[Mpls] Re: DFL snubs two on school board

[Michael Atherton]

David Brauer wrote:

> Sorry, was trying to clarify a racial assertion brought up earlier by
> another member.
> 
> My earlier list wasn't meant to be complete, but highlighted the most
> newsworthy items IMHO: the two endorsed newcomers and the two spurned
> incumbents. I'm glad another scribe offered the complete list. 
> 
> PS If DFLers really didn't ponder the racial implications of 
> their choices,
> the devil must be dusting off his snowblower down under.

I should make it clear that I don't necessarily believe in 
proportional representation by race, but I do find it unusual
that the DFL would not make a special effort to see that
the 42% of Minneapolis school students that are African
American have some representation on the school board.

I also find it curious that Sharon Henry-Blythe was snubbed.
Wasn't she previously endorsed by the DFL?  What changed?
>From my perspective the majority of her tenure was marked
by conformity to the party line and "consensus building."
But that appears to have changed recently as she as become
more concerned about actually doing something about the
achievement gap.  Even her innocuous comments about the
injustice of the status quo seem to have been enough to 
withhold a party endorsement.

I don't think that explicit discussions of race are necessary
to infer a lack of concern about equality and social
justice from a political party whose platform is supposedly
based on it, inaction is sufficient.

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park