Listening to the NPR podcast of the Normandy, Missouri school district losing accreditation and the transferring of 1000 of its Black students to the predominantly White, Frances Howell schools, is an eye opener that the vicious attitude of a number of White parents on school desegregation has not changed. The Frances Howell parents' town hall meeting indicated their great discontent with Black students transferring to their children's schools, and those parents' comments such as the following were most troubling to say the least:
- Normandy's under-performing children will lower Frances Howell's accreditation status
- Normandy's children are indiscipline
- Frances Howell parents should have a vote to accept Normandy's school children
- Frances Howell parents do not want different kinds coming across the tracks to their side
- Frances Howell parents want to know if they can implement metal detectors for the Normandy children
- Normandy children are violent and should not mix with their children
- Frances Howell should have sniffing dogs for the Normandy children
- Frances Howell children will get robbed by Normandy children
- Move start time up so Frances Howell will not be the best option for the Normandy children
These are the words of parents during the 21st century which reflected similar attitudes of White parents during the 1960s when Black children had to be protected by police and state troopers as they attempted to walk through the doors of predominantly White elementary, middle, high schools and universities. These same Frances Howell parents come to mind when remembering photos of not only White men but women and children having a picnic as Blacks were lynched. Of course, the beliefs of parents greatly influence their children, so the cycle of racism will continue.
NPR podcast link
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with?act=1#play
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