Tiptoeing around the issue of race just isn’t Rev. Kyev Tatum’s style.
In the past, he’s filed complaints that accused the Fort Worth Independent School District and Arlington Heights High School of establishing different disciplinary standards for African-American students.
Tatum, who has characterized Fort Worth as one of the most dangerous cities in America for black males, blames institutional racism for making black youth, particularly boys, ill equipped for life after high school.
“Whatever we have been doing for the last 30 years is not working,” he said in a recent press release. “Many of our children are suffering from Impotent Rage and are in need of more love, nourishment and nurturing. It is time for us to get back to rearing our own to succeed. If we don’t do it, who will?”
Now he’s got an office at his alma mater Trimble Tech High School to run his own Brilliant Bulldog Center, a program that was included as part of a Weekly story on the school’s resurgence (“Tech Revolution,” Oct. 3, 2012).
Attention to Tatum sticks in the craw of some teachers who resent how the school suddenly created a nice, large office for Tatum and let him run a relatively independent program that appears exclusionary since it’s mainly geared toward black kids. Those teachers smell a double standard as well.
Maybe everyone could hash it over this weekend.
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) will discuss “The State of Black Children” at 5 p.m. Saturday at Harmony Missionary Baptist Church, 7510 John T White Rd.
Tatum is the SCLC’s local chapter president.
If you have ideas or opinions, Saturday offers an opportunity to present them.
Rev. Tatum’s referenced blog states his new office is at Trimble and Arlington Heights is not his alma mater. What gives?
Ouch, that was my mistake — his alma mater is Trimble Tech. I corrected the reference in the blog post. Thanks for reading.
Thank God for Reverend Tatum! He remains the lone voice calling for change on behalf of FWISD children. Dansby’s tenure is proof that changing the Superintendent has done nothing to change the culture of corruption at FWISD. Countless instances of fraud and abuse have been reported and covered up by the Board – now even by Dansby supporters. Vasquez and Sutherland in the Outdoor Learning Center scandal, Needham at Arlington Heights with Special Ed children, football fields, and a Principal who is never there. Teachers and employees now fear coming forward to report wrongdoing even more than under MJ. For three years (the last at Dansby’s direction), FWISD has continued to spend hundreds of thousands in legal fees to scapegoat Palazzolo – who continues to fight. Effective change MUST begin with the School Board. Teachers, Employees, Parents – Hispanic, Black, White, and Asian, must rally together to ensure EVERY Board Member up for re-election in May or 2015 is defeated regardless of party.