Tuesday, December 27, 2011
ACTIVISM: We Have to Think Outside The Box
ACTIVISM: We Have to Think Outside The Box: On December 27, 2011, I had pleasure of reading a response in the letter to the editor section of Today's Sunbeam . There was a response fro...
We Have to Think Outside The Box
On December 27, 2011, I had pleasure of reading a response in the letter to the editor section of Today's Sunbeam. There was a response from Mr. Anthony Oliver in regards to my previous letter to the editor about the unfair hiring practices in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School System. As I read Mr. Oliver article and began to chuckle. I chuckled because Mr. Oliver displayed his ignorance towards the challenges of the school system. He mentioned that there is no problem with-in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School system. Well, if that statement is true, then why is the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District one of the 200 school districts in New Jersey that is considered underperforming or title one school? For the record, if there were not any problems, then why was the last certified teacher position tabled from hiring who was recommended to the school board by Dr. Massare? I am not the only person to see that there is a problem.
Unfortunately, we are entitled to our own opinion, but due to Mr. Oliver being infuriated, his ignorance led him to misinterpret the content of my letter. The objective of my letter was to shed light on the fact that there are over 2400 students within the district, 65% are African Americans, 25% Latino, and 10% White, so why is it that the ratio of teacher to student do not reflect the majority that populate the school district, since the Report Card Narratives for each school is described as “students from the culturally-diverse communities of Penns Grove and Carneys Point", however, the population of the teaching staff does not reflect that statement?
If Mr. Oliver had taken the time to read my article, he would have seen that I pointed out an issue in "July" and the point of the matter was to expose the leaders of the school board lack of attentiveness to address or formulate some type of devised intervention to resolve the matter.
The underlining meaning, is that if the leaders of the school board or the superintendent of schools will not address illiteracy problem which is a civil right issue, human right issue and a educational issue, then how will they as a whole address the equal opportunity for people of color that live in the community along with the students that occupy Penns Grove-Carneys Point School system? Mr. Oliver communicated that he does not see the connection between the hiring of African American teachers and the students suffering. That is because he cannot! In order for Mr. Oliver to have any knowledge of understanding of the matter, I encourage him to read the history of slavery, civil rights movement, Plessey vs. Ferguson and the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education.
I hope that Mr. Oliver is not so blind with patriotism that he cannot face reality. I am happy to explain the direct correlation of the previous letter to him as if he is a two year old, in an effort for better understanding. Our school system is predominantly African American. Since majority of the teachers are white and a lot of them do not live around or in the community with the African American students, then how can they relate to the complex challenges that the black students experience coming from home? Many students face adversities before even stepping on school ground. Mr. Oliver and a lot of the other teachers do not know what it is like for a child to come to school that may have not eaten, no electric, no water or no parent and then try to focus on a lesson. That is troublesome to a child, so why not establish certified teachers that make up the majority of the student population? That is what Brown vs. Board of Education was about, equal resources; text books, teachers, food and fully structure classrooms.
I asked this question, who is Mr. Oliver referring too when he said, "We as Penns Grove and Carneys Point citizens fought hard for what we believed in and did all what we could do to make something out of ourselves?" I hope that he is not inferring that the white community has fought hard when he said "we", because the town is a diverse community composed of Hispanics, Mexicans, whites and predominantly African Americans. No other nationality fought harder to better themselves than African Americans; we have been fighting that fight for over 400 years and still fighting for justice and equality. Another question is what Mr. Oliver is implying when he said, "When something written about a hard working group of people currently employed in the school district, which is the best I ever had?" Is Mr. Oliver Implying that only hard working group of people is people not of color?
As a civil right activist and a parent all I want is for the powers in charge are to promote fairness and equality in our community and school system, when it comes to hiring, and not only that but devise a rigorous plan to deal with the illiteracy issue. If Mr. Oliver would like, I will organize a forum to discuss or debate the issue in a public setting, and would invite my good friend and mentor in Reverend Al Sharpton to be the moderator.
One thing Mr. Oliver is right about, that we should be moving forward into the future, not backwards towards Brown vs. Board of Education. We are still this day are dealing with Brown vs. Board of Education issues. Until the administrators and board president take the initiative to demise the issues, the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School district will remain part of the 200 underperforming schools in the state of New Jersey.
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
Chairman of Community Awareness Alliance
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Unfortunately, we are entitled to our own opinion, but due to Mr. Oliver being infuriated, his ignorance led him to misinterpret the content of my letter. The objective of my letter was to shed light on the fact that there are over 2400 students within the district, 65% are African Americans, 25% Latino, and 10% White, so why is it that the ratio of teacher to student do not reflect the majority that populate the school district, since the Report Card Narratives for each school is described as “students from the culturally-diverse communities of Penns Grove and Carneys Point", however, the population of the teaching staff does not reflect that statement?
If Mr. Oliver had taken the time to read my article, he would have seen that I pointed out an issue in "July" and the point of the matter was to expose the leaders of the school board lack of attentiveness to address or formulate some type of devised intervention to resolve the matter.
The underlining meaning, is that if the leaders of the school board or the superintendent of schools will not address illiteracy problem which is a civil right issue, human right issue and a educational issue, then how will they as a whole address the equal opportunity for people of color that live in the community along with the students that occupy Penns Grove-Carneys Point School system? Mr. Oliver communicated that he does not see the connection between the hiring of African American teachers and the students suffering. That is because he cannot! In order for Mr. Oliver to have any knowledge of understanding of the matter, I encourage him to read the history of slavery, civil rights movement, Plessey vs. Ferguson and the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education.
I hope that Mr. Oliver is not so blind with patriotism that he cannot face reality. I am happy to explain the direct correlation of the previous letter to him as if he is a two year old, in an effort for better understanding. Our school system is predominantly African American. Since majority of the teachers are white and a lot of them do not live around or in the community with the African American students, then how can they relate to the complex challenges that the black students experience coming from home? Many students face adversities before even stepping on school ground. Mr. Oliver and a lot of the other teachers do not know what it is like for a child to come to school that may have not eaten, no electric, no water or no parent and then try to focus on a lesson. That is troublesome to a child, so why not establish certified teachers that make up the majority of the student population? That is what Brown vs. Board of Education was about, equal resources; text books, teachers, food and fully structure classrooms.
I asked this question, who is Mr. Oliver referring too when he said, "We as Penns Grove and Carneys Point citizens fought hard for what we believed in and did all what we could do to make something out of ourselves?" I hope that he is not inferring that the white community has fought hard when he said "we", because the town is a diverse community composed of Hispanics, Mexicans, whites and predominantly African Americans. No other nationality fought harder to better themselves than African Americans; we have been fighting that fight for over 400 years and still fighting for justice and equality. Another question is what Mr. Oliver is implying when he said, "When something written about a hard working group of people currently employed in the school district, which is the best I ever had?" Is Mr. Oliver Implying that only hard working group of people is people not of color?
As a civil right activist and a parent all I want is for the powers in charge are to promote fairness and equality in our community and school system, when it comes to hiring, and not only that but devise a rigorous plan to deal with the illiteracy issue. If Mr. Oliver would like, I will organize a forum to discuss or debate the issue in a public setting, and would invite my good friend and mentor in Reverend Al Sharpton to be the moderator.
One thing Mr. Oliver is right about, that we should be moving forward into the future, not backwards towards Brown vs. Board of Education. We are still this day are dealing with Brown vs. Board of Education issues. Until the administrators and board president take the initiative to demise the issues, the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School district will remain part of the 200 underperforming schools in the state of New Jersey.
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
Chairman of Community Awareness Alliance
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Past Civil Rights Leaders Did Not Stand Up, So We Can Sit Down.
On December 9, 2011, I had the honor to travel to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That is where I met Dr. Cornel West. Dr. West was the keynote speaker for the rally of Mumia Abu-Jamal. During his speech, Dr. West said something that was rather intriguing. Dr. Cornel West said, "When people are treated unjustly, you have to say something and you have to do something". I thought about the injustices that is dwelling in my own community of Penns Grove, NJ. There are complex challenges of police-brutality, police-accountability, under-performing school district and the lack of hiring of minority teachers.
Some of the injustices in the school district that were previously mentioned, I had wrote about them in my recent letter to the editor. The fact that since 2003 until present, there has been a hiring of 151 teachers, eight of them is African-American. In addition to the disproportionate of the hiring of minority teachers; At the Lafayette Pershing School (Preschool thru Kindergarten grades) there is only 1 African American teacher and she has been there for about 30 years and she is the last African American hired at that school; the last minority to be hired at the school for that matter.
My question is why the NAACP of Salem County has not been vocal, privately and publicly about these relevant issues? The issues that I have wrote about are civil rights and human rights issues, in which the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was predicated upon. In fact, the NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois. Appalled at the violence that was committed against blacks, a group of white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, both the descendants of abolitionists, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice. Some 60 people, seven of whom were African American; including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell.
On December 5, 2011, when I had brought the lack of hiring of minority teachers to the school board, the Superintendent of Schools, went on the record to say that the NAACP cancelled three times, in regards to a meeting about a hiring issue of a minority teacher. When you are the President or leader of a local chapter of a national civil rights organization in NAACP, you must uphold the standards in which the organization is based upon. These particular issues are road blocks in the advancement of colored people that is not address by people in authority in chapters of such organization as the NAACP. Part of the objective of the NAACP's mission statement; NAACP has been the leading advocate to ensure social justice and equality for people of color. The problem that Salem County NAACP has, they are not holding true to their mission statement.
When you have people in authority that know of the county's climate of racial discriminatory practices, in policies and procedures, as well as other injustices that are instituted and still remain silent about the matter. You not only contradict the mission statement of the NAACP, but you do a disservice to the founders of the NAACP and the people you are to serve. All I say is be true to what you said on paper. It is the community responsibility to put pressure on local leaders. We have to make them get off their chairs of complacency and their stools of "do nothings".
Albert Einstein said, "We live in a dangerous and evil world, not because of the people who do evil but the people who will not do anything about it".
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
Penns Grove Community Activist
Penns Grove, NJ
Some of the injustices in the school district that were previously mentioned, I had wrote about them in my recent letter to the editor. The fact that since 2003 until present, there has been a hiring of 151 teachers, eight of them is African-American. In addition to the disproportionate of the hiring of minority teachers; At the Lafayette Pershing School (Preschool thru Kindergarten grades) there is only 1 African American teacher and she has been there for about 30 years and she is the last African American hired at that school; the last minority to be hired at the school for that matter.
My question is why the NAACP of Salem County has not been vocal, privately and publicly about these relevant issues? The issues that I have wrote about are civil rights and human rights issues, in which the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was predicated upon. In fact, the NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois. Appalled at the violence that was committed against blacks, a group of white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, both the descendants of abolitionists, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice. Some 60 people, seven of whom were African American; including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell.
On December 5, 2011, when I had brought the lack of hiring of minority teachers to the school board, the Superintendent of Schools, went on the record to say that the NAACP cancelled three times, in regards to a meeting about a hiring issue of a minority teacher. When you are the President or leader of a local chapter of a national civil rights organization in NAACP, you must uphold the standards in which the organization is based upon. These particular issues are road blocks in the advancement of colored people that is not address by people in authority in chapters of such organization as the NAACP. Part of the objective of the NAACP's mission statement; NAACP has been the leading advocate to ensure social justice and equality for people of color. The problem that Salem County NAACP has, they are not holding true to their mission statement.
When you have people in authority that know of the county's climate of racial discriminatory practices, in policies and procedures, as well as other injustices that are instituted and still remain silent about the matter. You not only contradict the mission statement of the NAACP, but you do a disservice to the founders of the NAACP and the people you are to serve. All I say is be true to what you said on paper. It is the community responsibility to put pressure on local leaders. We have to make them get off their chairs of complacency and their stools of "do nothings".
Albert Einstein said, "We live in a dangerous and evil world, not because of the people who do evil but the people who will not do anything about it".
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
Penns Grove Community Activist
Penns Grove, NJ
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Is Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District Really an Equal Opportuniy Employer?
As we look at all the current events around the nation, you can infer that there are still complex challenges of inequalities that continue to haunt the urban communities throughout America. Even in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District, the challenges of illiteracy and equal opportunity employment for educators still remain relevant and a problem, that Dr. Joseph Massare, Superintendent of Schools and Greg Wright, the President of the Board of Education, has been reluctant to address. On December 5, 2011, I had the pleasure of attending the school board meeting, as I always do. My intention is to listen to the BOE of issues that they are not addressing, as well as to raise issues on what the BOE should address. In July, I raised an issue of the fact that there is an illiteracy problem among the school district; the fact that 2009-2010 NJASK results show that 72% of the district's third graders and 70% of the district's fourth graders failed to reach key reading benchmarks on the language arts portion of the NJASK. In addition; the fact that many of the district's third and fourth graders Sub-Groups including Male (75%/77%), African-American (79%-82%), Hispanic (80%/78%), & Economically Disadvantage (77%-81%) performed even lower in language arts.
On December 5, 2011, as a parent and Civil Rights Activist, I raised another issue of equal opportunity employment, due to the lack of minority teachers in the school district. This particular issue that was raised stems from a dialogue that Rev. Al Sharpton and I had discussed on that previous Saturday that prompt me to do some research. The information that I uncovered, is not limited to me but it is public information. The Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District is comprised of five schools; Lafayette-Pershing (Half day Preschool and Kindergarten), Field Street School (1st, 2nd, & 3rd grades), Paul W. Carleton School (4th & 5th grades), Penns Grove Middle School (6th, 7th, & 8th grades), and Penns Grove High School (9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th grades). There are over 2400 students within the district, 65% are African Americans, 25% Latino, and 10% White.
There is 261 Certified Teaching staff, with 20 of the total Certified Teaching staff is African American; that equal to .07% of the total teaching staff as being African American. That also equals .008% teacher to student ratio. Dr. Joseph Massare, Superintendent of Schools was employed in 2003. Since he has been the Superintendent, he has hired 151 Certified Teaching staff; only 8 of that total were African Americans. When asked about the hiring process and the human resources department, his reply (on record at the 12/5/11 BOE meeting), "It's me". Within the Report Card issued by the State of New Jersey, the Report Card Narratives for each school is described as “students from the culturally-diverse communities of Penns Grove and Carneys Point", however the population of the teaching staff does not reflect that statement. The link to the 2010 Report Card is http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc10/menu/33-4070.html.
The hiring process of staff is inconstant throughout the district, except people considered for any position has an interview with Dr. Massare, which in turn he recommends who he wants to the Board of Education. The Board of Education consists of 9 members; 2 which are African Americans. He allows each administrator to dictate what happens at each school. He will only intervene when a person that he has recommended to be hired is not selected. Just recently, a Special Education teacher position at the High School was needed. The team interviewed and submitted the names of the two candidates. Since a person he wanted to hire was not one of them, the team had to interview again. Again, the person he wanted was not selected, but pressure from the BOE made him make a decision of a white male. This process took over a month to complete, and during that time our students were given different substitutes, not getting the proper, stable education. Our students suffered in the end.
The team of people for each school that interview, discusses, and recommends is different for each school. With the recent Kindergarten position, the applicants went through 3 interviews; due to the second interview with other teachers was not assisted by an administrator. Again, two applicants were selected by the team. One was just hired as an instructional aide; in whom that person does not live in the community, and was a bank teller and casino worker before getting her degree. The other applicant was also an instructional aide with little substitute experience. Both applicants were white females. During the interview process there were only white females that made the final decision. Therefore, it proves that the interviewer(s) will only consider what looks and acts like them.
For the Kindergarten position, there were three African Americans that applied and were interviewed. Three of the African-Americans interviewed; one have a Certificate of Eligibility (CE) to teach grades K thru 5, with 21 Master level credits in Special Education, the other two have CEs (Certificate of Eligibility). Each of them that were interviewed, lives in the community, has experience, and went through Penns Grove school system. At the Lafayette Pershing School (Preschool thru Kindergarten grades) there is only 1 African American teacher and she has been there for about 20 years and she is the last African American hired at that school. None of the three African-Americans interviewed, were even considered for the Kindergarten position and that a veteran teacher was not even asked to be on the team.
Currently there is a law suit filed against the district by the NAACP, due to not hiring an African American female at the High School in April 2010. Again, she had the experience, lives in the community, and went through Penns Grove school system. In turn, a white woman who was a former college student of Dr. Massare and lives in Logan Township was hired. Once in the position for only 8 months, went out on maternity leave, however still advanced to the next step in the pay scale. Again, in the end our students are the ones who are suffering.
We are long from Brown vs. Board of Education. In Brown vs. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall raised a theory. Thurgood's theory was, if the school officials or courts did not want the integration of blacks in white schools, that was fine, but Thurgood lobbied for equal resources for the black children. In 2011 it is worse now than it was in 1954. Equal resources consist of; the same text books, same structured class room, the same teachers, in which represent the total student population. In Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District, there is a lack thereof resources, for the majority of the student population are African-Americans. Education is a Civil Right! As a parent and Civil Rights Activist, I have to speak on and bring these issues to the forefront and create a climate for change.
Dr. Massare mentioned that not many minorities have applied for the teaching position. I can counter that statement, by saying that many minorities may have not applied because they are discourage. Minorities apply and get interviewed, yet a white female or white male get the job. How can Dr. Massare say that the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District is an equal opportunity employer when you have 261 teachers, only 20 are African-Americans, less than 10 Latino-Americans and the rest are white? There are only 4 African-American males in the entire school district. I guess there is only equal opportunity when applying for the position of teacher but no equal opportunity in the actual hiring.
On December 5, 2011, as a parent and Civil Rights Activist, I raised another issue of equal opportunity employment, due to the lack of minority teachers in the school district. This particular issue that was raised stems from a dialogue that Rev. Al Sharpton and I had discussed on that previous Saturday that prompt me to do some research. The information that I uncovered, is not limited to me but it is public information. The Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District is comprised of five schools; Lafayette-Pershing (Half day Preschool and Kindergarten), Field Street School (1st, 2nd, & 3rd grades), Paul W. Carleton School (4th & 5th grades), Penns Grove Middle School (6th, 7th, & 8th grades), and Penns Grove High School (9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th grades). There are over 2400 students within the district, 65% are African Americans, 25% Latino, and 10% White.
There is 261 Certified Teaching staff, with 20 of the total Certified Teaching staff is African American; that equal to .07% of the total teaching staff as being African American. That also equals .008% teacher to student ratio. Dr. Joseph Massare, Superintendent of Schools was employed in 2003. Since he has been the Superintendent, he has hired 151 Certified Teaching staff; only 8 of that total were African Americans. When asked about the hiring process and the human resources department, his reply (on record at the 12/5/11 BOE meeting), "It's me". Within the Report Card issued by the State of New Jersey, the Report Card Narratives for each school is described as “students from the culturally-diverse communities of Penns Grove and Carneys Point", however the population of the teaching staff does not reflect that statement. The link to the 2010 Report Card is http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc10/menu/33-4070.html.
The hiring process of staff is inconstant throughout the district, except people considered for any position has an interview with Dr. Massare, which in turn he recommends who he wants to the Board of Education. The Board of Education consists of 9 members; 2 which are African Americans. He allows each administrator to dictate what happens at each school. He will only intervene when a person that he has recommended to be hired is not selected. Just recently, a Special Education teacher position at the High School was needed. The team interviewed and submitted the names of the two candidates. Since a person he wanted to hire was not one of them, the team had to interview again. Again, the person he wanted was not selected, but pressure from the BOE made him make a decision of a white male. This process took over a month to complete, and during that time our students were given different substitutes, not getting the proper, stable education. Our students suffered in the end.
The team of people for each school that interview, discusses, and recommends is different for each school. With the recent Kindergarten position, the applicants went through 3 interviews; due to the second interview with other teachers was not assisted by an administrator. Again, two applicants were selected by the team. One was just hired as an instructional aide; in whom that person does not live in the community, and was a bank teller and casino worker before getting her degree. The other applicant was also an instructional aide with little substitute experience. Both applicants were white females. During the interview process there were only white females that made the final decision. Therefore, it proves that the interviewer(s) will only consider what looks and acts like them.
For the Kindergarten position, there were three African Americans that applied and were interviewed. Three of the African-Americans interviewed; one have a Certificate of Eligibility (CE) to teach grades K thru 5, with 21 Master level credits in Special Education, the other two have CEs (Certificate of Eligibility). Each of them that were interviewed, lives in the community, has experience, and went through Penns Grove school system. At the Lafayette Pershing School (Preschool thru Kindergarten grades) there is only 1 African American teacher and she has been there for about 20 years and she is the last African American hired at that school. None of the three African-Americans interviewed, were even considered for the Kindergarten position and that a veteran teacher was not even asked to be on the team.
Currently there is a law suit filed against the district by the NAACP, due to not hiring an African American female at the High School in April 2010. Again, she had the experience, lives in the community, and went through Penns Grove school system. In turn, a white woman who was a former college student of Dr. Massare and lives in Logan Township was hired. Once in the position for only 8 months, went out on maternity leave, however still advanced to the next step in the pay scale. Again, in the end our students are the ones who are suffering.
We are long from Brown vs. Board of Education. In Brown vs. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall raised a theory. Thurgood's theory was, if the school officials or courts did not want the integration of blacks in white schools, that was fine, but Thurgood lobbied for equal resources for the black children. In 2011 it is worse now than it was in 1954. Equal resources consist of; the same text books, same structured class room, the same teachers, in which represent the total student population. In Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District, there is a lack thereof resources, for the majority of the student population are African-Americans. Education is a Civil Right! As a parent and Civil Rights Activist, I have to speak on and bring these issues to the forefront and create a climate for change.
Dr. Massare mentioned that not many minorities have applied for the teaching position. I can counter that statement, by saying that many minorities may have not applied because they are discourage. Minorities apply and get interviewed, yet a white female or white male get the job. How can Dr. Massare say that the Penns Grove-Carneys Point School District is an equal opportunity employer when you have 261 teachers, only 20 are African-Americans, less than 10 Latino-Americans and the rest are white? There are only 4 African-American males in the entire school district. I guess there is only equal opportunity when applying for the position of teacher but no equal opportunity in the actual hiring.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
ACTIVIST SENDS LETTER TO FOP CONDEMNING AWARD PRESENTED TO RETIRED OFFICER RAYMOND RINNIER
I am an avid reader of the Salem County Sunbeam. November 1, 2011, I open the paper to the "Town Talk" section of the newspaper and what meets my eyes was a picture of Raymond Rinnier receiving an award from the Salem County FOP. Rinnier was presented with an award for his service to the community. I must say I was "slighted", Moses Leach, Moshowon Leach father and other community residents that marched with me against Rinnier and Schultz felt the same way. On March 21, 2010, Rinnier was involved in a serious matter that ended the life of Moshowon Leach, which was ruled a homicide shortly after by the Salem County Medical Examiner. We the people in the community are slighted because we knew that Ret. Officer Raymond Rinnier along with Officer Joseph Schultz is a disservice to the community. This stems from their "Gestapo" like actions implored on the African-Americans in the community along with the Hispanic-Americans and Whites.
It is sad because Schultz and Rinnier superiors being; Politicians, Police and the Prosecutors do not hold their own accountable for their actions. The police took a sworn oath to protect us, yet they are humiliating and degrading the community then upon retirement they are rewarded. Just because the case went to grand jury and was ruled a "no-bill", does not mean that Rinnier and Schultz was not responsible for Moshowon Leach death. A month before March 21, 2010, Rinnier had a complaint signed against him for striking a family member of mine in the head while handcuffed to a bench at the Penns Grove Police Station. There is a rogue behavior prevalent among the community of Penns Grove by certain cops that goes unheard of. Then they are made to believe as if they are some type of super "cop”, which protects community when they are rewarded with such awards that do not represent their behavior demonstrated in the community.
It is a lack of respect to the family of Moshowon Leach and the residents of Penns Grove. It goes to show that bridging the gap between police and community are far apart from happening. Rinnier filed a civil complaint against me for "libel and slander" because I chose to speak "truth to power" and made public Civil Rights issues in the community in hope to create a climate for change. I said he was a "racist rogue cop". Did Rinnier say that he was a racist? No but his actions against the African-American community demonstrated that there was some type of moral character of inequality there. Was a change made? Yes because we have one problematic person off the force that taints the badge of every actually good cop that wear that badge.
The reason why these challenges of police accountability and police brutality, remain covert in the urban community, is due to the residents being either afraid, apathetic to this particular problem. We as a people have the right to not be the subject of any rogue cop fist, knee, baton or bullet when they are dealing with people. If the community stand up as a whole and not become silent about the issues that happen in our community, we can make a big difference. Until people have that "Rosa Parks" mentality people will continue to suffer economically, socially and educationally.
I am not "anti-police", I am anti-police brutality. Rinnier and Schultz know exactly what happen that night in question. That Code-Blue wall of silence may have got them off, but they will account for Moshowon Leach when they see God. Stokely Carmichael said,”
"There is a higher law than the law of government. That's the law of conscience".
Monday, September 19, 2011
DOES THE PENNS GROVE COMMUNITY HAVE SAY SO?
In the urban community of Penns Grove, NJ, there are many challenges. To name a few; lack of jobs, limited recreation for the children, police accountability & community responsibility, a underperforming school district where the leader(s) of the school board has yet to address the illiteracy problem. When you look at these issues, some may ask a question, who are responsible for addressing the issues so there will be a climate for change? I would go as far to say that the local government of Penns Grove Council and school board are responsible to address these issues, along with the moral responsibility of residents of the community, speaking up about these particular matters.
The Penns Grove community has a new issue. The issue is you have two disgruntled politicians in Councilmen Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey, who are spear-heading, a shared service agreement with the Penns Grove Police Department and Carneys Point Police. Now I have not been a "fan favorite" of the Penns Grove Police, due to their lack of respect of the minorities in the community. However, I do support them on this particular issue. Quite some time there has been a personal vendetta with Councilmen Joe Venello against Chief Double Dee. Every council meeting that I have attend, Councilmen Joe Venello has disrespected the Mayor, Chief of Police and the residents. In Joint effort with other politicians on council, Joe Venello along with Carol Mincey has pursued to force the Chief of Police into retirement. They have run into a stumbling block in their effort. The Chief of Police is protected under New Jersey State Statutes. In a way Joe Venello & Cronies Inc., cannot pursue Chief Double Dee individually. In order to force Chief Double Dee to retire, Councilmen Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey, trying to dismantle the Penns Grove Police Officers, by making "back yard" negotiations with Carneys Point public administrators.
What is not surprising, Councilwoman Carol Mincey has always been subservient to people or politicians that don’t represent people like herself or the community. I thought this local government or any government; being state, local or federal, is a government of democracy. Democracy governments where the people (residents) have equal say in decisions that affect our lives. What Councilman Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey are imploring is an unjust system of dictatorship. What the residents of the Penns Grove community must know, is that we have to unite and stand up and fight against this bureaucracy government of dictatorship. I believe that the majority of the residents will agree, if the shared service of police are given to Carneys Point Police; a police department that do not practice diversity, that have no respect for the minority community, that has been sued by two minorities for racial discrimination, will create a whole new set of challenges for the community of Penns Grove. Police, dispatchers and other public administrators will lose their job. Perhaps, this is the "last hurray" before Councilman Joe Venello and Carol Mincey leave office in January.
I believe this democracy of a local government should give us the right to have a say in how and who govern the community. If these politicians want this shared service to happen, let the people decide. I believe that the community should push for the shared service of police to be put on referendum at the voting polls. The community should not let politicians dictate what “good business” is or what is "best" for us. We need to show up in mass and let these public officials know how we feel and what we want in our community; whether it is council meeting or school board meeting. If we think the courts are overcrowded on Wednesdays or Thursdays now, with African-American and Latino-American people, let the Carneys Point Police take control of shared service of police. "If we don't stand for something, we will fall for anything"- Malcolm X
Community Activist, Penns Grove
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
The Penns Grove community has a new issue. The issue is you have two disgruntled politicians in Councilmen Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey, who are spear-heading, a shared service agreement with the Penns Grove Police Department and Carneys Point Police. Now I have not been a "fan favorite" of the Penns Grove Police, due to their lack of respect of the minorities in the community. However, I do support them on this particular issue. Quite some time there has been a personal vendetta with Councilmen Joe Venello against Chief Double Dee. Every council meeting that I have attend, Councilmen Joe Venello has disrespected the Mayor, Chief of Police and the residents. In Joint effort with other politicians on council, Joe Venello along with Carol Mincey has pursued to force the Chief of Police into retirement. They have run into a stumbling block in their effort. The Chief of Police is protected under New Jersey State Statutes. In a way Joe Venello & Cronies Inc., cannot pursue Chief Double Dee individually. In order to force Chief Double Dee to retire, Councilmen Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey, trying to dismantle the Penns Grove Police Officers, by making "back yard" negotiations with Carneys Point public administrators.
What is not surprising, Councilwoman Carol Mincey has always been subservient to people or politicians that don’t represent people like herself or the community. I thought this local government or any government; being state, local or federal, is a government of democracy. Democracy governments where the people (residents) have equal say in decisions that affect our lives. What Councilman Joe Venello and Councilwoman Carol Mincey are imploring is an unjust system of dictatorship. What the residents of the Penns Grove community must know, is that we have to unite and stand up and fight against this bureaucracy government of dictatorship. I believe that the majority of the residents will agree, if the shared service of police are given to Carneys Point Police; a police department that do not practice diversity, that have no respect for the minority community, that has been sued by two minorities for racial discrimination, will create a whole new set of challenges for the community of Penns Grove. Police, dispatchers and other public administrators will lose their job. Perhaps, this is the "last hurray" before Councilman Joe Venello and Carol Mincey leave office in January.
I believe this democracy of a local government should give us the right to have a say in how and who govern the community. If these politicians want this shared service to happen, let the people decide. I believe that the community should push for the shared service of police to be put on referendum at the voting polls. The community should not let politicians dictate what “good business” is or what is "best" for us. We need to show up in mass and let these public officials know how we feel and what we want in our community; whether it is council meeting or school board meeting. If we think the courts are overcrowded on Wednesdays or Thursdays now, with African-American and Latino-American people, let the Carneys Point Police take control of shared service of police. "If we don't stand for something, we will fall for anything"- Malcolm X
Community Activist, Penns Grove
Walter L. Hudson Sr.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Teacher: Steve Merrit, should've kept his hands to himself
As parents, when we send our children off to school, we send them in hopes that they are being taught quality education. We have hope that the school district or the school itself will secure our children safety and welfare while in the supervision of the school. When I look at the news and read the newspaper about teachers’ misconduct concerning the students, I ask myself, how safe are public schools?
Our children wasn't brought into this world and sent to school to be the subject of a teacher's rage, by assaulting the students. This misconduct was allegedly done by Steve Merritt, teacher of the Salem High School. As I have followed the story of this allege incident and it also appears to me that there are some double standards concerning the matter. I have seen in cases where a student, whom had used profanity against a teacher, gets suspended for a certain amount of days. I have also seen where a student allegedly assaulted a teacher and because that teacher felt threaten, that student was expelled. So why must Megan Weidle a former student of Salem High School, go through questioning whether her story is fabricated or not? I question why the Board of Education hasn’t taken any type of action concerning this matter? If roles were reversed this matter would've resulted in a different outcome.
Steve Merritt said, "“I reached out and tapped her across the face,” said Merritt. “It was non-confrontational...I was kidding.” Is that the way teachers can use a form of corporal punishment and get away with it, by justifying the matter as a joke to clarify his actions? I'm more than sure those other students that I know justified their actions of misconduct but their story fell upon deaf ears and they were still suspended or expelled. Whether Mr. Steve Merritt committed this act or not, he should've used better judgment to protect the rights of others and himself not compromise his career as an educator. Whether Steve Merritt allegedly taps the former student lightly, softly or elegantly, it should've not happen.
As an "Activist", I look at how there are various challenges that the Salem County public school system face. The challenges of quality education, high rate of illiteracy, overcrowded class rooms should be the main focus. Not taking time away to address those issues because a teacher felt like he wanted to joke around by putting his hands in a young lady face. I don’t think Mr. Steve Merritt would like it if someone put their hands on his mother's or his wife's face and his wife or mother become offended as Megan Weidle did and that person justified to him as "I was just kidding".
Our children wasn't brought into this world and sent to school to be the subject of a teacher's rage, by assaulting the students. This misconduct was allegedly done by Steve Merritt, teacher of the Salem High School. As I have followed the story of this allege incident and it also appears to me that there are some double standards concerning the matter. I have seen in cases where a student, whom had used profanity against a teacher, gets suspended for a certain amount of days. I have also seen where a student allegedly assaulted a teacher and because that teacher felt threaten, that student was expelled. So why must Megan Weidle a former student of Salem High School, go through questioning whether her story is fabricated or not? I question why the Board of Education hasn’t taken any type of action concerning this matter? If roles were reversed this matter would've resulted in a different outcome.
Steve Merritt said, "“I reached out and tapped her across the face,” said Merritt. “It was non-confrontational...I was kidding.” Is that the way teachers can use a form of corporal punishment and get away with it, by justifying the matter as a joke to clarify his actions? I'm more than sure those other students that I know justified their actions of misconduct but their story fell upon deaf ears and they were still suspended or expelled. Whether Mr. Steve Merritt committed this act or not, he should've used better judgment to protect the rights of others and himself not compromise his career as an educator. Whether Steve Merritt allegedly taps the former student lightly, softly or elegantly, it should've not happen.
As an "Activist", I look at how there are various challenges that the Salem County public school system face. The challenges of quality education, high rate of illiteracy, overcrowded class rooms should be the main focus. Not taking time away to address those issues because a teacher felt like he wanted to joke around by putting his hands in a young lady face. I don’t think Mr. Steve Merritt would like it if someone put their hands on his mother's or his wife's face and his wife or mother become offended as Megan Weidle did and that person justified to him as "I was just kidding".
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