Oh those well-meaning whites!

In the Seattle Times there is an article, “Race, class splinter Madrona School,” about the disappointment of liberal whites who had sent their children to, and had wanted to raise the standards of, a predominantly black school. This paragraph would seem to sum up the story:

Some parents, even before their own children were old enough for Madrona, had tried to improve the school. That left some parents with children already at the school bristling at the suggestion that somehow it wasn’t good enough.

This sounds like, oh, everything that white people do. How about whites telling Muslims that they must have democratic political systems like ours? How about Jews telling blacks that blacks are just as capable of being doctors and lawyers as the Jews are, so why aren’t the blacks doing as well as the Jews? The belief in equality, satisfying modern whites’ deepest instincts, only leads to racial antagonism.

Gintas J., who sent the article, quotes and comments on it:

You read the article and it’s clear that black = lower class and white = upper class. It’s the wealthy whites who are gentrifying the area:

Madrona’s principal, Kaaren Andrews, believes some left because, ultimately, they were uncomfortable with the school’s racial balance. And she believes some of their expectations were unreasonable in a school whose most pressing priority is to help disadvantaged students succeed.

and

Some white parents talked of wanting to feel that a school only blocks from their homes could be a place where their children could get a well-rounded education and where they could feel welcome donating their time.

Some black parents pointed out that their ethnicity is appreciated at a school like Madrona and expressed concerns over white families changing the school in the same way they’ve changed the neighborhood.

Steve Orser’s story is easily anticipated:

Orser, who is white, has lived in the neighborhood 12 years. He had gone to school in Baltimore with children of all races and income levels, knew the racial mix at Madrona and wanted that for his kids, too.

I bet this is a big surprise:

But in the end, he said, he never felt welcomed. Orser said the principal seemed to dismiss suggestions for reducing class sizes or incorporating art and music programs into the curriculum—something he felt would benefit all children.

“We had financial resources and people with all kinds of skills willing to help,” Orser said. “It was clear she didn’t want our money and was reluctant to give us direction.”

Disillusioned, Orser transferred his son at the start of this school year to Lowell Elementary School, where he tested into the gifted program.

“The saddest day of my last 10 years was the day I realized my son would no longer be at Madrona—despite everything I’d put into it.”

Other tidbits:

“I was happy as a clam that my son was going to school with others who didn’t look like him,” said Lenz, mother of a first-grader.

A few fret about their children having to sing what’s known as the black national anthem at assemblies. Its lyrics, which begin, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing … ,” are printed on the gymnasium wall.

It’s a long article but an excellent nutshell of forced integration and muliticultural illusions, particularly among liberal whites here. Dang it all, why can’t we all just hold hands, sing Kumbayah, and just bask in the beauty of diversity?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 28, 2007 12:38 PM | Send