I have read enough of his works to feel comfortable in saying that Dr King, a learned man, would have preferred that school children attend school on his national holiday IF it was necessary to make up for the 5 days that the schools in many parts of Georgia have been closed due to a massive ice storm.
For a man who was living during a time where Black kids were kept OUT OF SCHOOL in order to harvest cotton and other crops - it seems perverted for those who claim to be his protectors today to be aggrieved that children will be kept out of school for a 6th straight day in a sign of respect for King.
Georgia Based Civil Rights Groups Upset By Plans To Make "MLK Day" A Snow Day Make Up Day
"It's an opportunity for people, black and white, to reflect on what King's dream meant for blacks and whites," said Georgia State Conference NAACP President Edward DuBose. "And it's humiliating to hear that school districts want to take a snow day rather than to honor Dr. King's legacy."
The snowstorm forced school officials throughout the state to make tough decisions. Ice as thick as an inch-and-a-half that coated north Georgia roads forced many school administrators to cancel classes for the entire week, as they worried buses would slide on hilly roads.
......
Fannin County schools superintendent Mark Henson said the wintry weather has wreaked havoc on the district's calendar.
"Changing our school calendar is never easy for us, and we regret that we have had to make this decision," he said in an e-mail. "But we believe that it is in the best interest of our students to be in school as much as possible so that they can be successful in life."
The two counties are both in extreme north Georgia and both have populations that are more than 90 percent white.
And while the vast majority of Georgia school districts are not holding classes on Monday, the issue has cropped up in other states as well. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools decided to also hold classes on Monday, prompting criticism from the local NAACP chapter and a city councilman.
But the counties' decision struck a particular nerve in Georgia, the state where King was born and later the launching pad for the civil rights movement.
"Am I surprised? Probably not. But I'm disappointed," said state Sen. Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat and a leader of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. "It's supposed to be a day of service, a day of reflection. And this sends a message that the home state of Dr. King may not fully value him."
Picture: This White Material Used To Keep Our Ancestors Out Of School As Well
DID ANY PARENT USE THE PAST 5 DAYS TO HONOR DR KING WHILE THEY WERE OUT OF SCHOOL?
Dr King's birthday is actually Saturday - January 15th. The national holiday is the 3rd Monday of each year. While I heard a television opinion person tell the audience that President Ronald Reagan was "forced" to sign the holiday commemorating King into law I didn't hear him mention the need to honor King by doing anything more than "enforcing respect" for the symbolic accouterments about King (holidays, streets signs, parks and buildings).
With 5 full days in which schools in metro-Atlanta have been closed - I am made to wonder what the average parent demanded that their children do while they were nestled at home?
Was there a single "Civil Rights History" book or web site opened during this week, as instructed by those seeking to make their children more aware of their past?
With the facts of known performance problems at schools that are named after historical greats..........
- King
- Douglass
- Bethune
- Mays
- Washington
- Carver
all vacillating around the bar of "Adequate Yearly Progress" - it seems that certain enforcement actions as expressed by the community organizers appear to be quite empty - abstracted from the present challenges that face us.
(Pssst - They are not going to stop, people.)
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