MAR 03, 2019 – https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-samuel-racial-quotas-0303-20190303-vwbucv257nepdndclgfra7k7fm-story.html

It’s been 65 years since the Supreme Court ruled in the historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. That landmark ruling, the outcome of 13 courageous black parents’ challenge to an unjust public education system, was a milestone in the civil rights struggle.

But if you thought the battle to end discrimination against black and Hispanic kids in public schools was won, guess again: Communities are still being fractured by race in Connecticut, where children are routinely denied educational opportunities based on their skin color.

The irony is that this time the discrimination is not the result of blatant racism. The law intended to correct education injustice against marginalized kids is actually blocking their access to safe quality schools and educational opportunities by implementing a rigid quota system that actually perpetuates discrimination.

The painful reality is Connecticut’s education system is failing black and Hispanic children who need access to quality opportunities. It’s a classic case of unintended consequences.

As a result, Connecticut parents have filed two federal lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the state’s racial quota system that’s led to children being turned away at the schoolhouse door. Taken together, these two cases could end up being the Brown vs. the Board of Education of the 21st century.

The first, Robinson v. Wentzell, was filed last year by black and Hispanic parents who felt compelled to challenge Hartford’s discriminatory system that is blocking their kids’ access to a quality education. The second case, Connecticut Parents Union v. Wentzell, was filed last month to challenge the statewide law that created this unjust system.

How did we get here? The current system is rooted in both a 1969 racial imbalance law and a decades-old civil rights case, Sheff v. O’Neill. Both laws ordered the state to address the lack of integration in Connecticut schools. In response to the Sheff case, the state established a system of high-quality magnet schools to help black and Hispanic families get their kids out of failing local schools.

However, there’s a catch: state law requires those magnet schools to limit black and Hispanic enrollment to 75 percent of the student body, reserving the remaining 25 percent for white and Asian students. Schools that fail to meet those proportions can face financial penalties or even be forced to close.

But the reality is that the 75 percent standard leads to kids being denied admission to quality schools, even when ample space is available to accommodate them. If a school doesn’t have enough white or Asian applicants to fill 25 percent of the classroom seats, those seats are simply left empty — even if there are black and Hispanic families next in line to attend the school.

It’s a painfully unjust application of the law, and we realized our children have rights, too. As a result, we parents felt compelled to challenge this state law on constitutional grounds.

It’s disheartening to know the charge to protect these unjust racial quotas is led by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which is defending the state’s de facto policy of discriminating against black and Hispanic children. For a black parent like myself, there’s no pleasure in taking a stand against a historic organization with a proud history of standing up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves during the earlier civil rights era. They and other defenders of the quota system may have the best intentions, but they’ve painfully misjudged what’s best for underserved kids.

In a June 1969 hearing on the Connecticut racial imbalance law, House Representative Henry A. Povinelli of New Milford said the bill “strikes at the rights of all of the people of the State of Connecticut and all of their children.” He continued, “If we are to integrate for the mere sake of integration in our schools then we lose all concept of bettering the education of all our children.”

It’s time to restore justice to public education, and that begins with rejecting Connecticut’s rigid racial quota system that divides students into demographic groups and then denies educational opportunities to some based on their skin color. Every child deserves access to a safe, quality educational experience.

Gwen Samuel is president & founder of the Connecticut Parents Union.

CT Parents Union and Pan-Asian-American Alliance of Connecticut started this petition to the Connecticut Legislative Education Committee

STOP Racial Profiling in CT K12 Schools

Parents, tax payers and community members respectfully request that the Connecticut Education Committee raise the two bills below for a public hearing in the 2019 legislative session:

· Senate Bill 574 (An Act Concerning the Prudence Crandall Safety and Learning Initiative) and

· Senate Bill 580 (or identical bills SB 583, HB 5176, HB 6193) (An Act Prohibiting the Disaggregation of Student Data by Ethnic Subgroups in the Public-School Information System). 

Both bills intend to ensure every child in Connecticut receive access to a safe school environment and a fair chance for a quality education, regardless of their skin color or ancestors’ nation of origin.

Education is a pillar of freedom. As a result, lawmakers and public schools should focus on each student as an individual rather than their racial or ethnic group they belong to. Any attempt at racial/ethnic quotas is always counter-productive: a superficial “diversity” often resulting in losing focus on real issues, such as un safe and/or failing public schools.

In addition, it exposes our children to prejudgments and stereotypes because of their racial/ethnic profile, and more dangerously, puts one group of people against another. This fractures our already divided communities and fosters isolation, fear, and hatred.

If you care about all children, we strongly urge you to sign this petition to bring these bills up for a public discussion. A public hearing would serve to discuss the role of race and ethnicity in our state’s public education system, which is a paramount issue throughout the country.

Let us work together to give each child a fair chance at an improved quality of life by making our state, country and future generations more united for liberty and justice for all.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PRUDENCE CRANDALL SAFETY AND LEARNING INITIATIVE.

To institute the “Prudence Crandall Safety and Learning Initiative” by establishing a task force to study education savings accounts.S

Introduced by:
SEN. LOGAN, 17th Dist.

2019: THE YEAR OF BLACK & BROWN PARENTS ESCAPING THE BURNING SCHOOL HOUSE OF SO-CALLED INTEGRATION – AT LEAST IN CONNECTICUT.2019: THE YEAR OF BLACK & BROWN PARENTS ESCAPING THE BURNING SCHOOL HOUSE OF SO-CALLED INTEGRATION – AT LEAST IN CONNECTICUT.

“If failing schools should not be a school choice option for children, who in their right mind, thinks racial discrimination in our k12 public schools should ever be justified as a school choice option!”

Vesia Hawkins.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year! That was the collective chant across the globe twenty-four hours ago.

Sad to say, yesterday, January 1, 2019 marks the end of the holiday season of goodwill towards all. The gifts of love that appeared abundant, since November 2018, will fade fast, especially for vulnerable children.

As the saying goes, we are back to business as usual.

While many slept in late yesterday and recouped from the new year eve celebrations, many Connecticut Black moms like me are mentally, physically and emotionally gearing up in support of the 2019 court battle Robinson v Wentzell. This is a Connecticut lawsuit that was filed in February of 2018 by several Hartford Black and Hispanic parents whose children are currently being denied access to available empty seats in high quality magnet schools because of the color of their skin.

Yes, you read that correctly, Connecticut has an education so-called “integration ” law, (An Act Enhancing Educational Choices and Opportunities,) that uses “unconstitutional” racial discrimination practices via racial quotas and questionable lottery systems for quality magnet schools, as a school choice option!

And no, the ends doesn’t justify the means.

If failing schools should not be a school choice option for children, who in their right mind, thinks racial discrimination in our k12 public schools should ever be justified as a school choice option!

Yet, here we are. Sigh…

#SayHerName, McKenzie Adams, a bright nine year old from Alabama who had dreams of being a scientist, committed  suicide after allegedly being bullied with racist taunts. Or, how about the Southington High School Connecticut student who went on a social media racist hate filled rant about “lynching Black people” and burning crosses” on their lawns. This all happened a few weeks ago!

So again, no, there is never a good time to endorse racial discrimination in any form or fashion, especially in our k12 public schools!

The Up Hill Battle For Parents 

The Connecticut legislative session begins January 9th. Now, in addition to all this other educational injustice,  parents, especially Black and Brown, and those with children with disabilities, must get a crash course in the public policy process and get mentally prepared for a legislative fight. Parents must fight to ensure education public policy takes into account school safety which includes bullying, sexual abuse and racial discrimination in public schools. This requires intentional culturally responsive best practices because we all know you cannot legislate the heart.

ALL OF THIS is why we as parents and community members must always pray. It is during tough times like these that I pray and ask God for wisdom, guidance and strength as we everyday parents fight to keep children safe and justly educated. I often find myself drawing from these scriptures. Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up and Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

So-Called “Integration” is the Elephant in Connecticut’s Classrooms

Now, some Black and white folk alike, from across the country, have asked me on numerous occasions “why would I or any black parent, in their right mind, oppose any type of school integration effort” after the historical 1954 Brown v Board of Education of Topeka decision paved the way for Black children to attend school with white children.

As I sigh deeply with weariness creeping through my bones, my response is clear. There is an un-sanitized version of black history. The version that understands integration efforts of the civil rights era was more about economics and equal education resources versus Black children needing to sit by white children to excel. During the civil rights segregation era, we had excellent Black only schools, with many Black educators. The only thing lacking was equal access to educational resources for the Black schools. The white-only schools were just fine.

Yes, the majority white status quo gave our black children the run-down, outdated textbooks when the white-only schools were done. But guess what, that is not equality or equity. Sigh… It was what it was back then!

In addition, I read Harry Belafonte’s reflections on peace as he was in discussions with the late Dr. King Jr.:

“Midway through the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. realized that the struggle for integration would ultimately become a struggle for economic rights. I remember the last time we were together, at my home, shortly before he was murdered. He seemed quite agitated and preoccupied, and I asked him what the problem was. “I’ve come upon something that disturbs me deeply,” he said. “We have fought hard and long for integration, as I believe we should have, and I know that we will win. But I’ve come to believe we’re integrating into a burning house. I’m afraid that America has lost the moral vision she may have had. And I’m afraid that even as we integrate, we are walking into a place that does not understand that this nation needs to be deeply concerned with the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. Until we commit ourselves to ensuring that the underclass is given justice and opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate the anger and violence that tears the soul of this nation. I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.”

You see, as a Black people and a country, we continually fail to teach our children and each other about the unintended consequences of the 1954 Brown v BOE court ruling. This historical ruling also led to the mass firing of Black teachers and the closures of very successful Black schools under the guise of integration and desegregation efforts. “When the Supreme Court began to mandate that southern states comply with Brown v. Board of Education, more than 30,000 black teachers and administrators were fired to ensure that white teachers kept their jobs.”

It’s worth noting that the fight to expand diverse teachers and administrators matters now more than ever, because our country, with its majority white teaching force, continues to struggle a great deal with educating Black and brown children. As a country, only 2% of our educators are Black male educators. We really can do better.

All children regardless of their skin color or zip-code can benefit from a diverse teaching workforce.  The good news is change is here with Black male educators like Philadelphia’s Sharif El-Mekki, Georgia’s Jason B. Allen, New York’s Raymond Ankrum, and Connecticut’s very own Dr. Steve Perry, just to name a few.

The Unintended Consequences of Connecticut’s Sheff v O’Neil – 1989

Hartford Connecticut’s very own Black parent-led “integration” lawsuit, Sheff v O’Neil, paved the way for their majority Black and Brown children to attend dozens of newly constructed Magnet schools. The July 9th, 1996 court ruling determined Connecticut had a legal obligation to provide school children with a “substantially equal” educational opportunity and that this constitutionally guaranteed right must provide access to a public education which is not substantially and materially impaired by racial and ethnic isolation.

Yes, the Sheff v O’Neil lawsuit resulted in new high-quality Magnet schools to benefit the majority Black and Brown students of Hartford, but does the use of racial discrimination via racial quotas through a questionable lottery system now make racial discrimination legal? These quotas state that 75 percent of seats are for Black and Hispanic children from the neighborhood in these new quality magnet schools and the other 25 percent of seats are reserved for out of district white and Asian students – even if the white and Asian students choose not to attend these urban neighborhood schools which means hundreds of classroom seats remain empty every school year.

How is racial discrimination via racial quotas in public k12 schools ever just? Have we not learned anything from the Jim Crow era?

The most troubling part about all of this education injustice is the fact that the Brown v Board of Education and Sheff v O’Neil decisions, that were designed to protect the educational rights of Black and brown children throughout the country, are now being used to harm them in Connecticut and dismantle quality schools that serve majority students of color in other states like Minnesota.

What is wrong with just ensuring all public schools are safe and high quality, regardless of the demographics?

The Connecticut Parents Union Call To Action-Protect Children.

In August of 2018, the Connecticut Parents Union (CTPU) learned that these unjust racial quotas were not just confined to Hartford students, as it became a  statewide law enacted in 2017.

It should go without saying that using racial discrimination via racial quotas as a solution in education perpetuates racism. In many cases, it implies white students are superior to black students thus affirming our 1833 “Black law” which stated that “colored people” are inferior.

This dangerous thinking feeds a false narrative that black children are incapable of learning without the help of white people. This mentality is traumatic for Black and brown children’s self-esteem because the status quo is dehumanizing our very existence. It is like saying that being born Black is somehow wrong.

What role does the Black family play? What role does the Black teacher and administrator play? What role does the majority Black community play? What role does Black history play? if the only measure of a black child’s success is the proximity of their seat to a white child in the classroom.

Yes, integration, as a whole, has many positive and global benefits if it’s allowed to happen voluntarily and organically with intentional culturally responsive activities. But, to force Black and brown kids as young as pre-schoolers into public schools that have a demonstrated bias and disparate treatment against their communities sets them up to fail. Then there is the additional emotional trauma of dealing with racism and hate 180 plus days a year, depending on what school model they attend. This is cruel, inhumane and educational neglect in its highest form!

And no, this doesn’t mean that we do not have caring, competent  committed white teachers in public schools that serve Black and brown students. But the research is clear, many Black students do better when taught by Black teachers 

What About The Research

Those who invest in education should be very concerned about the way so-called integration efforts are being rolled out because it minimizes the role of  quality research that emphasizes parent and family engagement, quality teachers and administrators, safe and welcoming learning environments and the effective use of education resources. All of the above clearly lead to academic success of most students regardless of classroom racial demographics.

This racial quota law has characteristics of  Connecticut’s historic 1833 “Black Law” that deemed “colored people” inferior.

Houston We Have a Serious Problem

As a result of this status quo madness in education regarding racial quotas, the Connecticut Parents Union (CTPU) held a few informational sessions in August and radio interviews in September.  On October 23, 2018, CTPU held a statewide community event in Hartford Connecticut entitled The True Cost of Integration. In attendance were Minnesota education activist Chris Stewart, Minnesota civil rights Attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, and Philadelphia principal Sharif El-Mekki. In addition, the attorneys for the Robinson v Wentzelllawsuit, the Pacific Legal Foundation along with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the attorneys for Elizabeth Horton Sheff of Sheff v O’Neil attended

To close out the year, on December 22nd, during our CTPU 7th annual ‘Tis The Season to be Reading & Parent Express Bus’ activity, Connecticut parents, students and community members, including our guest, Attorney Oliver J. Dunford of the Pacific Legal Foundation, gathered for ‘Coffee, Conversation and the Constitution’ community discussions at Hartford City Hall. This event was to help parents and students learn about their individual constitutional and educational rights. The event also included a moment of silence and prayer for the West suburban Hartford family who lost a 12-year-old child through a fatal stabbing in their home. Why the moment of silence at an educational event? Because every child’s life matters regardless of race, zip code or income level.

To close out the year, on December 22nd, during our CTPU 7th annual Tis The Season to be Reading & Parent Express Bus activity,  Connecticut parents, students and community members, including our guest, Attorney Oliver J. Dunford of the Pacific Legal Foundation,  gathered for ‘Coffee, Conversation and the Constitution’ community discussions at Hartford City Hall. This event was to help parents and students learn about their individual constitution and educational rights . The event also included a moment of silence and prayer for the West Hartford suburban family who lost a 12-year-old child through a fatal stabbing in their home. Why the moment of silence at an educational event? Because every child’s life matter regardless of race, zip-code or income level.

What Lies Ahead in  2019 For Marginalized Parents

The year 2018 has come to an end. Yet, I feel like the fight for educational freedom has just begun.

This fight for educational justice leads me, as a Black mom, to firmly believe that the fight for economic freedom in Black and/or low-income communities rests on the expansion of educational choice options. The fight for a parent’s right to choose what is best for their child’s academic and overall success has just gone into overdrive for 2019.

In other words, in order for my state of Connecticut and similar states to meet the diverse academic needs of its diverse students effectively, we must embrace expanded school choice opportunities. This will bring economic stability and mobility to our fractured communities divided by race and zip-code

This doesn’t mean we don’t work together as a community to help improve our traditional public schools. But, it also doesn’t mean you can keep expecting parents, especially Black, brown and low-income, to keep sacrificing our children’s safety, education and overall well-being until the status quo decides they like our babies enough to get it right. Uh… No

To take on this endeavor of expanding school choice for those who need it the most, authentic parent-led organizations, like the Connecticut Parents Union, need the help of philanthropy for both technical and financial support.

In addition, we need quality research where children and parents are part of the process, not an abstract subject line.

And so… the struggle continues with a sense of urgency because the schoolhouse is on fire.

For those who need more insight on this issue of racial discrimination via racial quotas in Connecticut’s quality public magnet schools, I leave you with a third-party perspective, my brother in the struggle for education and economic freedom, Chris Stewart, Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the Wayfinder foundation and a Minnesota education activist.