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NJ Middle School Teacher Calls Students ‘N Word’

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “We send our children to school to get an education and learn to be future leaders in the world. We put our tax dollars into public schools, trusting that the institutions will make sure expectations are carried out in a safe environment,” said Walter Hudson, the chairman of the National Awareness Alliance and former Penns Grove (N.J.) school board member. “It’s obvious expectations are not being met in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District.”

Published

5 years ago

March 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

A science teacher at a New Jersey School has been suspended with pay after allegedly calling students the “N-word.”

Bruce Bassetti was suspended last week after heatedly reprimanding students at Penns Grove Middle School in Southern New Jersey.

“I’m tired of these n—–s,” he allegedly said.

The incident has left parents fuming mostly because the school district officials refused to address the matter with them and guidance counselors haven’t offered any services to the students in the wake of the incident.

“We want our babies to be able to come to school in a safe and productive space, and get an education,” said Walter Hudson, the chairman of the National Awareness Alliance and former Penns Grove (N.J.) school board member.

Attempts to reach Bassetti were unsuccessful.

District Superintendent Zenaida Cobian said the incident was “a personnel matter.”

“School districts in New Jersey must abide by NJ Law, board policies and teacher negotiated agreements when dealing with personnel matters,” Cobian said.

When pressed as to why she won’t take a meeting with concerned parents, Cobian said she’d schedule a meeting, but the incident would not be discussed.

With approximately 450 students in grades 6 to 8, the middle school’s minority enrollment is more than 70 percent, much higher than the state average of 54 percent.

It’s diversity score of 0.67 means there’s little chance that two students selected at random would be members of a different ethnic group.

Scored from 0 to 1, a diversity score closer to 1 indicates a more diverse student body.

At a subsequent school board meeting, solicitor Mark Toscano told parents that board members were aware of the situation involving Bassetti but could not discuss personnel matters.

Hudson said the district should do a better job of vetting personnel.

“At the end of the day, the kids are affected,” Hudson said.

“This is why the issues exist in our community because of leadership like yours.”

Later, Hudson continued, even writing an open letter to the District. “We send our children to school to get an education and learn to be future leaders in the world. We put our tax dollars into public schools, trusting that the institutions will make sure expectations are carried out in a safe environment,” Hudson said. “It’s obvious expectations are not being met in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District.”

Among the many concerns raised by Hudson were whether there was any outreach from the guidance department in terms of providing counseling to all students involved and did the principal or superintendent contact parents to make them aware of the alleged matter that took place.

“Parents in the community say such outreach did not happen,” Hudson said.

“You can reach out to students who were impacted and inform their parents without giving compromising details,” he said.

Double standards and a lack of transparency from school leadership is very disappointing and it’s disconcerting that when teachers make accusations against black and brown students, there are often no investigations – students are automatically suspended, or police are called in, Hudson stressed.

“When black and brown students say a teacher has used a racial slur, district leadership loves to fall back on policies that undermine the safety and welfare of students, making it seem like those students are wrong for standing up for themselves — as if they are lying,” he said.

“We pay $109,147 to a principal who gives good evaluations to some bad teachers,” Hudson said. “If this teacher comes back, civil unrest will follow.”

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.