S. African Student Not "African American"?

[GB81]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,109309,00.html

White Student Calls Self African-American

Friday, January 23, 2004



OMAHA, Neb. — Officials disciplined students who papered their nearly all-white high school with posters advocating a white student from South Africa for the school's "Distinguished African American Student Award."

Peggy Rupprecht, spokeswoman for the Westside Community Schools (search) district, said administrators at Westside High School (search) discovered more than a hundred of the posters throughout the school first thing Monday — Martin Luther King Jr. Day (search).

"The content of the posters, they believed, was inappropriate and insensitive to some members of our school community," Rupprecht said.

Citing privacy policies, Rupprecht said she could not specify what the penalties were or how many students were disciplined. But the mother of the boy pictured on the posters said he was suspended for two days.

The award has been given the last eight years to an outstanding black student as part of the school's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, she said.

The poster pictured junior Trevor Richards, 16, smiling and making a thumbs-up sign. A message at the top encouraged votes for him for next year's award.

Karen Richards said her son and his friends were not trying to hurt anyone.

"My son is not a racist," she told the Omaha World-Herald. "He has black friends, friends from Bangladesh and Egypt. Color has never been an issue in our home."

"It was a very innocent thing," she said.

Two of her son's friends were disciplined along with him, she said. A fourth student was punished for circulating a petition Tuesday criticizing the practice of recognizing only black student achievement with the award, she said.

Tylena Martin, a junior, said the poster had been on the door to her homeroom class where she is the only black student. She said she felt hurt by the posters and the backlash that ensued.

According to 2002-2003 state statistics, 56 Of Westside's 1,632 students are black.

[Ancalagon the Black]

Is the term "black" actually all that offensive?

This reminds me of my college roommate's story: in middle-school history class, on the subject of South African apartheid, the teacher would insist on calling the two groups "white" and "African American."

Ummm....

[GB81]

In the last Olympics, one of the annoucers referred to a black British sprinter as "African American."

Brilliant.

[Funkyalligator]

As far as I am concerned a white South African can be refered to as African-American as long as ther are from South Africa and are a citizen of the US....nothing wrong with that.

[endzone_dave]

Tylena Martin doesn't even realize that the white kid has close ties to Africa than she does. That would make her a total idiot.

OR

Tylena Martin believes that only black people can claim the right to be call African American. That would make her a racist.

So Tylena Martin is either a total idiot or a racist.

[Ancalagon the Black]

Apart from the ridiculous terminology, I believe that if a public school gives out an award, any student should be eligible for that award. Especially if it's awarded by election.

Keeping candidates out of the running is racist and definitely violates equal protection.

[Om]

I think we should debate the term "African American" in terms of strict literal interpretation versus usage.

[GB81]

I figure that if you insist on using poorly conceived, somewhat ambiguous, silly names for things, you are asking for these sort of issues.

[Kilmer17]

The striking thing about this is the controversy is over students words, when it should be about the administrations segregational tactics.

[OaktonSkins/BushFan]

And we wonder why so many public schools are failing. Perhaps if public educators were more concerned with hard academic subjects and lessons instead of political correctness, our public school students would be in better shape.

In Fairfax County VA, approximately 80% of the county budget is allocated to the public school system. It just sickens me that I have to subsidize this type of wasteful and meaningless activity which is rampant across the country.

[jbooma]

why can't everyone be called just plain americans??

i don't go around and say I am a european mutt american

i am an american plain and simple i don't look at my black friends and call them african american i call them friends or americans as well, same with latino friends

i am just sick of using black, latino, etc......

when we are all american

[Art]

In terms of use, it is common to call any black person an African American whether anyone in their family tree ever stepped foot in Africa. Is a white person born in Africa who moves to America and becomes an American an African American? Yes. Should it possibly be offensive to call him that? No. Sadly though, what should be isn't always what is.

[Darth Tater]

Originally posted by endzone_dave
Tylena Martin doesn't even realize that the white kid has close ties to Africa than she does. That would make her a total idiot.

OR

Tylena Martin believes that only black people can claim the right to be call African American. That would make her a racist.

So Tylena Martin is either a total idiot or a racist.

Calling someone an idiot is, of course, insensitive even if its true.

[ADF]

Using the same logic, should people from Canada and Mexico call themselves Americans?

[WallyG3]

Originally posted by jbooma
why can't everyone be called just plain americans??

Exactly what I wanted to say. In my French class the other night, we were saying where we were from and our nationality. Almost everyone in the class was saying they were from L.A., but only a couple said they were American (even though they all are). People said they were Mexican, Chinese, even one guy said his nationality was 'Chicano' although he was born in the US to American parents and he doesn't speak a lick of Spanish.

It really bothered me.

Racism and bigotry will continue to exist until we stop pointing out our physical differences.