On The Vine: knowledge vs. racism

The only way I know to reckon with the continued obsessive attempts to irrationally stamp out any speck, any blemish of race from school teachings and thought is to force myself to believe that there are people in this fight who long for the idea of a post-racial society in America.

It’s important to say that we’re not just talking about the buzzy critical race theory here, but the idea that schools are no place to even broach the idea that race exists and plays a role in how society behaves. It’s again come up as elections across the country have pitted knowledge against racism.

The public arguments continue to be in this vein: I don’t want my kids so young to grow up thinking their existence is a plight, that they, without having yet emitted racial epithets or brandishing a symbol of white supremacy, are to blame for the systematic oppression of others.

I’m paraphrasing.

But what else, if that truly is the argument to be made, could be the hope if not to even blindly push for a color blind post-racial menagerie.

There’s no such thing. I’m not even sure that it’s possible. So the question to confront remains: What are they really fighting for?

“Earnest or not, the questions we ask matter,” journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote in 2015. ”As many of our sharper activists and writers have pointed out, America’s struggle is to become not post-racial, but post-racist. Put differently, we should seek not a world where the black race and the white race live in harmony, but a world in which the terms black and white have no real political meaning.”

Around the block

Tyrone Garner elected first Black mayor of Kansas City, Kansas

Aarón Torres writes for The Star, during a late night of local election coverage:

Tyrone Garner narrowly defeated David Alvey in Tuesday’s general election, becoming the second straight challenger to unseat the incumbent mayor in Kansas City, Kansas.

Garner becomes the fifth mayor for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas. He is the first Black mayor to oversee the UG since the governments consolidated in 1997.

Garner, 52, is a 32-year veteran of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, joining as a cadet after graduating high school. He’s also served on the Kansas City, Kansas Community College Board and the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority Board.

“I’m engaged on bringing you the change that I ran on, and that’s engaged leadership that’s community driven, that provides a better way forward for Wyandotte County,” Garner said Tuesday after the victory. “We need to make sure we work hard with our commissioners, our staff, the hard working staff with the Unified Government.”

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‘Sadly, a trend’: Kansas City LGBTQ group wants answers on hate incidents at schools

A number of hate-filled incidents against students and members of the LGBTQ+ community prompted Kansas City’s LGBTQ commission to call on area schools and communities to do better, and adopt policies to ensure the safety of LGBTQ students.

The Star’s Sarah Ritter reports:

The commission held an emergency meeting Monday night in response to at least five such incidents at area schools in recent weeks. A Kansas City high school English teacher, for example, was placed on administrative leave last week for making degrading comments against people who identify as LGBTQ, and who are Muslim.

“What we’re starting to see sadly is a trend happen across the metro regarding LGBTQ youth,” said member Justice Horn, who is running for Jackson County Legislature. “We can never be too cautious on this issue because those who are LGBTQ youth already have higher rates of depression, anxiety, as well as thoughts of suicide.”

Check this too: Here’s where Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ students can find help in the face of discrimination

Member Stef Sloan said the commission has learned of several issues in school districts regarding pronoun policies, student privacy rights and how LGBTQ+ issues are discussed in class. And member Riley Long added that many districts do not have strong enough policies on keeping student information, such as sexual orientation, gender identity and pronouns, confidential, especially in more complicated situations where students have not yet come out at home.

Some members said they believe districts should work with organizations to implement better policies and training to ensure that LGBTQ students are protected and granted their right to privacy, and that their pronouns and experiences are respected. They plan to reach out to Gay-Straight Alliance members and others in the community to determine next steps.

Beyond the block

Michelle Wu is the first woman and first person of color elected mayor of Boston

Ellen Barry reports for The New York Times:

Michelle Wu, who entered public service out of frustration with the obstacles that her immigrant family faced, will be the next mayor of Boston, pledging to make the city a proving ground for progressive policy.

Buoyed by support from the city’s young, left-leaning voters and by Black, Asian and Latino residents, Ms. Wu, 36, soundly defeated City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George.

“From every corner of our city, Boston has spoken,” Ms. Wu said, to a jubilant crowd in the city’s South End. “We are ready to meet the moment. We are ready to be a Boston for everyone.”

Ms. Wu is the first woman and the first person of color to be elected mayor in Boston, which has been led by an unbroken string of Irish American or Italian American men since the 1930s. Kim Janey, a Black woman, has served as acting mayor since March, when Mr. Walsh was confirmed as the U.S. labor secretary. Ms. Wu will also be the first mayor of Boston not born in the city since 1925.

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This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 4:15 PM.