Renaming F.W. Ballou High School to Marion Barry, Jr., Senior High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its pretty clear who is posting regarding their views of Marion Barry- likely non-native Washingtonians, nor those with any long-standing connection to the city. Regardless of what you think of him, reducing him to one foolish act, that he regretted openly, is unfair. Lets hope you never walk down a path that leads you to a mistake you can never outlive in the minds of some.

That being said, I don't think a school needs to be renamed for him. There are other things that will be built that can honor him, if it is decided to so.

I never really understood barry obsession. what good did he do?

[Anonymous]

^^ Non-native Washingtonian. Also probably not AA. Listen to the upcoming memorials. What he accomplished was not done by the previous AA leaders of the city who accepted our plantation society because they didn't want to rock the boat. I still remember my mother and I wearing white gloves to go downtown to shop. Wondered why the little white girls and their Moms did not wear them. My mother at the time made me feel that it was because we had more "class." Always a news story about an unarmed black men or teen being shot. The segregation was ridicously given that we were a moajority of the city. My mother had to have her white friends take me to the ballet which she could not attend.

[Anonymous]

Before someone says something about my poor typing. Ridiculous and majority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't rename Ballou for Mayor-for-Life Barry. Rename Wilson instead. What delicious irony. It might also open up a few spots at the school.

+1 Yes! Just not until my kids have graduated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ Non-native Washingtonian. Also probably not AA. Listen to the upcoming memorials. What he accomplished was not done by the previous AA leaders of the city who accepted our plantation society because they didn't want to rock the boat. I still remember my mother and I wearing white gloves to go downtown to shop. Wondered why the little white girls and their Moms did not wear them. My mother at the time made me feel that it was because we had more "class." Always a news story about an unarmed black men or teen being shot. The segregation was ridicously given that we were a moajority of the city. My mother had to have her white friends take me to the ballet which she could not attend.

But the question still stands. Exactly what did he do to move AA's agenda forward? Do AAs feel life is better thanks to him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ Non-native Washingtonian. Also probably not AA. Listen to the upcoming memorials. What he accomplished was not done by the previous AA leaders of the city who accepted our plantation society because they didn't want to rock the boat. I still remember my mother and I wearing white gloves to go downtown to shop. Wondered why the little white girls and their Moms did not wear them. My mother at the time made me feel that it was because we had more "class." Always a news story about an unarmed black men or teen being shot. The segregation was ridicously given that we were a moajority of the city. My mother had to have her white friends take me to the ballet which she could not attend.

When Barry first arrived in DC to lead the corrupt "Pride, Inc." he got attention for threatening to shoot a DC cop who was ticketing Barry's car. In hindsight, should we then be surprised at the arc of his sordid career in DC politics?

[Anonymous]

Over on the college thread it's noted that DC council member Vincent Orange wants to re-name UDC after Barry. Those poor UDC graduates, who have a hard enough time finding decent jobs already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ Non-native Washingtonian. Also probably not AA. Listen to the upcoming memorials. What he accomplished was not done by the previous AA leaders of the city who accepted our plantation society because they didn't want to rock the boat. I still remember my mother and I wearing white gloves to go downtown to shop. Wondered why the little white girls and their Moms did not wear them. My mother at the time made me feel that it was because we had more "class." Always a news story about an unarmed black men or teen being shot. The segregation was ridicously given that we were a moajority of the city. My mother had to have her white friends take me to the ballet which she could not attend.

In 1979? That is when Barry first became mayor.

[Anonymous]

^ University of Barry? Maybe Chem major will be popular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its pretty clear who is posting regarding their views of Marion Barry- likely non-native Washingtonians, nor those with any long-standing connection to the city. Regardless of what you think of him, reducing him to one foolish act, that he regretted openly, is unfair. Lets hope you never walk down a path that leads you to a mistake you can never outlive in the minds of some.

That being said, I don't think a school needs to be renamed for him. There are other things that will be built that can honor him, if it is decided to so.

I never really understood barry obsession. what good did he do?

Under the first black mayor (Walter Washington) most DC depts were still staffed by whites, IIUC, as they had been under previous white appointed mayors (note WW was also appointed before home rule began) Barry staffed them with blacks. He also expanded massively expanded a summer jobs program.

The change in staffing was a huge sign of no longer being dissed for black washingtonians. Both the changes to staffing, and the summer jobs progrmas, were sources of employment. Many middle class black washingtonians (and marylanders) probably consider those key steps in their movement into the middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its pretty clear who is posting regarding their views of Marion Barry- likely non-native Washingtonians, nor those with any long-standing connection to the city. Regardless of what you think of him, reducing him to one foolish act, that he regretted openly, is unfair. Lets hope you never walk down a path that leads you to a mistake you can never outlive in the minds of some.

That being said, I don't think a school needs to be renamed for him. There are other things that will be built that can honor him, if it is decided to so.

I never really understood barry obsession. what good did he do?

Under the first black mayor (Walter Washington) most DC depts were still staffed by whites, IIUC, as they had been under previous white appointed mayors (note WW was also appointed before home rule began) Barry staffed them with blacks. He also expanded massively expanded a summer jobs program.

The change in staffing was a huge sign of no longer being dissed for black washingtonians. Both the changes to staffing, and the summer jobs progrmas, were sources of employment. Many middle class black washingtonians (and marylanders) probably consider those key steps in their movement into the middle class.

During's Barry's reign, MPD was accepting police recruits who had repeatedly failed the entrance exam. Barry insisted on personally approving all police promotions at the level of sergeant and above, which allowed him to build a loyal patronage operation at the expense of performance. DC government agencies say their main mission as provding jobs for Barry's supporters and network, rather than delivering quality services in exchange for DC's ever higher tax burden. DC's fiscal house of cards all came crashing down in Barry's last term. By then, a serious of court decisions had moved many DC agencies out from under the mayor's control into receivership. Finally, the federal goverment imposed the control board which basically made Barry a figure head until his term of office ran out.

Deng Xiao-peng famously said that it doesn't matter if a cat is white or black, so long as it catches mice. The DC corollary should be, it doesn't matter if you're white or black, you still want the garbage picked up. The problem was that under Barry, it wasn't and a host of essential city services were delivered very poorly or not at all. More affluent residents tried to keep their contacts with the DC government to the bear minimum. Poorer residents, who were more dependent on city services, got the shaft. Barry talked a good game, but he never did very much for the city's poorest residents. He can, however, claim some credit for having built a black middle class .... in Prince George's County!

[Anonymous]

The worst would be naming a school (versus, say, a cell block) after Marion Barry. The absolute nadir of DCPS was during the years when Barry was mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During's Barry's reign, MPD was accepting police recruits who had repeatedly failed the entrance exam. Barry insisted on personally approving all police promotions at the level of sergeant and above, which allowed him to build a loyal patronage operation at the expense of performance. DC government agencies say their main mission as provding jobs for Barry's supporters and network, rather than delivering quality services in exchange for DC's ever higher tax burden. DC's fiscal house of cards all came crashing down in Barry's last term. By then, a serious of court decisions had moved many DC agencies out from under the mayor's control into receivership. Finally, the federal goverment imposed the control board which basically made Barry a figure head until his term of office ran out.

Deng Xiao-peng famously said that it doesn't matter if a cat is white or black, so long as it catches mice. The DC corollary should be, it doesn't matter if you're white or black, you still want the garbage picked up. The problem was that under Barry, it wasn't and a host of essential city services were delivered very poorly or not at all. More affluent residents tried to keep their contacts with the DC government to the bear minimum. Poorer residents, who were more dependent on city services, got the shaft. Barry talked a good game, but he never did very much for the city's poorest residents. He can, however, claim some credit for having built a black middle class .... in Prince George's County!

I think if you got a job that moved you into the middle class, problems with garbage collection or lines at the DMV were not seen as big issues by comparison. That it involved a patronage machine of course did not make it different from what many other cities had had for generations under white mayors (though at least in many of those cities services were delivered more efficiently) As for the fiscal situation, at least in Barry's first term it was actually fairly good.

There are many ironies in retrospect. One of course, is that the movement of blacks to the middle class (whether Barry was a cause or not) means many of those who love him no longer live in DC, and DC will no longer elect someone with his approach to politics. Another is that the improvement of services after Barry has made the district more attractive to whites, and the changes this has led to are resented by many blacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During's Barry's reign, MPD was accepting police recruits who had repeatedly failed the entrance exam. Barry insisted on personally approving all police promotions at the level of sergeant and above, which allowed him to build a loyal patronage operation at the expense of performance. DC government agencies say their main mission as provding jobs for Barry's supporters and network, rather than delivering quality services in exchange for DC's ever higher tax burden. DC's fiscal house of cards all came crashing down in Barry's last term. By then, a serious of court decisions had moved many DC agencies out from under the mayor's control into receivership. Finally, the federal goverment imposed the control board which basically made Barry a figure head until his term of office ran out.

Deng Xiao-peng famously said that it doesn't matter if a cat is white or black, so long as it catches mice. The DC corollary should be, it doesn't matter if you're white or black, you still want the garbage picked up. The problem was that under Barry, it wasn't and a host of essential city services were delivered very poorly or not at all. More affluent residents tried to keep their contacts with the DC government to the bear minimum. Poorer residents, who were more dependent on city services, got the shaft. Barry talked a good game, but he never did very much for the city's poorest residents. He can, however, claim some credit for having built a black middle class .... in Prince George's County!

I think if you got a job that moved you into the middle class, problems with garbage collection or lines at the DMV were not seen as big issues by comparison. That it involved a patronage machine of course did not make it different from what many other cities had had for generations under white mayors (though at least in many of those cities services were delivered more efficiently) As for the fiscal situation, at least in Barry's first term it was actually fairly good.

There are many ironies in retrospect. One of course, is that the movement of blacks to the middle class (whether Barry was a cause or not) means many of those who love him no longer live in DC, and DC will no longer elect someone with his approach to politics. Another is that the improvement of services after Barry has made the district more attractive to whites, and the changes this has led to are resented by many blacks.

Wait, what? Blacks resent improvements to services that happened after Barry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During's Barry's reign, MPD was accepting police recruits who had repeatedly failed the entrance exam. Barry insisted on personally approving all police promotions at the level of sergeant and above, which allowed him to build a loyal patronage operation at the expense of performance. DC government agencies say their main mission as provding jobs for Barry's supporters and network, rather than delivering quality services in exchange for DC's ever higher tax burden. DC's fiscal house of cards all came crashing down in Barry's last term. By then, a serious of court decisions had moved many DC agencies out from under the mayor's control into receivership. Finally, the federal goverment imposed the control board which basically made Barry a figure head until his term of office ran out.

Deng Xiao-peng famously said that it doesn't matter if a cat is white or black, so long as it catches mice. The DC corollary should be, it doesn't matter if you're white or black, you still want the garbage picked up. The problem was that under Barry, it wasn't and a host of essential city services were delivered very poorly or not at all. More affluent residents tried to keep their contacts with the DC government to the bear minimum. Poorer residents, who were more dependent on city services, got the shaft. Barry talked a good game, but he never did very much for the city's poorest residents. He can, however, claim some credit for having built a black middle class .... in Prince George's County!

I think if you got a job that moved you into the middle class, problems with garbage collection or lines at the DMV were not seen as big issues by comparison. That it involved a patronage machine of course did not make it different from what many other cities had had for generations under white mayors (though at least in many of those cities services were delivered more efficiently) As for the fiscal situation, at least in Barry's first term it was actually fairly good.

There are many ironies in retrospect. One of course, is that the movement of blacks to the middle class (whether Barry was a cause or not) means many of those who love him no longer live in DC, and DC will no longer elect someone with his approach to politics. Another is that the improvement of services after Barry has made the district more attractive to whites, and the changes this has led to are resented by many blacks.

Wait, what? Blacks resent improvements to services that happened after Barry?

try reading more carefully.

Another is that the improvement of services after Barry has made the district more attractive to whites, and the changes this has led to are resented by many blacks.