http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/03/a-george-c-marshall-high-school-student-asked-to-read-poem-blacker--73816.html

How sad, I hope this child recovers. The world can be cruel.

Its early, so its not wise to jump the proverbial gun, but these allegations are certainly disturbing. Its 2012 Virginia. I hope to God this isn't true, and will be following this very closely.

For someone who appreciates who Lanston Hughes was and what he was trying to express, what the teacher was requesting makes perfect sense. In our PC world though it is a dangerous thing to do.

I did find it humorous though that the report emphasizes that the kid who was asked to read it was black. Can you imagine the outrage if the teacher had asked a white kid to read a poem written by a black author in a "blacker" style?!?

The problem was the teacher asking the kid to read the poem in a "blacker" style.

She could have urged him to read it with more intensity, anguish or anger, if that was her goal. Instead, she implied that there's a single way that blacks speak.

If you watched the video, you can tell this kid comes from an upper-class home. His parents have probably stressed to him for years that it's not "white" to care about academics, use proper diction, and so forth.

Of course they are going to be pissed if some clueless teacher comes along and sends exactly the opposite message. She may not have meant to be offensive, but her contract shouldn't be renewed.

Can you read your fortune cookie in a "asian" style.

Can you ride a elephant "indian" style.

Fairfax investigates allegation of racially insensitive behavior by high school teacher
By Emma Brown, Published: March 16
The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-investigates-allegation-of-racially-insensitive-behavior-by-high-school-teacher/2012/03/15/gIQA6IyGHS_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop

Fairfax County school administrators are investigating a student’s allegations of racially insensitive behavior by a veteran English teacher at George C. Marshall High School.

Ninth-grader Jordan Shumate said that during class this month, he was reading aloud a poem by acclaimed African American writer Langston Hughes when his teacher interrupted and directed him to read in a “blacker” style.

“She told me, ‘Blacker, Jordan — c’mon, blacker. I thought you were black,’ ” said Shumate, who is African American.

Shumate told his mother, Nicole Cober Page, about the incident Tuesday. She complained to school administrators.

“We take these allegations very seriously, and we’re investigating,” Principal Jay Pearson said Friday. He declined to provide further details.

Shumate, 14, and his mother identified the teacher as Marilyn Bart. Bart did not respond Thursday or Friday to e-mail and phone inquiries about the incident. Records show that Bart has worked in Fairfax schools since 1990.

Another ninth-grader, Kaila Denny, said she witnessed the incident. Shumate was “just sitting there reading normally like any person would,” Denny said, when Bart instructed him to speak “blacker.”

Shumate said that when he refused to continue reading the poem, Bart read it aloud herself, demonstrating what she meant.

“She sounded like a maid in the 1960s,” Shumate said. “She read the poem like a slave, basically.”

Shumate said he asked Bart that day whether she thinks all black people speak that way. She reprimanded him for talking out of turn, he said, and told him to take his seat.

Cober Page said she spoke with Pearson by telephone Friday about the incident but learned nothing more from him about Bart’s side of the story.

“My feeling is that he is an advocate for the kids and wants this to be taken seriously,” Cober Page said of the principal.

The poem Shumate read in class was Hughes’s “Ballad of the Landlord.” The poem, written in 1940, tells of a black tenant thrown in jail for challenging a deadbeat landlord.

“Landlord, landlord,” it begins. “My roof has sprung a leak./Don’t you ’member I told you about it/Way last week?”

If the teacher thought the poem should be delivered in a Southern dialect, she could have said so without referring to race, Cober Page said.

Shumate said it wasn’t the only time that he felt singled out in English class because of his race.

This week, in preparation for reading literature about the Holocaust, the teacher showed photographs to illustrate common stereotypes about different groups of people, Shumate said.

Shumate said Bart showed an image of grape soda — a drink of choice among African Americans, according to a racial stereotype — and asked him to explain its meaning. Denny corroborated his account.

“I do know the stereotypes,” Shumate said, “but she could change the questions so I’m not like the king of black people.”

This is ridiculous, and everyone above who thinks this is "racist" is a dumbass.

The teacher didn't "imply" anything . . . the idiots who took it the wrong way "inferred" the "racist" implications.

It just shows how much time and money is wasted in education today with Politically Correct nonsense, and bending over backwards to "accomodate" every subjective grievance.

I can't wait till we have another public debate over the word "niggardly".

Pathetic.

“I do know the stereotypes,” Shumate said, “but she could change the questions so I’m not like the king of black people.”


that job is already taken
Attachments:

Funny how Denny is witness. The Denny's always seem involved with these racial issues. Mom sued hair place in Vienna for not wanting to cut "black" hair. Amanda went to Annandale then back to Marshall because of racist issues on basketball team (she was not a starter) Think maybe they like to accuse white people of being racist?

was this an ap class since it only had one black kid?

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20059587,00.html

Looks like the mom is not exactly publicity shy.

The mother ran a day spa that went broke and that both black and white customers hated equally for its poor service. Doesn't seem that she's necessarily in a good position to judge others. Maybe she just wants to get booked on TV shows.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/soul-day-spa-and-salon-washington

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For someone who appreciates who Lanston Hughes was
> and what he was trying to express, what the
> teacher was requesting makes perfect sense. In
> our PC world though it is a dangerous thing to
> do.
>
> I did find it humorous though that the report
> emphasizes that the kid who was asked to read it
> was black. Can you imagine the outrage if the
> teacher had asked a white kid to read a poem
> written by a black author in a "blacker" style?!?


what are you talking about? did you and the teacher go to JMU?

Mommy is on CNN now giving interviews.

Poor kid. Must suck to have a mom who exploits you so she can talk to CNN. Let's see if she can make it to The View.

Are their any honky students at Generalissimo Jorge Marshall H.S. anymore?

This is racist and wrong. The white teacher is imposing his or her view of "how black people talk" by insisting the student read it "blacker". If you know a black person, however they speak is how black people talk. We are not a monolithic, heterogenous entity.

A poem, by Real Deal

Colin Powell is lighter than I, and no one questions his blackness
James Earl Jones is more articluate than I, and no one questions his blackness
Bill Cosby is more educated than I, and no one questions his blackness
Martin Luther King, Jr., was more spiritual than I, and no one questions his blackness.

Why do you question mine, simply because I'm articulate and educated. Is it that you have a small box to fit me in, based on the color of my skin?

I reject your cage.

James Earl Jones way overrated I question his talent

say did bill cosby get his eye fixed?

Please no rap from you with that kind of poetic skills

Are you seriously just some new and improved kind of stupid?

Have you ever heard Langston Hughes speak? Have you ever even read Hughes? Here, have a free education:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpjFS3CQkKE

Now tell me, just how "black" was that, you ignorant clown?

Are you seriously so tone deaf that you could actually conceive that what that teacher did was appropriate? Would it be appropriate to ask the only Southern white in a classroom of Northern blacks what it felt like to know their ancestors owned slaves? Maybe pull a Romney and ask them about "cheesy grits?" Clearly not. Southerners found that incredibly patronizing, as they should. Yet you can't see the same outrage here? You embarrass yourself - and whatever teacher failed to educate you. Not to mention whatever parents failed to teach you the fundamental and moral lessons of right and wrong. I pity you.

I'm delighted this young man's mother is doing interviews. How else would a moron like you know what was going on with this teacher? But don't worry, it's highly unlikely she'll be asked to appear on Fox, so you won't see her... or QVC or the Cartoon Network. So beyond what you read in forums like this, you'll probably miss her altogether!

I seriously wonder what rock unformed people like you crawl out from under.


The internet certainly does a great job of protecting and encouraging cowards.

Seems to me that's a far better title - and a far more worthy titleholder, than this jackass...

...or the country he rules with you as a loyal subject!
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cat Wrote:
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>

you are retarded or haven't checked stats in about 15 years, marshall is now on par with madison and other fairfax county top schools

 White, not Hispanic 57%
 Asian/Pacific Islander 22%
 Hispanic 15%
 Black, not Hispanic 7%
 American Indian/Alaskan Native <1%

http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/va/543#from..HeaderLink

This really should be a teaching moment. I think both parties have fault in how this has escalated.

The knee jerk "FIRE HER" in an earlier post is pretty pathetic. No tolerance. No sensitivity to both sides. No discussion. Just firing her doesn't solve much of anything. It leaves things open ended. Aside from the apparent fact that she asked the black student to read the poem (maybe she asked others with the same description for effect), how would you tell someone how to read the poem? She likely wanted to convey the particular dialect of a particular black American in the 40s, probably bluecollar, uneducated, etc. Perhaps she should have put it that way...and maybe she did....and then added "with a blacker stereotype" or something.

Ignorance is bliss for the person who gave us the YouTube plug. That was a different poem and Langston Hughes read it in a very different manner than the Landlord poem which had the dialect we are talking about (however way you want to describe it) for effect.

I think the teacher, parent, and student should all have a press conference after coming together on the matter. I'm certain Miss Bart did not intend to cause harm of any kind. We don't even know if she preempted the request by telling the kids that the poem was written in a different time where differences in speech was more pronounced. Still, how does one teach English with stereotypes/dialects in a manner that doesn't offend SOMEONE out there. You could call it "Southern" dialect and piss off the Southerners. Call it uneducated dialect and piss off all those who are mentally/educationally challenged.

One last thought. I wonder what the director for the movies series Roots said to the actors playing slaves. Would he just let it go if they talked like English royalty? How would you ask them to speak....

Oops....I just pissed off any English royalty out there. See, how ridiculous this whole thing is? And the mother on CNN is just fanning the flames of ignorance. Feigned hurt, revenge, and payback. No healing. Maybe a payday though. I hope Ms. Bart is doing well...I'm sure she is pretty shook up with this whole thing.

Your comment shows how ignorant you are to the real world so many have fought to make a civil society. If you can't see the racism in this incident, you are blind or possibly taught by Ms. Bart.

Apparently there is much learning to do in this Country. Maybe Jordan can teach us all a thing or two.

The mom came across as pretty reasonable on CNN. Said Marshall was a good school that her son was happy to attend, but that even good schools can have incidents.

She also said her kid only came to her after he'd been singled out by the teacher on various occasions to:

- explain what "creole" meant
- rap a Tupac poem
- explain why blacks like grape soda
- read the Hughes poem "blacker"

Why should a single black kid who's still a freshman be called upon repeatedly to represent "the black view" to the rest of the kids in his class? He's a student, not an ambassador to the Great White/Asian World from the Black Kingdom.

Maybe the teacher was trying to be funny, or maybe she's clueless, or maybe she just has the attitude of more than a few FCPS teachers that she can do whatever she wants in her classroom because teachers never get fired. She's not the only teacher who seems to engage in some passive-aggressive harassment of her students, but she got called out. Personally, knowing Jay Pearson, I think she picked the wrong principal to tick off. If this episode makes another teacher think twice next time, so much the better.

My question is. What race is Marilyn Bart? My paper reported her being an African-American teacher. Should that be the case it kind of puts a different spin on this story. And should that be the case them the media had taken a story - male the indirect PRESUMPTION to the public that Ms. Bart is white just to stir up more racial sensationalism. So... What is it? The media went out of their way to report the student was black but does not describe the teachers race... Is she white (as the media insunuates) or is she too an African- American. Should she be the later than the media is at fault for inciting racism.

why are all y'all hung up on race?

DOESNT MATTER WHAT RACE THE STUPID WOMAN IS!!

What matters is that A FAIRFAX COUNTY EMPLOYEE TOLD A CHILD TO BE MORE blacker.

I could care less what race the teacher...............or for that matter the child is.

All I know is if that was said to my child (i.e. that they need to be more (INSERT YOUR RACE HERE)-er or something like that)............well someone could be losing some of their FUCKING FINGERS before the sun went down that day, I can tell you that

@Java - if you really are so close-minded that you think black ppl cant be racist to other blacks...............well, I dunno - watch A Soldier's Story I guess - that's good enough LoLz

@gthung - you dont say?

@Assessment - clueless teachers can certainly cost a lot LoLz

@Doug - I'm betting blind LoLz

@Help.............wow. just wow.

It's not meant to be read straight.

In order to give the poem the proper feel, you really need to assume the voice of a poor black person living in a tenement and put some feeling into it like Danny Glover.

At least she did not say "Say it more like a Nigger'

You know get your lips in the way as you speak

Ho da dow, Ho da dow (Hold the Door)

Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's not meant to be read straight.
>
> In order to give the poem the proper feel, you
> really need to assume the voice of a poor black
> person living in a tenement and put some feeling
> into it like Danny Glover.
>
Fair enough. Maybe the teacher would have been on safer ground if she'd asked the kid to read the poem like a frustrated poor black guy living in a cold-water tenament, and not to "read it blacker."

If Ms. Bart attended St. John Neuman Catholic Church, would she be served communion by that priest?

communion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If Ms. Bart attended St. John Neuman Catholic
> Church, would she be served communion by that
> priest?


What, now Ms. Bart is a dyke? It looks like we are peeling away yet another layer of this smelly onion!

waste of time just something to whine about...can you say it in a country slang....quite being a baby wa wa wa wa

Here, you read it. The poet Langston Hughes INTENDED for the poem to be read with a Negro dialect. Apologies to those who believe we should not say Negro any more.

THE BALLAD OF THE LANDLORD

Landlord, landlord,
My roof has sprung a leak.
Don't you 'member I told you about it
Way last week?

Landlord, landlord,
These steps is broken down.
When you come up yourself
It's a wonder you don't fall down.

Ten Bucks you say I owe you?
Ten Bucks you say is due?
Well, that's Ten Bucks more'n I'l pay you
Till you fix this house up new.

What? You gonna get eviction orders?
You gonna cut off my heat?
You gonna take my furniture and
Throw it in the street?

Um-huh! You talking high and mighty.
Talk on-till you get through.
You ain't gonna be able to say a word
If I land my fist on you.

Police! Police!
Come and get this man!
He's trying to ruin the government
And overturn the land!

Copper's whistle!
Patrol bell!
Arrest.
Precinct Station.
Iron cell.
Headlines in press:
MAN THREATENS LANDLORD
TENANT HELD NO BAIL
JUDGE GIVES NEGRO 90 DAYS IN COUNTY JAIL!

Editor notes

From THE LANGSTON HUGHES READER, p. 101, © 1957.
This poem by Langston Hughes grew out of conditions in New York City’s Harlem in the 1930’s. In graphic terms it describes the escalation of anger and frustration that tenants experienced trying to get landlords to make basic repairs. It is structured like an old time blues song until the final verse where the rhythm changes.

My son came home from school today
Complainin' bout the teacher
I say to him, "No Worry" boy
We agonna teach HER.

No, I don't call the principal
Nor handle it like an adult
I call the WJLA
And put him on TV y'all.

It's not about the teacher
Or about my son, you see
It's all about the lawsuit
And the M-O-N-E-E!

My Son Is A Victim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My son came home from school today
> Complainin' bout the teacher
> I say to him, "No Worry" boy
> We agonna teach HER.
>
> No, I don't call the principal
> Nor handle it like an adult
> I call the WJLA
> And put him on TV y'all.
>
> It's not about the teacher
> Or about my son, you see
> It's all about the lawsuit
> And the M-O-N-E-E!

L-A-M-E

This kid waited until several incidents, one after another, occurred before discussing this issue with his mother.

Same teacher thinks Black people drink Grape soda and whatever else. Not whining, just not true. Let's get it straight, all Black people don't anything, including but not limited to, eat watermelon, speak slang, call each other the N word, rap or like rap music, steal. It can go on and on. Ignorant!!!! So just stop it.

The teacher doesn't think black people drink Grape soda, you are taking that out of context. She asked what were sterotypes for Blacks during those times and over the years. Every race and culture has sterotypes, it's not limited to Blacks. She showed Jewish sterotypes before doing a reading about the Holocaust. If the student feels singled out and is being made uncomfortable, why not have a discussion first with his teacher that he'd rather not? If she doesn't take him seriosuly or continues after being asked not to, then take it up with the administration. Grow up. Everyone wants to be a victim. What was she suppose to say, "come on read it like white man reciting Mr. Hughes' poem in 2012??" No of course not, she wanted to emphasise pain and soul of the poem, like a black man facing the hardship Mr. Huges wrote about. The teacher did not ask to the student to speak in a black dialect on a daily basis, orin his regular everyday speech. It was in reguard to a poem, a poem that she wanted to be read like he meant it. To be read with meaning to the words and who better than young black man himself. Had she asked a student of different ethnic background to read it, we'd be hearing the teacher was insensentive to the nature of the peom, that no one should read like a black man unless they are black..it goes on and on. Bottom line: stop making nothing into something. Fairfax County students have a good life, this isn't a real issue. Maybe him and his mom can put themselves in Trayvon Martin's shoes and his parent's shoes for day and reflect on what it's like to have some real problems and expereince real racism in America today. Either that or take some Drama classes so you don't feel so uncomoftable reading a classic and important piece of American Literautre, one that Blacks today can be proud of -a voice that would not be silenced during a time it wasn't suppose to be heard.

hughes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This kid waited until several incidents, one after
> another, occurred before discussing this issue
> with his mother.
>
> Same teacher thinks Black people drink Grape soda
> and whatever else. Not whining, just not true.
> Let's get it straight, all Black people don't
> anything, including but not limited to, eat
> watermelon, speak slang, call each other the N
> word, rap or like rap music, steal. It can go on
> and on. Ignorant!!!! So just stop it.

Go hang out around the Black kids at Marshall and tell me they do not do what you are saying. They call each other "Nigger" all the time, Speak Slang, Listen to that Rap crap and think of ways to get over on the white man. Remeber white people are holding you back, They are the reason you live on welfare and get addicted to drugs. It's not because your to lazy to get a real job and work for a living.

dem peops b all like dat....we b gettin whitey now yo yo yo my bro