The state NAACP held a news conference today to stress its opposition to the idea:

The group said it opposes the initiative and questions the motivation of the School Board in closing the school two years ago.

“We oppose any scheme that creates a private school in a public school setting,” said Melvin Law, a former school board chairman and a member of the Richmond branch of the NAACP.

“We now realize that the closing of Patrick Henry Elementary School was planned and deliberate to set up the process for the charter application,” the group said in a statement distributed by its executive director, King Salim Khalfani.

Here’s some more from its statement of opposition:

Let’s be honest, gentrification is here and after the change of Richmond’s charter to a Mayor-at-Large system, the white takeover is in progress. One election after the “referendum” overturned Holt v. Richmond and the Supreme Court’s decision, the Richmond School Board and City Council became majority white. This was just the opening salvo.

There is a nafarious battle being waged by a segment of the population to take back what was lost in the 1970’s. Charter Schools were conceptualized immediately after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1955 [sic]. Since that time vouchers, charters, and other nefarious efforts have been undertaken to circumvent the laws of the United States and Virginia. In Richmond City, the effort to totally discredit RPS, its administration and School Board are similar to the effort to discredit the City Council and former Mayoral system in the effort to ”change it and take it over by the white minority soon to be majority again.”

In short, the NAACP views the creation of a public charter school that by law must be open to all as just one part of a long and involved plot by whites to seize control of city government from African-Americans.

This is wildly off base—but, given Virginia’s toxic racial past, not wholly unexpected. Massive Resistance and other racial stains continue to poison the atmosphere decades after their abandonment.

The ultimate irony may be that, by making education reform more difficult and thereby reducing educational options for minority students in the city, Virginia’s legacy of racism continues to inflict harm on Virginia’s African-American children. 

When the NAACP calls for parents to “participate”...that usually means a mob of belligerent race baiters screaming at and threatening anything white in the room.

King Salami Balogny has spoken all the usual trigger words. Now there is nothing left to do but wait for the Pavlovian response.

Maybe another slavery apology is in order.

Yes Trevor, it is a farce. Frankly I do not care what is done with PH. It will make no difference in the lives of inner city black children.

The only way to change the lousy performance, let alone lifestyle of black kids is to change their parents. Do not hold your breath waiting.

From King’s web site:

“Don’t Hate: Participate! Advocate!
Promoting Parent and Family Engagement: Research has established that sustained parental involvement is critical to the educational success of children. Unfortunately, black families are less likely to manage the amount of time their children spend reading, doing homework or watching TV. The NAACP is committed to helping parents become more directly engaged in their education of the children.

The above is exactly what the Patrick Henry Charter School would provide and it’s open to all colors, creeds and sects.  So I guess the above is simply lip service.

A laughable comment: “...gentrification is here and after the change of Richmond’s charter to a Mayor-at-Large system, the white takeover is in progress.” Hmmm. For 30 years, the City of Richmond has been a laughing stock for lousy government, silly projects, racial animosity, poor schools and high murder rate. Hmmm. So gentrification--whites returning to the city--is bad?

Wasn’t there a famous comment about “the color of their skin...content of their character...?”

Was reading all comments here, with special attention to Common Sense Mom’s concerns.

We need to enter into a period of unprecedented spending, in order to get things set-right. Yeah spending, that dirty word that Richmonders fear. Build 2 or 3 brand-new, shining, state-of-the-art schools each year—schools that will have the counties envious & that
city kids will eagerly run to everyday.

There’s no other way.

Right now, yes, we are light years behind on education; the kids here attend school in poorly-equipped, old buildings that are barely up to a 1960s standard. Its no wonder kids here aren’t too keen on school.

Scott - I think we do need the Feds to come in.  This city seems to be imploding.  Within the past month ALL of our significant city leaders (possibly a loose term in some opinions) have decided to throw in the towel:

1) Our Police Chief
2) Our Mayor
3) Our school superintendent
4) City Council President (not yet announced officially)

What does this mean?  It’s a huge tipping point it I know that.

Whatever it means I GUARANTEE that city business leaders (and prospective city buisness leaders) are taking notice.  So is the NAACP - there’s alot of background politics and outside agendas at play here.

Education is taking a backseat....again.

Yeah, improve dem’s Richmonds School. I is tired of being called trailer trashes. It hurst when thosn diss me.

I think its the Richmond ‘business community’ that must be laughing their asses off. And yes, I am including the Times Dispatch in that statement.

Think about it. NAACP vs. earnest PHSI parents. An ugly, sensational battle that distracts from the fact that City Council is giving millions in corporate welfare to downtown white elephants (such as Center Stage) INSTEAD of funding the legal, moral mandate of ADA access and renovated for Richmond public schools.

Let’s call in the Federal troops to restore order and public policy. It’s time.

My friends in Northern Virginia who are following this story are laughing their asses off at Richmond. 

Their children go to school with equal numbers of African Americans, Latino, Asians, Middle Easterners and Caucasians.

OH my GOD! How in the WORLD does this work so well there?

I’ll tell you how: The parents of these children are EDUCATED. 

Richmond is light-years behind the peace and prosperity of Northern Virginia or any Northern city. If the NAACP is right, then Richmond is TRULY a nasty southern city - stuck in the mire of hate that many people lost their lives to eliminate. 

Here is a conspiracy to chew on:  I believe a racist white person is running the NAACP.  Why? Because they are perpetuating hate and fear that is causing this city and it’s African American residents to fail.  They are “keeping thier own people down” so to speak.

What a shame.  Rise Above.

So, this is what the so-called leadership of the NAACP really wants. Power.  A segregated school system. 

The PHI folks have worked hard to build a program that would offer opportunities to ALL city school children.  Pointing to the neighborhood and saying PHI is trying to create “a private school in a public school setting” is ridiculous. The implication is “white” private school.  However, if these individuals REALLY looked at the surrounding neighborhood, they would know (maybe they do, but choose to ignore) that within a one mile radius, there is about a 50/50 mix.  I live in this neighborhood.  I’m old, I have no children, but I’m going to see what I have seen over and over again.  Young couples move in, have children, and move out again to the counties.  And I mean middle income neighbors, both black and white, who want a QUALITY school in their neighborhood, something different, something that will challenge their children, something that will prepare them for a better future.

I’ve come to notice over the years that POWER is the driving force of individuals who work as dividers, not as uniters. I’m seeing it at work in this situation as well.

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