Why don't white students go to Banneker?
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Anonymous
You were the voice of reason! I was asking about the two PP who sounded like spoiled brats with clear anti-white sentiments. |
Anonymous
Wow, you are an ignorant ass. You have no idea who these people are posting. In addition, how dare you pass judgement on anyone. The shit I've read on DCUMs lately makes me think that I live in the deep south - it's been soooo racist. |
Anonymous
This thread has been pretty good overall, save a few comments by folks who seem to be black. More Rwanda than deep south, if you ask me. |
Anonymous
| When I show this thread to my Boston friends they just sigh and say ' that's soooooo DC'. |
Anonymous
Yes because when I think about a city with great race relations and no history of drama over school desegregation, I think of Boston....?!?!?! |
Anonymous
I hope I'm not the only one to appreciate the irony of this post: "How dare you pass judgment on anyone", while calling the PP an "ignorant ass" and many others "sooo racist". Don't you have any self-awareness? |
Anonymous
Doesn't seem to be part of Banneker's curriculum. They are too busy getting sub-standard SAT scores, and trying to manage the boys. |
Anonymous
This thread has really gone off the rails. Can everyone please relax a little? The amount of racial angst on the internet, not just DCUM but all of the internet, has just become exhausting lately, and it's coming from all sides. It's good we're talking about this stuff but maybe take a breather sometimes. The above quoted post was my first in this thread; this is my second. To me the question Aaron is asking has a pretty obvious answer, and we don't need to yell at each other. I tried to explain it concisely in my post above, and others have tried also, but maybe it still isn't clear. In DC, most white people have at least a few options for high school. Not all white people, but most. This is as distinct from white people in, say, parts of Appalachia. Banneker is an option. But, for many white people in DC, Wilson is also an option, or Walls, or perhaps private, or various suburbs at all price ranges in which good to great high schools can be found and often with a majority white population. Faced with these options, most white families will choose a high school that is well-regarded and that is populated by families that are more or less similar to their own, in terms of racial, income, educational, and other demographic aspects. This demographic desire usually means majority white or, like Wilson, significant minority white. This is not necessarily segregationist in intent, by the way. The USA is still majority white. Choosing a majority white school that still has a significant minority of non-white, is really just seeking USA-style diversity, and is understandable and usually benign. Segregationist behavior is seeking to avoid all non-white diversity in a school, neighborhood, etc. So, a white family might consider Banneker, but is more likely to go to Wilson or Walls or, if this is not desired or not possible, move to the best suburb they can afford. In the same way that most white families would not encourage their children to attend historically black colleges. Even if such colleges may be good colleges. There are simply other, more appealing or more comfortable options out there. In contrast, some black families in DC may have fewer options; Banneker may be the best of these. And some other black families in DC may have just as many or more options as white families do, but they may choose to send their children to an academically rigorous near-100% black high school like Banneker for many reasons. Perhaps some of the same reasons why historically black colleges are chosen. It is not necessary or productive for people to accuse black parents at Banneker of reverse segregation (aka blacks excluding whites). This is likely to offend and inflame sensibilities, and it is very likely untrue for the majority of Banneker parents. I don't know but I imagine most Banneker parents would welcome whites to attend. To the extent that some Banneker parents desire a majority black school, it is probably for the benign reasons highlighted by the Cleveland poster above, i.e., an individual family's response to systemic discrimination. For example, a desire for black role models at the school, both teachers and students. Racialized groups seeking racial solidarity or same-race role models in response to racism against them is not, generally speaking, racist, in the same way that all-female networking events in a business context are not, generally speaking, sexist. Maybe there is a percentage of Banneker parents who truly dislike whites and do not want them to attend, but I bet that this is a small percentage, and can we be so sure it is a larger percentage than the corresponding number of white parents at the majority-white schools who would desire to exclude blacks? |
Anonymous
I still don't see the sense of this thread. If white folks don't want to send their kids to Banneker, when they clearly can, and black folks do... then leave them alone. Really, who cares. It is some folks loss and others gain. All are welcome to apply, if you don't want to then you certainly don't need to justify your reason here. If you want to email the Washington City Paper and tell the "reason" you don't want your child to attend, you're free to do that too, I believe the contact information was posted!!!! 
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Anonymous
PP, you are way too earnest and there is way too much sense in this post for DCUM. 
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Anonymous
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@22:47 - I love you!
-AA mom considering Banneker but also IB for Wilson. |
Anonymous
Funny how you guys always show your true colors. I don't have a kid at Banneker, but I do respect the kids and parents that I've met. If you don't want your kid to go to a school with sub-standard SAT scores, don't send them. They don't need you or want you. They don't manage the boys. That's the point. You go off and enjoy your snowflake who is probably sub par in every important way. Only is your eyes are they perfect. |
Anonymous
NP here. Why do you feel the need to insult some anonymous stranger's child? While we're talking about "showing true colors", I don't think this reflects well on you at all. |
Anonymous
Back to the topic of self-awareness... |
Anonymous
We can wait for Aaron's story but I assume the sub-text is that, if a magnet school like Banneker cannot attract white student, then what does that say about the future of many other public schools in DC that have few to no white students in neighborhoods with an increasing number of white residents? If one were to let down one's guard and speak candidly, you'd probably come to the conclusion that a more integrated Banneker would be a good thing for the school and the students. Perhaps the school should engage in more outreach at certain middle schools, and perhaps some white parents should reflect on what it means to live in a city but not really participate in its public institutions. Banneker currently may be better than many other HS in DC, but objectively it simply is not very good or even relevant: the student body is very small; boys seem to leave at high rates; and the test scores are mediocre. It could be much better, but do people really want that? |