Why is Oyster only 7% Black?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are there…in very small numbers. I’m definitely not trying to minimize the presence of Afro-Hispanics at Oyster; I’m just presenting the facts. I have toured Oyster a couple of times over the past few years, and many of the classrooms have no more than 2-3 visibly black children (out of 20-25 kids). My point is that whatever the ethnic background of the students at Oyster, there simply are not many that actually look black. That may or may not be important to you, but it’s just an observation.

this is the black looking post PP must be referring to.

[Anonymous]

This person is "black," seriously ... and has always (as long as I've known him) publicly self-identified himself as such. I know him personally.

(this picture is obviously a "public" picture of him, so I don't think it compromises any privacy concerns )

be careful about your assumptions. Melanin works in mysterious ways.

[Anonymous]

^^maybe the poster is using the Paper bag test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^maybe the poster is using the Paper bag test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It does sound complicated!

The school has morphed into something complicated. The families are not. We're just people. It is very diverse visually and otherwise. There are many families with different races or ethnicities or nationalities within the same set of siblings. There are black looking people in the Jewish club. There are straight people in the LGBT group. There are Asian looking people from South America. There are white looking people who don't speak English. etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm...what do you mean by "Asian looking?"

[Anonymous]

hahahaha ... this whole thread shows exactly why "race" is such a pain in the ass

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are there…in very small numbers. I’m definitely not trying to minimize the presence of Afro-Hispanics at Oyster; I’m just presenting the facts. I have toured Oyster a couple of times over the past few years, and many of the classrooms have no more than 2-3 visibly black children (out of 20-25 kids). My point is that whatever the ethnic background of the students at Oyster, there simply are not many that actually look black. That may or may not be important to you, but it’s just an observation.

this is the black looking post PP must be referring to.

However the students look, Oyster is only 7% black in a public school system that is over 70% black. Why don't you address that point.

[Anonymous]

What about jewish looking blacks?

Sammy Davis Jr finds this topic distressing

[Anonymous]

It used to be common for in-bounds non-Spanish speaking students who didn't feel their English studies were well supported to leave Oyster. These kids often ended up at Eaton, and tended to come from *relatively* low SES backgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This person is "black," seriously ... and has always (as long as I've known him) publicly self-identified himself as such. I know him personally.

(this picture is obviously a "public" picture of him, so I don't think it compromises any privacy concerns )

be careful about your assumptions. Melanin works in mysterious ways.

Yes, and I'm sure the majority of Oyster's classrooms are FULL of black kids that look like this guy. As a matter of fact, I'm certain that all of the Hispanics there (61%) are actually black Hispanics that look like Wentworth Miller, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Beals, etc. Right...lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about jewish looking blacks?

Sammy Davis Jr finds this topic distressing

I think you meant the black looking jews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It used to be common for in-bounds non-Spanish speaking students who didn't feel their English studies were well supported to leave Oyster. These kids often ended up at Eaton, and tended to come from *relatively* low SES backgrounds.

Funny you mention that history. I know a single-mom (lived in one of the apartments) whose IB son struggled with Spanish at Oyster, so she moved him to Eaton. I wonder if that is still a common occurrence.

[Anonymous]

Well, many of the apartments are rather expensive to rent and may actually be $500k+ condos/coops, so I don't think there are that many low SES kids in boundary these days. But yes, there has traditionally been some self/de-selecting like this among weaker English- and other non-Spanish-dominant students.

[Anonymous]

This thread is a profound endorsement for Oyster needing to leave the Deal cluster. Like mucus, it is important somehow, yet grotesque to contemplate too deeply.

Let Oyster and Adams be forever together, in perfect harmony.

(But for those Oyster families who don't like Adams? You get Hardy. The ancient reasons that attached you to Deal have expired. Let it go. LET IT GO!) Look: your new anthem is already a hit!