What Racism?????

An elementary public school in Michigan had a field trip last week to meet with an rocket scientist. That's nice and good, isn't it? Students will visit rocket scientist and get motivated for being one... what it has to do with Racism?

Well.... the trip was only for 30 black students to meet with an African-American rocket scientist. Students who are not black were excluded from the outing .

"The district is investigating the allegations of violation of the State of Michigan Proposal 2," a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor, Mich., school district . "There was no ill-intent or malice in the principal and teachers planning this field trip," she added.

The principal, Mike Madison, who is black, has authorized this trip. The goal of the trip, Madison said, was to close test score gaps and inspire the students to consider careers in the sciences.

The controversy began last week when the 30 students, members of an African-American academic support group, were taken to hear the rocket scientist, Alec Gallimore, speak at the University of Michigan, where he is an aerospace engineering professor and propulsion lab director.

But parents of students who were excluded protested, and the children who went on the trip were booed by their classmates when they returned to school.

Earlier this week, Madison tried to quash the controversy by sending a letter home to parents, in which he wrote:

In hindsight, this field trip could have been approached and arranged in a better way.

But as I reflect upon the look of excitement, enthusiasm and energy that I saw in these children’s eyes as they stood in the presence of a renowned African American rocket scientist in a very successful position, it gave the kids an opportunity to see this type of achievement is possible for even them.

It was not a wasted venture, for I know one day they might want to aspire to be the first astronaut or scientist standing on the Planet Mars....

The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students, as has been reported, but rather to address the societal issues, roadblocks and challenges that our African-American children will face as they pursue a successful academic education here in our community.

My Views: My view thinks this is racism in true sense... Racism is the belief that race is a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Or, on the opposite side, racism can be as the belief that a certain race or races portray undesirable characteristics . In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

In this incidence:

1. Principal Madison thinks - White students are superior students and Black students are inferior students

2. Black students is given preferential treatment because of the race or skin color

3. White students were not given opportunities or denied the opportunities based on race or skin color

4. Trips for Black student, members of an African-American academic support group, authorized by a black principal, to meet black rocket scientist.... ok too many blacks here... replace with white and read and then tell me if this is enough or not..

So the neh neh ne neh neh public who is shouting racism for AZ law... you thinkwhat has happened here in MI?