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Wash Post: Michael Eric Dyson reports 6 yo grandson called a racial slur at Mann
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Anonymous
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Dyson's tweets from today:
Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More Often times, people of colour feel vulnerable within systems of education. Schools are institutions that have historically been used to reinforce social stratification and the further subjugation of already disenfranchised and marginalized groups. (2) Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More It is important to remember that we are more than just subjects of the system. We are taxpayers and citizens. We have a right to voice and power. We CAN put pressure on the system from inside and outside to challenge injustice and inequity. In fact, we must. How do we do this? Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More 1. Know your rights. As a parent, you have the right to request a meeting with your child’s teacher and or school administrator. 2. Communicate your concerns. Write down your thoughts prior to the meeting to help you stay clear and focused. Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More 3. If possible, bring an advocate. This might be a family member/friend who can provide positive support but also be a second set of ears as your emotions may be running high. 4. Demand clear next steps & timeline. Set an expectation for when you expect a follow up conversation. Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More 5. Don’t be afraid to move up the food chain. If you feel that you are being stonewalled, move up to the next senior person. This might be someone from the school board, chancellor’s office, or another elected official. Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More 6. Document. Take your own notes during conversations, ask for action items/next steps to be summarized and shared in an email, keep track of names and titles and times of calls or meetings. This could prove useful if there is a discrepancy along the way. Michael Eric Dyson ? Verified account @MichaelEDyson 3h3 hours ago More 7. Be relentless. Our children deserve our very best. You may not always encounter willing and open individuals on the other side of the table. Draw strength from your community in these moments. We are in this together! |
Anonymous
| At least he didn't tweet out the kid's name. |
Anonymous
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Reformatted:
TWEETS FROM DAY OF INCIDENT Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson Apr 30 Why am I heading to my 6 year-old grandson’s elementary school in affluent neighborhood in DC because a white kid called him a “ni[redacted]er” & threatened to go get a gun & shoot him??? The kid not yet kicked out nor the police called ??? Welcome again to Trump’s white racist America. Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson Apr 30 This is a small part of the story of how my grandson, a student at DC’s Horace Mann School, was called “ni[redacted]er” and threatened by a kid who said he would go home & get his father’s gun & return $ shoot him. This is heinous; this vitriol seeps inside the psyches of young whites. [LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW OF HIS FAMILY ABOUT INCIDENT] Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson Apr 30 Here’s the story of how my precious 6 year-old grandson was racially harassed and threatened with violence at Horace Mann school in an affluent DC neighborhood. “Michael Eric Dyson says his 6-year-old grandson was called N-word, threatened at DC school [LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW OF HIS FAMILY ABOUT INCIDENT] TWEETS ON DAY AFTER INCIDENT Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago An update on the situation with my grandson who was threatened with an act of violence and a racial epithet. We — his parents, grandparents, the other child’s parents, school principal, teacher, Superintendent for Instruction, and the police — had a meeting that just ended. (1) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago The parents and grandparents laid out in no uncertain terms the stakes of the situation — the physical and racial aggression, the individual and institutional culpability, the personal and existential consequences of such a threat to our beloved (grand)son, the responsibility (2) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago of the school (system) to address such incidents, mechanisms that need to be in place to grapple with such incidents, a culture of white privilege and indifference to the harm of our children of color, and so on — and the administrators were thankfully in no way defensive (3) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago but offered constructive recommendations to right the situation and address the broader implications of racial hostility and violence throughout the school (system). The parents of the offending child were visibly crushed by their child’s actions, owned up to the horror of (4) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago what had occurred, pledged to further address their child’s behavior, and to make things right as much as they could. The outcome appears to be a good one for my terrified and vulnerable grandson. But what about all those parents of color who don’t have the resources or (5) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago platform to advocate for their children who are similarly treated? Or for other parents who simply lack the outlets to articulate their grievances or concerns? Please send me your stories, hurts, traumas and concerns — or your stories of overcoming and successfully (6) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 23 hours ago negotiating such egregious circumstances. I am here for you. TWEETS FROM TODAY (TWO DAYS LATER) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago Often times, people of colour feel vulnerable within systems of education. Schools are institutions that have historically been used to reinforce social stratification and the further subjugation of already disenfranchised and marginalized groups. (2) Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago It is important to remember that we are more than just subjects of the system. We are taxpayers and citizens. We have a right to voice and power. We CAN put pressure on the system from inside and outside to challenge injustice and inequity. In fact, we must. How do we do this? Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago 1. Know your rights. As a parent, you have the right to request a meeting with your child’s teacher and or school administrator. 2. Communicate your concerns. Write down your thoughts prior to the meeting to help you stay clear and focused. Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago 3. If possible, bring an advocate. This might be a family member/friend who can provide positive support but also be a second set of ears as your emotions may be running high. 4. Demand clear next steps & timeline. Set an expectation for when you expect a follow up conversation. Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago 5. Don’t be afraid to move up the food chain. If you feel that you are being stonewalled, move up to the next senior person. This might be someone from the school board, chancellor’s office, or another elected official. Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago 6. Document. Take your own notes during conversations, ask for action items/next steps to be summarized and shared in an email, keep track of names and titles and times of calls or meetings. This could prove useful if there is a discrepancy along the way. Michael Eric Dyson @MichaelEDyson 3 hours ago 7. Be relentless. Our children deserve our very best. You may not always encounter willing and open individuals on the other side of the table. Draw strength from your community in these moments. We are in this together! |
Anonymous
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That’s a great list!
Too bad his personal version includes assume the worst, Tweet outrage, and go on TV as Step 1 1/2. Those moves undermine the positive, child-focused outcomes that should be the goal. |
Anonymous
True. But this dude is utter scum. And, by the way, the PP earlier predicted exactly what would happen. Look at how quickly his narrative has changed. Disgusting. |
Anonymous
| Well, if the kid DID say the word, then Dyson and his family had a right to be outraged. People can be forgiven for going over the top when they're outraged. The fact that the kids's family were penitent and saddened shows that the kid is going to be positively counseled (and also perhaps implies that the kid actually said the word). But making a giant news story out of it had 0% to do with having a productive meeting with Mann about addressing the problem. |
Anonymous
I would not be surprised if that will happen too.... |
Anonymous
He won't do that. He's knows he went way overboard. He acted terribly. Now is all about trying to save face. He'll shift the discussion and he won't go after the other parents since he needs their silence instead of justified outrage. He should own up and apologize, but he won't do that. Bottom line, if he believes truly in calling out injustice, he should be happy with what transpires next. |
Anonymous
No. That these words are unacceptable and should never be said in public discourse. Period. |
Anonymous
The school said he didn't. |
Anonymous
There is no evidence that the kid said "the word" The fact that thwy were upset does not prove it was said. The parents would be upset about the gun comment. |
Anonymous
Again, an adult was right there during the incident. The only person claiming it was said is Dyson. The question now is whether the school district is too cowardly to push back against his baseless claims or if they say "they were unable to determine conclusively" out of fear of him bullhorn. |
Anonymous
He also paraded both of his grandchildren in front of TV cameras and in my opinion exploited them by having them talk about the incident to the television crews. Shame on him. |
Anonymous
What exactly is he apologizing for? |
Anonymous
For falsely accusing a 6 year old boy of calling his grandson the n-word. ... Yeah, that. |