CA Elementary School Slogan: 'Keeping Our Black and Brown Boys in Mind'

CBS 5 in San Francisco reported today that Julia Baldwin Elementary School in San Jose has a board posted that reads: “Keeping Our Black and Brown Boys in Mind.” The school district is standing by the board. Principal Joyce Millner says, “When you look at our data deeper, the most significant gap is between the boys. The boys are struggling the most and the black and brown boys for sure. What I personally consider disturbing to me is that the gap is still existing.”

Perhaps the gap “is still existing” because the principal is more focused on color barriers than on speaking proper English. Four out of five of the students at Baldwin are black and Hispanic, apparently, with only white and Asian students scoring above state minimums. “Are we ignoring or neglecting Asian and white students?” asks Millner. “Absolutely not. It’s an opportunity to dialogue.”

Separate but equal is inherently unequal. And “keeping in mind” certain students rather than other students is unjustifiable.