action instead, which is the same thing as telling young blacks that Whites control their destiny. Nothing could be further from the truth.The Success and main streaming of all Americans, would be the best thing that ever happened, and rational people of all races agree on this.

If the bunch who spends so much time and effort demonizing Ms Dinlinger for her efforts to create an educational system that turns out fully educated students of all races and ethnicities, ready to make their mark in the world, and be successful and solid citizens, would encourage and unite with her effort-there would be few if any left behind.

Gatewood and his supporting thugsters at the NACCP, would probably be welcomed with open arms if they applied for membership in the KKK.

[LiteKeeper]

Why vote if it is understood/assumed that the minority candidate is supposed to win?

[Lee'sGhost]

"I haven't heard anybody read me my rights yet, what are my rights?"

You have the right to remail silent, Mr. Gatewood. The rest of the planet would appreciate it if you would exercise that right.

[Howlin]

and the vote to re-elect her was split along racial lines

So, tell me, friend, if the blacks all voted for the black, and the whites all voted for the white, why are the blacks so upset? Why is it only okay for blacks to vote along racial lines?

[Faraday]

This is so typical of the liberal-controlled education establishment. No discussion of substantive educational issues and differences between the candidates. It's all about the spoils system. Who gets the high paying job? Who gets to control the budget? Who gets to hire their friends as "consultants"? The education of children...what's that got to do with it?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I don't think the article is well written. Are the protestors just upset because a white woman won re-election? What is the basic issue that wasn't reported here?