Local and state NAACP leaders are calling for continued pressure after Tuscaloosa County students organized a walkout and made numerous allegations of racism in local schools.
A Hillcrest High School senior, Jamiyah Brown, says student complaints still are not being taken seriously after a Feb. 8 walkout. The Tuscaloosa NAACP now recommends county residents withhold approval for a proposed property tax increase to fund school improvements on Feb. 14. And state advocates say the issue, which grew out of debate about a Black History Month program, shows the pitfalls of Alabama’s “divisive concepts” law.
Lisa Young, president of the Tuscaloosa NAACP, and Brown met with district officials Monday to address student concerns about discipline disparities, inappropriate treatment from school staff and alleged censorship of a Black History Month production.
“Throughout the whole meeting that we just had, no one admitted that there was a problem,” Brown said, through tears, during a press conference Monday evening. “There is a problem.”
In a statement to AL.com, district officials said it is “absolutely not true” that they are not taking student concerns seriously.
“Today, we began the process of listening to our students about their school culture and climate; how we move forward will be guided by what we learn from our students,” said Superintendent Keri Johnson, referring to Monday’s meeting. “We are serious about hearing from our students openly and honestly, and this process will not be completed in just one day.”
Since the walkout, Young said officials have pulled some students out of class and have held small-group conversations. The district will select an independent contractor to investigate the allegations, but did not give Young a timeline on that process, she said.
Unsatisfied with the response so far, the local NAACP chapter now backs a student effort to protest a historic local tax vote Tuesday. The property tax increase could generate about $15 million in additional funds for school improvement projects across the district.
“While we want a quality education for all students in Alabama, we cannot trust that the funds received will be used to benefit all students equally,” Young said.
State NAACP leaders are taking aim at legislators, as another bill to block so-called “divisive concepts” in the classroom awaits the start of the legislative session.
Educators and school board members have claimed that the bill and others like it could have a chilling effect on classroom instruction. Over the past year, educators and officials have noted several complaints about Black history events – events that officials said didn’t violate the law.
“Our legislators have put our students, and some administrators, in a position where they cannot make a rational decision about something as simple as a Black history program,” Alabama NAACP President Benard Simelton said Monday.
District officials said the school follows state history standards, and said it’s important that students’ study of Black history is “inclusive and sensitive.”
“TCSS supports our students in expressing themselves, and including all parts of history, such as slavery and the civil rights movement, in their program,” Johnson said.
The Tuscaloosa NAACP will hold another forum with Tuscaloosa County students on Feb. 18 as well as a block party on Feb. 19. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page.