 |
| H/T for photo to The Blaze |
A high school student in Arkansas was blocked from receiving sole valedictorian honors this summer, despite earning the highest G.P.A. in her class and receiving only a single B in her four years at McGehee Secondary School. Kymberly Wimberly’s offense? She’s black. School administrators worried that Wimberly’s accomplishment would result in a “big mess” at the majority-white school, so Principal Darrell Thompson told the student’s mother “that he decided to name a white student as co-valedictorian,” even though the white student had a lower G.P.A. The matter is currently pending in federal court.
Let me remind you that today's date is July 29, 2011, NOT July 29, 1965.
Today we also have a black man in the White House, a female Secretary of State, and a personal computer in virtually every one of our homes. Yet in Arkansas a black female CANNOT take her place as valedictorian of her high school without having a white person assigned to share in her moment.
If certain people get into positions of power in this country, this is but a hint of the things to come.
[If certain people get into positions of power in this country, this is but a hint of the things to come.]
ReplyDelete...and it is amazing how many people do not realize that.
Spot on, Gryphen, spot on!
That poor kid. SHE EARNED the right to stand up there and give that speech alone.
ReplyDeleteYes, the south is still full of bigots, racists and religious extreme bible thumpers.
Yes, I know that it is 2011, but to those in the south who drop the N word as if it was saying the word door. They still think that the world would be better off if people with darker skin knew their place. I have relatives in the south and they talk like this. (hanging head in shame)
I hope she wins and has plenty of money to pursue her education dreams.
Shameful!
ReplyDeleteI'm having a flashback to 1968. My class picks me as school citizen of the year, The teacher decides that for the first time in the thirty years the school has done this and the first time a black kid had gotten it, we needed co-winners. The person she picked was my best friend, who refused it. She had to keep going down the line.
ReplyDeleteI hate these assholes. They will never get it. Its either, you aren't good enough or if you prove you are -- we'll make sure you pay for it.
Racist bastards.
Holy Shit! I'm stunned! I hope the school district gets their hat handed to them in court.
ReplyDeleteI know I signed an online petition about this and wish I had a link. This is such outrageous behavior. I can only hope she has a fabulous 4-year scholarship to a grade A university.
ReplyDeleteThis is outrageous! The "big mess" in that school is the utter lack of administrative leadership. Why have the school's administration and faculty done nothing to address racism in the school over the past half century?
ReplyDeleteThe most powerful nation in the world has an African-American president and this backwater community can't accept an African-American valedictorian? Did Thompson and his cabal never read "Brown vs the Board of Education"?
Congratulations to Ms Wimberly! I hope she realizes that in many "real" (as opposed to rill) Americans minds, she's the only "real" valedictorian this summer at McGehee Secondary School.
In the words of Joe McGinnis, "May some higher power help us all!"
This disgusts me. Maybe this is why groups want to end public education so only the wealthiest can pay $10k up to educate their children and the majority be denied education . We can return to keeping girls at home doing needlework and playing music.
ReplyDeleteMy ex mil ranted and raged about a 6th grade black boy winning the academic award in his class. Her granddaughter was in a different class in the same grade. The grandmother yelled "there is no way that nigger is smarter than my granddaughter!". The woman did her best to even threaten me to not complete college.
I notice this attitude comes mostly from crude, uncultured, classless, ignorant, poorly educated persons who do nothing to raise thselves up. They chose to stomp, crush others instead.
You have entire school districts in Georgia threatening and bullying teachers into fixing poor performing school scores (thanks George W., No Child Left Behind was about as inspirational and costly to the country's books as was your drug plan, tax cuts and two wars you got us in to) and here you've got a black student who literally earned her GPA and you still want to take that away?
ReplyDeleteThis school, this administrator, shame on you.
It's stories like this that absolutely sicken me. Here is young lady, who instead of being given the credit and title that she deserves, is being told from a very young age that she is not good enough and her accomplishments don't measure up simply because of the color of her skin.
ReplyDeleteThese so called administrators should be ashamed of themselves. The school district should be ashamed of itself. Hell, the whole state of Alabama should be ashamed of itself. If they are not, I'll be ashamed for them.
Tell us again teabagger clan, that your fake outrage is simply about Obama's "policies" and has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin.
I won't hold my breath waiting.
Devils Advocate here:
ReplyDeleteIt could be that she didn't take any challenging classes the whole while she was there.
There is grade inflation in McGehee for sure.
I'm sure that IF she only took the most basic of courses and got a high GPA, it would be a 'big mess' for those who took college track courses and scored just a point below her.
Don't be so quick to judge until you know the facts.
Very sad commentary indeed . . . and I hope those in the Federal justice system render JUSTICE.
ReplyDeleteSign of the times, and the alleged "conservative christianists (INO)" do all they can to advance this heinous strain of covert and overt racism.
The administrators and faculty should be ashamed of themselves; not only did they take this honor away from a young woman who clearly earned it and deserved it, they used and picked another student based on just skin color, and not merit to avoid a "big mess."
ReplyDeleteSorry to break it to you folks, but you created the "big mess" by letting your fear and bigotry get the best of you. Now, we'll see how
"big" the mess is when you are in court.
Ms Wimberly, congratulations! I am pretty sure you have plenty of acceptance letters to some of the best colleges and universities awaiting for your decision.
All the best to you and your family.
According to the article, there's a history of convincing black students NOT to take AP classes. It's so sad and horrifying that this still goes on. I knew it did, but it's hard to realize how racists don't even have to take cover.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/kymberly-wimberly-black-valedictorian-claims-school-demoted-her-over-race/2011/07/27/gIQAv5tkeI_blog.html
@5:45 Devil Advocate:
ReplyDeleteI've read a similar posting of these remarks somewhere else. You have time to go around posting this same comment following the article questioning her academics----FYI
" Kymberly Wimberly, 18, got only a single B in her 4 years at McGehee Secondary School, and loaded up on Honors and Advanced Placement classes"
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/07/25/38410.htm
I concur with Angela at 3:40am, it reminds me of when I grew up in North Carolina in High School in 1969-1971. (I eventually left and came back to the Washington, DC region to finish High School.) What happened was, on January 15, 1969, I asked the principal of my school to allow me to read Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech during the morning announcements. He then asked me, "Are you trying to incite a riot?" I told him no, that Dr. King stood for non-violence, and since he was killed last April, it would be great to remember what he stood for. Mind you I was a ninth-grader at the time, and he allowed me to read the whole speech.
ReplyDeleteWhen I returned to my English class, I received a standing ovation from my fellow students, both Black and White, led by my White English teacher. After that however, when I would receive straight "A's" on my lessons in pretty much all my classes, I would receive a "C" on my report cards. After complaining to my aunt, who was also a teacher in the county, but not at the same school, the powers that be decided on my next report card to give me a "B", even though I was still receiving "A's" in a majority of my classes. This continued through the 10th grade.
So I left N.C., after dropping out of school, (which I later regretted), came back to D.C., took 10th grade over, and subsequently made straight "A's" in all my English classes until I finally graduated a lot later than I should have.
It was very frustrating for me at the time, but I prevailed and here we are exactly 40 years later, and I've been quite successful in my career.
Whenever I speak with young people today, I always remind them to "Never give up on yourself", regardless of what others may think or say. Only "you" know your true heart, and "No one can take that away from you".
Anon 5:45 "It could be that she didn't take any challenging classes the whole while she was there."
ReplyDeleteIf you had taken the time to read the entire article provided by Think Progress you would have known she took challenging classes. She took Advance Placement & Honors courses.
"Kymberly Wimberly, 18, got only a single B in her 4 years at McGehee Secondary School, and loaded up on Honors and Advanced Placement classes. She had the highest G.P.A. and says the school's refusal to let her be sole valedictorian was part of a pattern of discrimination against black students."
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/07/25/38410.htm
WTF? Where the hell do I live? I thought it was America, land of the free and the brave. What a steaming pile of bullshit. It's disgusting that this smart, young woman has to go to court to fight for what should have been a no-brainer. The difference? She earned the right to speak. The white student? He/she was born white. Talk about entitlement.
ReplyDeleteOn Wednesday, Massachusetts lawmakers released a video for the project, assuring young people who are getting bullied that life will eventually get better. Brown, the only Republican member of the state's delegation, was also the only member of the 12-person group who declined to participate.
ReplyDeleteDuring a press call hosted by the Massachusetts Democratic Party, state Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) said Brown's refusal to participate in the video was part of a pattern of failing to support rights for LGBT individuals. He cited the fact that in 2006, when Brown was a state senator, he was the only member to vote to uphold then-Gov. Mitt Romney's veto of a Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth.
"Sen. Brown's absence in our congressional delegation's video sends a message that he supports kids being bullied or harassed," said Sciortino. "Now, I don't think that's the message that Sen. Brown wants to send. I'm asking him, as a senator for the commonwealth, to stand up and show some leadership on behalf of his LGBT constituents, our young people that are facing violence in our schools, our young people that are being bullied in our schools."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/scott-brown-lgbt-it-gets-better-video_n_912416.html
oops, I meant Arkansas not Alabama.
ReplyDeleteNancy in new york
ReplyDeleteThe school was in Arkansas not Alabama. I live in Alabama and would be very ashamed if it happened here.
Devil's Advocate 5:45
ReplyDeleteThat is NOT the case. I actually read the full article and it said nothing about the young woman taking less difficult classes. The principle stated "there would be problems" if the young woman got the honor alone-and everyone knows what that means.
The problems being that white people would make a fuss--or decide Kymberley wasn't as hard a worker and had it easier---- like you seem to think.
This is disgusting. If her name were Palin the school would be lining up to throw money at her. Here is link to change.org petition:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.change.org/petitions/thomas-gathen-superintendent-give-the-valedictorian-title-to-the-student-with-the-highest-gpa
Please sign it.
So when is the facebook/tweet barrage decrying this injustice scheduled?
Reply to devil's advocate:
ReplyDeleteYou have a point. But if the sole determinant for the honor is GPA (as I believe is traditional), then they are changing the rules when they didn't like the outcome. If they want to change the rules for the future, that should be debated.
Blatant racism and nothing more. Many of us encounter it daily and it is never pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe school should lose all federal funding if the whole admin staff is NOT replaced IMO.
angela -- your story is just so sad. I'm sorry you had to experience that and I'm glad your best friend stood up for you.
ReplyDeleteI have read about Ms. Wimberly's case. Another factor is that she is a new mother. She missed three weeks of school in the fall when she had her baby. Hence the single B grade, which was (I think) in English.
So she is being punished not only for being black, but because she had a baby, returned to school and continued to earn the highest grades.
a$$holes, all of them
Hey slick willy, that's your state. Comments?
ReplyDeleteBill clinton is maybe the most powerful voice in the country and probably always will be. He should comment. Why won't he address racism?
We all know he doesn't approve of obama for intelligent reasons but he should address racism. More people should. The gop shouldn't be the only ones who say "don't be racist. Be smart"
Truth is, without race baiting, the left has nothing.
Devil's Advocate @ 5:45: I grew up in Arkansas, and the more challenging classes were weighted more heavily so that an A would earn the student 5 points rather than 4. The article I read said that the young woman took AP and honors' classes. Either way, if her GPA is higher, then it is simply higher. That is what valedictorian status is based on. This is just racism.
ReplyDelete1977, pissant Arizona town. Alaska family moved there. Mixed marriage, Eskimo dad.
ReplyDeleteLittle girl earned Valedictorian. The school district named a white boy the Valedictorian. First, the reason was because he also excelled in sports.
A case was made:
a.) Girl was a committed ballet student and excelled.
b. Academic achievement and subsequent honors are based on measurable data, objective scoring, defensible and documentable empirical material. Not sports participation and subjective criteria.
So the reason was changed to the family being new to town and the matter was closed to further discussion.
The parents let it go. Didn't want to stir up trouble with the locals. Said it was of no consequence. Didn't really mean anything anyway.
It. Meant. Everything.
Unfortunately, the fall-out from racism and gender bias doesn't just go away. You don't just move on, find somewhere else, get over it. Even if it's just one time.
White people don't get it. Sadly, it's NEVER just one time. When that's who you are, it follows you everywhere. It's part of your existence. It shapes you.
Nice white people who love their children and do everything "right", are critically concerned with their child's self-esteem, self-confidence, emotional well-being. People worry about the destructive consequence of bullying and peer pressure, blah, blah, blah.
But they NEVER GET IT that that's what discrimination and racial/gender bias is! It screws up self-confidence and self-esteem.
Oh no, we don't have that here...not in OUR town...
You know, folks, nobody asks for or wants endless apology and "reparation" for historical inequity. We want it to STOP.
Yes, Alaska is ridiculously and inexplicably full of bigots, racists and religious extreme bible thumpers. Who _continue_ to bring all their nasty here from everywhere else. And perpetuate it.
Oh Devil's Advocate, clearly you never attended high school. Usually, honors and AP courses are weighted higher. For instance, my nieces, both black, by the way, graduated from high school with 4.1 GPAs; that's because they were judged on a 5.0 scale. So if white students, which is what you're referring to, took AP classes but still couldn't muster the grades, their GPA would reflect that. No one wants to face the fact that black people can be smarter than whites. White folks had violence and laws on their side for centuries to keep blacks down. Now that they have to compete with blacks, the rules keep changing. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteThe poetic justice here is that the young lady in question will surely find much academic and life success in one of our country's more enlightened urban centers while all-mighty Zeus will certainly punish these racists by making them live... um... in... Arkansas.
ReplyDeleteEasy fix = special invite by our black president for a NATIONAL acknowledgement for her hard work, TV interviews, indepth 20/20 type of investigation into racist practices in that school.
ReplyDeleteThe administrators need to be publicly and loudly excoriated for this despicable behavior.
Kymberly DID take Honors and AP classes, as reported by the media.
ReplyDeleteLess reported is the fact that she is a mother. I'm not sure if she already has a child or is currently pregnant, but that's a big part of this story.
BRISTOL!!!!!!! What an awesome opportunity for you to rise to the defense of a single mom who has managed to accomplish something significant!!!
Bristol?
Bristol?
wow. aside from the moral implications of this, how could this guy not KNOW that he was inviting a lawsuit? how stupid do you have to be? oh right, it's arkansas.
ReplyDeletethis poor girl. what has she been taught? work your ass off but you still won't get recognition for your efforts. god bless america, indeed.
How asinine! All the administrators who had part in this decision making should lose their jobs!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Ms.Wimberly!
anon @ 5:45 am sez:
ReplyDelete"It could be that she didn't take any challenging classes the whole while she was there. "
are you fucking serious? it's a public high school in arkansas, not some private prep school in the northeast! just how "challenging" do you think the courses are there? how pathetic that you want to try to find some reason for legitimizing this disgusting situation.
I don't know if my southern High School was an anomaly or just ahead of its' time. In 1975, the valedictorian of my HS graduating class was a young black lady named Edith Hall. Our class knew in Middle School and High School how smart Edith was and by 12th grade, it was expected that she would be our valedictorian. In my eyes and allot of my classmates, Edith wasn't seen as a black, female brainiac just as a brainiac that we all tried to aspire to become.
ReplyDeleteBTW - My HS was predominately white.
Principal Darrell Thompson should be fired immediately. The stench of racism clings to the South like stink on shit. I lived in Texas for 14 years and that pernicious legacy of stultifying racism was ever present. It colors - pun very much intended - every aspect of society.
ReplyDeleteThe white supremacist bigots bitch loudly about their perception of blacks who have gotten ahead, not based upon merit, but because of affirmative action. Isn't this a rather concrete example of a reverse instance of promoting a white student, not based upon merit, but upon the color of their skin? However,I don't hear the crackers wailing about this injustice. Hmmm.
I hope this recent wave of racial intolerance is but a last gasp of a moribund tribe of miscreants who are lashing out in response to our first black president. All bigotry is cancerous to society and impedes democracy and justice. How can we have reached the 21st century and STILL have racist dickheads like Thompson in positions of authority?
Excuse me, Anon 7:22, but your remarks really pissed me off. I have a transgendered son (formerly my daughter) who is a committed and very effective gender activist, and a black grandson who has a great future in front of him thanks to my daughter. While what happened to you is certainly horrible, and you have a right to be bitter, don't take it out on all of us.
ReplyDeleteNow this story would really be about an unwed mother having a really hard time not like brisdull who had everything handed to her a job I'm sure she was not qulified to be a office manager or even an recepionist at her age and only a GED if she has one. Maybe she can be a Candies spokeperson, maybe she can get magazine pictures of her and her child maybe a book deal. Let's see how many come her way . Maybe she can even get a gig on DWTS and with the Massey Bros a reality show.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDevils Advocate here:
It could be that she didn't take any challenging classes the whole while she was there.
There is grade inflation in McGehee for sure.
I'm sure that IF she only took the most basic of courses and got a high GPA, it would be a 'big mess' for those who took college track courses and scored just a point below her.
Don't be so quick to judge until you know the facts.
5:45 AM
------------------------------------
She took all honors and college prep classes. So STFU and quit apologizing for out and out racism!
The other factor in the story is that Wimberly is a teenage mother, and supposedly the school didn't want to "glamorize" that by having her as sole valedictorian. But I think she's someone who could speak to the challenges of teen motherhood without glamorizing it at all. If she could maintain a higher GPA than most of us (me included, and I now have a master's degree) while still managing to care for a baby, she deserves all the acclaim she gets.
ReplyDeleteUnlike a certain other single "teen" mom. Sorry, just had to add that piece of snark.
How horrible the girl was treated like that...after accomplishing so much!
ReplyDeleteI'll wager she moves on well in her life and we hear more about her.
Congratulations to the young lady!
I'm embarrassed for my fellow Americans in Arkansas that made this decision. They should all be knocked upside the head and led down a street for all to see.
8:40 AM, Lynne said..."Excuse me, Anon 7:22, but your remarks really pissed me off. I have a transgendered son (formerly my daughter) who is a committed and very effective gender activist, and a black grandson who has a great future in front of him thanks to my daughter. While what happened to you is certainly horrible, and you have a right to be bitter, don't take it out on all of us."
ReplyDeleteExcuse me? What? Don't take _what_ out on all of _who_?
Better delete your post, Gryphen. It offends.
Well SOMEbody has to keep her from gettin' to "uppity". If they let her be THE Valedictorian she'll probably never learn how to stay in her place.
ReplyDelete[Sheesh!]
Yep, Lynne@8:40am, quite right. Don't know why they have to be so bitter. WE don't have that here, not in OUR town.
ReplyDeleteGlad you post these types of articles. WHO in her boundless wisdom ('scuse me I just threw up a little) brought out the worst of divisive racist, ANTI-AMERICAN sentiment in the public political arena? Could it be SATAN, or $P for short?
ReplyDeleteOne hopes the court will rule in her favor. One doubts it, however.
Wow!! Now there's a REAL candidate for Candies!! She beats brisket hands down!
ReplyDelete@ 7:07am....STFU Granny Grifter...nobody cares what YOU think. At least PRESIDENT Bill Clinton finished his term as the Governor of Arkansas...can't say the same about YOU....QUITTER!
ReplyDeleteAnd Devils Advocate...that goes double for you....and learn to read asshole.
Stupid trolls....to damn early for this shit.
Gasman....you are off the hook. Thanks for making me laugh...."crackers"...*Snickering to myself!
I grew up in the 60s and 70s just outside of NYC and knew that some other parts of the country were less tolerant than the northeast, but had long assumed that even those areas had come a long way since those days. I now live in a city that has a very large percentage of multi-racial families, who are accepted without question or second thought.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was astonished to see how pervasive racism still was in parts of the south when I traveled to Alabama annually for several years back in the 90s. A friend's daughter was dating a black man at the time. He was educated, handsome, polite, had a good job and treated her very well - an altogether delightful young man. Apparently, the girl's grandmother did not appreciate this man's finer qualities and informed her granddaughter that if she continued to date him, she would no longer be considered the woman's granddaughter.
I was shocked to discover that that kind of hate and prejudice still existed in this country. I was also floored by the many examples of prejudice against many different groups, including 'Yankees', that I witnessed during my visits there. I was told by numerous people that they were amazed that someone from NY could be as nice as I was. Needless to say, I turned down the opportunity to move down there permanently!
The principal should lose his job over this, but considering that the the local School Board is probably on his side, and all white, he won't.
ReplyDeleteWhat blatant racisism.
PS I am white elderly woman.
Seriously? Who are these people?!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with other commenters that this young lady has what Bristle never will. Determination, a willingness to work hard not just say you are working hard, the ability to rise above her mistakes (I'll bet she's not calling her child a mistake either, nor its father a gnat), the fortitude to finish high school with a baby and a good GPA (I HATED high school and skated through with a B), and the wisdom to not back down. Why do the Palins NEVER tweet about people like this young woman? Oh yeah, because they are self-centered, ignorant, bigoted assholes. I almost forgot.
ReplyDeletetoo bad Kymberly's name is not Bristol. She could have a fabulous speaking career and made cake and tea commercials.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that this girl may have been absent for part of her 4 years. Kudos to her for getting good grades and finishing school while having a baby.
The other valedictorian had just as high a grade average, but may also have had perfect attendance. We are not getting the whole story.
What is suspicious is that this school is 46% black, yet no other black student has been a valedictorian since 1989.
"I suspect that this girl may have been absent for part of her 4 years. Kudos to her for getting good grades and finishing school while having a baby.
ReplyDeleteThe other valedictorian had just as high a grade average, but may also have had perfect attendance. We are not getting the whole story."
Uh... Dis Gusted did you read the article? It's okay to admit it....THEY ARE RACIST. Your whole "may have" isn't working....she got Valedictorian on her OWN...no "may haves" were involved.
Thanks, Lynne, for sharing your story and for speaking up.
ReplyDeleteThe devil's advocate needs to find a new devil to advocate for, because it's clear that this young woman met and exceeded what was needed to get the honors she worked doubly hard for, and it's clear the ONLY issue is the color of her skin.
AP and college coursed taken during the high school years aren't usually "easy" by any stretch of the imagination. So all things being equal, she is being punished for the color of her skin alone, not that she's a mother nor completed the work asked of her.
Unfortunately, too many people in this country refuse to acknowledge nor deal with their own racist views, which is seen in many comments in this thread. Especially one that finds another commenter's view "offensive" and demands Gryphen removes it.
What??!!
ReplyDeleteHow can they get away with that?
As someone who lives in Arkansas, grew up about 50 miles from McGhee,and understands how much racism is alive and well in my state this is still shocking! I can't believe a school would do this, openly, at least.
ReplyDeletePoor girl, I hope whatever case they have, she wins and I'm sure she will.
I hadn't even heard about this until I read it here! Geeze.
@ 3:23am...AGAIN GRANNY GRIFTER??? Seriously....first you want to talk about PRESIDENT Bill Clinton and now you are trying to bring up "black female" Condoleezza Rice?? S T F U....NOBODY GIVES A SHIT ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ANYTHING! You are a stupid, ignorant, hillbilly who probably had NO IDEA who CONDOLEEZZA RICE was until RAM told you...this story is about a young lady who EARNED the valedictorian it's not about Condo Rice....CAPICE? SHEESH!
ReplyDelete