By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 9:21 PM
The St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable went on the record today criticizing the St. Louis City School Board for firing Vashon basketball coach Floyd Irons.
"The Roundtable is seriously concerned about the recent decision of the St. Louis Public School District to remove Coach Floyd Irons apparently without proper due process," wrote John Moten, Jr., the group's chairman, in a letter sent to the media today.
"Based on the Roundtable’s knowledge, a decision to terminate Coach Floyd Irons at this time, without apparently affording him the opportunity for due process accorded employees, may be irresponsible," said Moten.
"The termination appears particularly inappropriate in view of the fact that the District needs effective administrative and Board leadership focused first on serving the needs of the District's children – leadership that Coach Irons seems to have provided the District."
19 Comments:
Spoken like a true idiot.
8/24/2006 6:22 AM
By "leadership", do you mean punching a kid in the face several times with a walkie-talkie? The Roundtable must be morons!
8/24/2006 10:35 AM
The Black Leaderless Roundtable is a joke. How does a basketball coach improve education?
Morons is being nice.
8/24/2006 11:13 AM
Inspecteur Clouseau ici: If the black leadership wanted to pick a symbol, why did they choose "roundtable" that goes back to very white King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable? Why didn't they choose some symbol from some country in Africa?
Shows how leaderless they are, mon opinion. I would think many in the black community are tiring of self-appointed black leaders.
Asians and Caucasians don't seem to have this problem or issue. In fact, Hispanics don't either.
Time for the black community to choose and say who their leaders are, not self-appointed, self-important parties. En France, we would not let such people declare themselves our leaders.
A bientot.
8/24/2006 11:20 AM
Now we know why these people are called the "Black Misleadership Roundtable." Isn't that a more fitting name? Or shall we call them the "Black Moron Roundtable?"
8/24/2006 11:47 AM
Oh, please. If we want to talk about keeping the student athletes in school, let's talk about how well they are equipped to deal with life after the big V. 1 - How many graduated? 2.- How many went on two a two or four year school or even a technical school? 3. -How many graduated from there? 4. - How many are employed now?
8/24/2006 12:33 PM
Once more our community "leaders" put sports over education. What message does that send to our children? Nothing but hoop dreams that get my son a head full of false hopes. If a statement needs to be made at this time of the year, it should be help our kids by getting them in school from the very first day next Monday. These people don't speak for me, that's for sure!
8/24/2006 12:44 PM
Someone wants to know how many student graduated or went to college, check your facts. There have been more young man graduating and doing something with their lives, in the past six years. I worked with Mr. Irons, and I know first hand, that if one of the students didn't do what was ask of their teacher, they would not play sports. Is that what this is all about, sports. Well the had to have a certain GPA to play, so that should tell you know-it-alls, that if their grades were not up they wouldn't be playing sports. So lets get off the sports thing and look at the big picture, we just have to bring someone down, get a life, stay out of other peoples business, who to say how many secrets you are hiding. Go over to Vashon and see for yourself what is going on, I know you won't do that, because you feel better when you are downing others. Like I said, I work at Vashon and I know what I am talking about, do you??????????
8/24/2006 2:05 PM
Inspecteur Clouseau ici: Monsieur Brian, s'il vous plait, why do you always blame others? Did you major in sports in high school? It appears so because you can't spell or communicate in decent English ici (here). That may not be your fault, but you should recognize it and do something about it. It is difficult to take a man seriously when he can't communicate clearly and always blames others instead of taking responsibility.
J'ai beaucoup d'amis (I have many friends) who are African American, and they are as adept at English as any white, Asian, or Hispanic. They put education before sports. In fact, one of those friends' name is Dorothy Harris, and I wonder if you might be related to her. As a très intelligent woman, she would not agree with your diatribes if she read them.
Many Africans came to live in my country en France, and they speak impeccable French; some also speak très bon anglais aussi (very good English also).
Monsieur Harris, if you have children who attend the SLPS, you need an attitude change if they are to succeed.
À bientôt!
8/24/2006 2:09 PM
You white jokers are yappin all that mess, but you need to realize that its because of you "whites" that these black groups came about. Had your parents, and so of you included not been so racist and one sided and trying to destroy blacks in the past,
I would like to clarify some of your mis conceptions.... My WHITE parents were on the committee to rename Carson Road to MLK in the 60's. My mother protested the segregated snack bar at (what I remember as Woolworths in the 5800-5900 block of Delmar. My Father personally sponsored two black gentlemen's acceptance into his labor union. I'm very sorry that my family wasn't here to fight for YOUR emancipation in the 1860's (They were trying to escape their own slavery and didn't arrive in America yet), I don't cheat on my wife and I deplore pornography, however my wife's American Indian and Nordic ancestors fought (and some died) for the cause. How dare you use the racist term of "you whites" in a prejudicial manner against "my" people. Countless white people have given their all to bring the dream of Martin Luther King alive. Countless people of color have done as well. It is a shame that you can't appreciate that some people have done more for you than you are willing to do for yourself. Get an education and help the rest of us out. When is the next election or appointments for the Black Roundtable???? I would love to see a rank and file member of the community aboard. I really don't see the need to have another, self appointed, self serving, silk shirted, luxury car driving, victim mentality loudmouth who hides behind the "tax free" money laundering guise of a church. No sir I am not trying to destroy any blacks----you seem to be doing quite well at that on your own!!!!
8/24/2006 6:44 PM
Brian, my great great grandfather was an abolitionist and Lincoln's lawpartner, friend, and biographer. His son, my great grandfather, fought on the side of the North and was wounded. So many of my white family also stepped forward to decry an injustice and to do what they could to change it.
I belonged to a high school group in the SLPS called "Inter-Group Relations" and met with students from Sumner in an effort to break down prejudice.
I have always been vocal against lack of civil rights. So, I too will join some in saying don't paint us all with a broad brush. At the same time, half of my family hadn't arrived yet.
In one position, I spoke up for an African American woman who was being discriminated against and lost my job.
Is there something else I need to do in order not to be painted as racist or prejudiced? Please, let me know.
8/24/2006 6:57 PM
It's really true - You can't fix stupid.
8/24/2006 10:41 PM
Let's take a vote. All those for throwing Brian Harris off this blog raise their hands.
8/25/2006 8:33 AM
Mr. Harris,
"Beat yo punk ass"
What kind of example are you setting for your community. You claim to be about personal responsibility, yet you are not using restraint. Violence is not the message. This gangster lifestyle is destroying America. Yes, lets all treat women like crap, fight each other, sell drugs, and wear grills. Thats the lifestyle we want for our children! Lets dance about it at the club. Where is my Hennessey-no ice?
Seriously, what role model does the black kid have these days? 1. Gangster-Rapper 2. Athlete 3. Pimp or Hoe
These are glorified in the media, and the people that project these images are both being exploited themselves, but also exploiting their own community. Factor in politicians who are more concerned with contracts, patronage, and money, thereby denying services to schools, thus turning it into a dump, and the message is clear! Why attend a substandard school when I can be a gangster, smack women around, ride on dub deuces, and wear gold teeth! This objectification of women and portrayal of criminal lifestyle must end. White kids use this image to rebel against parents, but black kids actually view this as a role model.
Wouldn't the true black leaders of the past such as Du Boise, Washington, Malcom X, Stokely Carmichael, and Martin Luther King Jr., be angry with the current leaders, who are basically glorifying criminal life? I am referring to these rappers as "leaders" because the kids see them far more often than Sharpton or Jackson. Compare how often you hear or see a rapper talking about drugs, compared to how often you hear or see Sharpton and Jackson talking about black empowerment?
I think what white people can do is refuse to purchase said gangster-rapper material. We can also work to end the prejudice which still exists in the white community. Yet I believe some of this racism or at least stereotypes are due to the media. It partly the medias fault because news broadcasts always show the black man involved in a murder or other violent crime. Rarely do they counterbalance this with the story of the meth-dealing white Hoosier.
It is also partly self inflicted because white families see these gangsters, and hear their violent hedonistic lyrics. When they see violence on T.V., and also accepted in black culture, then the stereotype continues. If black culture was to reject the glorification of the violent criminal lifestyle, then I believe these stereotypes would end.
Regarding Irons: if he did in fact assault someone, then he should be fired. If it turns out he is innocent, which could be possible, then he should have his job back. Its hard for me to say, since much of the situation is political fighting.
In terms of black leadership, I am a big fan of Sylvester Brown, Bill Cosby, and Juan Williams.
This STL American article by Les Payne is very good:
Who indeed are the black leaders these days? Two pretenders to the throne were to enlighten the National Association of Black Journalists last week in Indianapolis. The Rev. Jesse Jackson thought better of his appearance and left the defense to his erstwhile protege.
Proving that he is as immune to irony as he is to shame, the Rev. Al Sharpton strutted onto the stage as a panelist for the annual W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture. That most vital American scholar of the last century would likely have viewed Sharpton as a noisy answer for which there is no known question.
http://www.stlamerican.com/articles/2006/08/24/news/columnists/lee03.txt
8/25/2006 9:28 AM
Well, there is always the guy with the goofy grin holding a yellow sign- role model.
Round table connotes equality. I think that is beginnings as a sign of equal membership go way beyond any Whiteness. Perhaps you think that the "Charging Bull" of Shaka Zulu would be a better table. It has been tried and the guys at the end are always being kidded about what comes out of the end of a bull.
Just kidding about the first part, Doug.
TimR
8/25/2006 9:55 AM
What Black leader would honor a man that beats kids, deprives them of an education and then takes money from them. By the way, how do we get the BLR to go away. If I were black I would be embarassed to be black.
8/25/2006 10:31 PM
I understand why the Black Leadership Roundtable took the stance they did. When due process isn't followed in a case like this, it simply looks bad.
But Irons should've been removed from that position a long time ago for violations ranging from assault to fiscal mismanagement to recruiting problems. I am glad to see him go.
8/26/2006 4:38 PM
Let me get this straight, Brian. If 90% of the people are doing something wrong, it isn't wrong? WWJD, my dear?
8/27/2006 11:22 PM
No, Mr. Harris, my parents were not crooks. They struggled to put food in our mouths working minimum wage jobs and growing vegetables in the back yard. We may not have had much, but they were honest, hard working people, and they raised us to do the right thing, or make amends when we didn't. I don't know how you were raised or around whom, but my parents don't deserve your castigation. They sacrificed everything for us, and would never have put money over honesty. They were the kind of people who would correct the grocery clerk if she gave them too much change. Just because you surround yourself with crooks, doesn't mean that they are representative of the whole population. You must just be more comfortable around them than the people that I know, because you do have a choice, and so do they.
8/28/2006 8:53 PM
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