Gee. The Truth Hurts Doesn't It?
A non-profit education has cops called on them by Professor Linda Heywood and her African-American history class. And the Black Student Union complains that the posters put up by the non-profit group were insensitive and offensive.
What did the posters say? Nothing but some sad, cold facts. And because these skinhead looking white boys were posting material stating these horrible things it had to be racist, right? Hanging out on a street corner, ganged together?
Talk about your racial profiling.
Black group blasts TFA for 'insensitive' fliers
Teach For America recruiter apologizes
Matt Negrin
Posted: 11/16/06
The Black Student Union held a charged meeting last night after members were incensed by a series of recently posted Teach For America fliers that some called "insensitive."
Professor Linda Heywood and her African-American history class first noticed the fliers, which included statistics on minority academic achievement, in the College of Arts of Sciences early yesterday morning. They reported seeing two young, white men who looked like "skinheads" posting the fliers and contacted university officials because they felt threatened and offended.
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"By fourth grade, African-American students are, on average, 3 to 4 grade levels behind their Caucasian peers in math and science," one poster reads. Another states: "Less than half of high school students in urban areas graduate, and those who do, often read below basic levels."
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"I feel like it was an attack, like, 'Why are you here?'" panelist Shameka Gregory, the CAS junior who was first to speak, said of the posters.
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Professor Heywood, who was not at the event, said her students had originally thought the fliers were posted by people hoping to promote racism.
She said she and many of her students were bothered by the fliers because they "put things in students' heads" and that the two young men, who students said they saw put up the fliers, "are attacking [students'] intellectual integrity."
"We're not going to stand for it," Heywood said.
After seeing the two men, Heywood said she called the BU Police Department, The Daily Free Press and President Robert Brown's office, which contacted the Dean of Students Office.
When Heywood was notified last night that the fliers were posted by Teach For America, she said despite the organization's good intentions, the statements made are "insensitive" without a provided context.
"I was surprised that it is done by an organization whose ultimate aim is to improve quality of teaching and quality of information," she said.
"These words . . . can be misinterpreted, even though it has well meaning," Heywood added. "It can definitely be misinterpreted."
UMOJA President Francesca Okolie, a CAS junior in Heywood's history class, said the two students posting the fliers "looked like skinheads." She said it was unusual to see students slouching in the corridor at a time when most students are either going to or coming from class.
What did the posters say? Nothing but some sad, cold facts. And because these skinhead looking white boys were posting material stating these horrible things it had to be racist, right? Hanging out on a street corner, ganged together?
Talk about your racial profiling.
Black group blasts TFA for 'insensitive' fliers
Teach For America recruiter apologizes
Matt Negrin
Posted: 11/16/06
The Black Student Union held a charged meeting last night after members were incensed by a series of recently posted Teach For America fliers that some called "insensitive."
Professor Linda Heywood and her African-American history class first noticed the fliers, which included statistics on minority academic achievement, in the College of Arts of Sciences early yesterday morning. They reported seeing two young, white men who looked like "skinheads" posting the fliers and contacted university officials because they felt threatened and offended.
.
.
.
"By fourth grade, African-American students are, on average, 3 to 4 grade levels behind their Caucasian peers in math and science," one poster reads. Another states: "Less than half of high school students in urban areas graduate, and those who do, often read below basic levels."
.
.
.
"I feel like it was an attack, like, 'Why are you here?'" panelist Shameka Gregory, the CAS junior who was first to speak, said of the posters.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Professor Heywood, who was not at the event, said her students had originally thought the fliers were posted by people hoping to promote racism.
She said she and many of her students were bothered by the fliers because they "put things in students' heads" and that the two young men, who students said they saw put up the fliers, "are attacking [students'] intellectual integrity."
"We're not going to stand for it," Heywood said.
After seeing the two men, Heywood said she called the BU Police Department, The Daily Free Press and President Robert Brown's office, which contacted the Dean of Students Office.
When Heywood was notified last night that the fliers were posted by Teach For America, she said despite the organization's good intentions, the statements made are "insensitive" without a provided context.
"I was surprised that it is done by an organization whose ultimate aim is to improve quality of teaching and quality of information," she said.
"These words . . . can be misinterpreted, even though it has well meaning," Heywood added. "It can definitely be misinterpreted."
UMOJA President Francesca Okolie, a CAS junior in Heywood's history class, said the two students posting the fliers "looked like skinheads." She said it was unusual to see students slouching in the corridor at a time when most students are either going to or coming from class.
posted by Ga Mongrel at 3:51 PM
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