Below is a transcript of Bob Lonsberry's remarks on his show, June 10th where he attacked the women in the young mother's program, Rochester Black Scholars and people who support them.
There is a story about um “Girls who got pregnant in high school and they stay in high school and let’s give them a special award and tell them how proud we are of em.”
Or we could tell them they should have left their frickin pants on, right. Keep your legs together uh-sweet cheeks and everything will be ok.
See here is the deal. We will have a school where there will be 50 girls who graduate with honors and there will be 5 girls who get pregnant. Who do we have the special program for? Who do we give the certificate too? Who do we put stories about in the paper and tell them how proud we have. “Little sister” take your pants off and spread your legs, that’s who gets the certificate.
You have people who do what’s right who work hard and achieve and excel and set a good example and they don’t make the paper, they don’t make anything there is no special program for you “ Oh I’m so proud, look how proud I am of you your so brave. No she’s easy ok. And again I was born when my mother was 18 and brought up so I’m not, But Its why hold some ones failure up and pretend oh I’m so proud of you .You did such a good job. Look you didn’t quit.
Well no, you did what was expected of you. Oh and by the way you did something really dumb, which screwed up your life and probably screwed up the life of the child you bore. Oh and by the way I would like to point out that the whole thing is being paid for via welfare and by the taxpayer. So I’m not sure why you get a stinkin certificate.
Could I please turn over here and honor someone who truly achieved somebody. Let’s take that girl out of that troubled neighborhood who did not get pregnant. Right and let them uh get the honor.
Here is another thing too. That black scholars program pissed me off. You see if you get a B plus or if you get a B and your black you get your picture and your name in the paper. You’re a black scholar.
B doesn’t make you a scholar. You know what you do is, you have these vast number of, No, when you praise those who haven’t truly achieved you end up holding up bad examples and you end up rewarding something less than true achievement which means that you kind of disintentivise true achievement.
You know what I would do with black scholars? I would put in there folks who have an A. People who got 90 or above or 95. Make it a truly select group of people who are there because they truly worked hard, they didn’t just show up. I am not exactly sure having a B makes you a scholar. I am not exactly going to put black scholar together. If your white and you have a B your average if your black and have a B you get your picture in the paper. What’s that message right there huh. Any time you endorse and reward failure and mediocrity you will only have more mediocrity.
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Comments
Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
Thanks for posting this. Do you have a link to the audio?
CHeers!
Ted-
Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
As far as the young mothers program I'm totally against what he says. That program is there because we have decades of research to prove that these women if left to their own devices are going to subject themselves and their children to the worst poverty that America has to offer. We're rewarding them not because their raising their child and going to school, but because they will be the young women that breaks the cycle of poverty in their family and we're rewarding them for taking those first couple steps towards self sufficiancy.
I don't think he necesarily deserves the flack that he's been getting on this. At least he's being honest about how he feels -- and he's not entirely wrong in his opinion.
Re: Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
2) Who do you mean when you use the term "we"? Why do you feel like you represent the "we" that is rewarding the women in the Young Mothers program?
I agree with you that their work has will create a better life for their children and for our entire community. However, it's also important to state clearly that the women in that program are working incredibly hard. First of all, they should be praised simply for making the decision to finish their education while they are raising a child, which is no simple task. Furthermore they should be praised for their academic achievements, which for many of the women are worthy in and of themselves of being highlighted.
Re: Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
The national honor roll gives honors to students who obtain a B average, and high honors to students who obtain an A average. In college, this same system generally continues. To learn more about the national honor roll program, you can view there website here:
nationalhonorroll.org/index.cfm
You say that at least he's being honest about how he feels, but unfortunately, how he feels isn't backed up by a breadth of knowledge on the topic. I mention in another article that a book was recently recommended "Black Students, Middle Class Teachers" by Jawanza Kunjufu, that I plan on reading soon. This book discusses the cultural differences between middle class teachers, and Black youth. Here is a summary of the article:
findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_200407/ai_n9454465
I think before people open their mouths with uninformed racist, classist, and sexist opinions, particularly on the airwaves where many people can hear them, they should know what they're talking about. Being a white person who grew up in a town that is 98.3% white, I would imagine he's not an authority on being Black in a racist school system, although if there were any people of color in his school system when he grew up, (considering right now there are less than 20 people of color, I'm not sure there would have been any 30 years ago), I'm sure they would have a lot to say about racist school systems.
Maybe he should listen to other people, particularly people who are faced with the injustice of racist, classist, and sexist school systems, before he opens his mouth for all to hear.
I challenge you to read the abovementioned book with an open mind, willing to listen and to understand. I think your perspective will be changed.
Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
Silencing someone who voices opinions contrary to yours is FACISM, and we're not into that kind of thing here in America.
Re: Lonsberry's Racist, Sexist and Classist remarks
A "B" is a pretty easy grade to get. No one should be made to feel special about getting one, white or black. It should be expected.
Its no wonder our kids are doing horribly compared to other nations. And they'll continue to do worse as long as we fail to wake up and see whats really happening without the fear of being labeled a classist, racist, or sexist.