Governor asked State School Board chair to resign after acknowledging disparities in state caused by racism
November 5, 2021
Greetings Governor DeWine,
The Ohio State Conference of Branches of NAACP as a Civil Rights organization is long committed to the advancement of justice for all.
The Ohio Conference of NAACP Presidents is demanding that every child be afforded an opportunity to reach their full potential. But our education systems are collapsing under inequality and division across racial lines. We need leadership of at all levels of government to ensure that all children get an equal chance at a fulfilling education by addressing systemic racism. All students deserve access to great teaching, equitable resources, and a safe learning environment from grade school classrooms to college campuses. The education of our Black and Brown students matters and working on their behalf has never been more urgent.
I am sending this correspondence to express our strong concern and anger at the departure of the State of Ohio School Board of Education President Laura Kohler, as it appears that her nomination would not be supported in the Ohio Senate. We also lament the resignation of another school board member, Eric Poklar, who voted in favor of an anti-racism resolution that passed last year.
The requested resignation of the Board President by you Governor is particularly upsetting, In your August 13, 2020, press conference, you said “There are racial disparities in Ohio…certainly in health, education, housing, and we could go on and on. Sadly, in 2020, racism still exists in this country.”[i]
And further Governor you remarked "I believe history will judge me, and I will judge myself, by what I do. Do we do something about racism? Do we speak out against racism? There are disparities out there that are caused by racism. There are other disparities that are caused by other things. We have to fix them all... We need to be judged. The Legislature needs to be judged by what they do in this area. At the end of the year, what have we done?"
The rescinding of the anti-racism resolution, coupled with the departure of two state school board members who supported a resolution that sought to find ways to fight the effects of racism in education, sends a message that stands in stark contrast to your statements. We call on you Governor to reaffirm your statement from August 2020 that racism is a public health crisis, and it still exists in this state and country. Additionally, we call upon the Ohio General Assembly leadership to specifically identify how they will address the racial disparities that you referenced. We look forward to hearing your response.
"Loose and easy language about equality, resonant resolutions about brotherhood fall pleasantly on the ear, but for the Negro there is a credibility gap he cannot overlook. He remembers that with each modest advance the white population promptly raises the argument that the Negro has come far enough. Each step forward accents an ever-present tendency to backlash.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Where Do We Go From Here: 1967.
Sincerely,
Tom Roberts, President
Ohio State Conference of Branches of NAACP
__
[i] State of Ohio Press Conference, 58:45 seconds. https://youtu.be/-Yq8l3dUA9k?t=3515
State of Ohio Press Conference, 1:31:48 seconds. https://youtu.be/-Yq8l3dUA9k?t=5508
RELATED :
Two state Board of Education members, including the president, resign after anti-racism resolution is rescinded by colleagues
• • •• • •
