LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - People in Malvern want to make changes within the school district. They were embarrassed by a former teacher’s comments, but they say racism goes far beyond a Facebook post.
“The incident that happened in December with the teacher that made the post that went viral, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Marion Gibson said.
Gibson organized a group called Malvern Citizens for Positive Change. Its goal is to end systemic racism in the Malvern School District and several members attended Monday night’s school board meeting to show their presence.
“I mean, this is the 21st century and they still want us out here in the fields, plowing mules, smelling mule farts,” said Rocky Stitt, a former school district employee. “And that’s not gonna happen.”
Malvern made national headlines in December when a high school science teacher, Trent Bennett, posted racist comments on Facebook about Barack and Michelle Obama. He resigned shortly thereafter, but some community members say racism has been a part of the school district for a long time.
According to district data, 57 percent of Malvern’s students are white, but at least 80 percent of the teachers are white at every school in the district. So, a community group is trying to get its schools to reflect their children.
“I’ve seen blacks passed over [for promotions],” Stitt claimed. “I’ve seen they’re not recruiting enough blacks and this school term here, they hired 23 teachers, and not one of them was black.”
Gibson sent a memo to the school board Monday stating that, according to the district’s data, 57.5 percent of its students are white, compared to 29.6 percent who are black. But at Malvern High School, 94 percent of the teachers are white with just one of the 52 teachers being black. At Malvern Middle School, two of the 31 teachers are black, while 27 (87 percent) are white.
“That is unacceptable,” Gibson said. “This is my town and in 1968, we saw the very same thing. We have not made any progress. That really bothers me and it also bothers a lot of people that are here in the community with us.”
“I think it’s a problem, because I think a black teacher would take more time with a black student that’s slow,” Stitt added. “I’ve seen cases where they tell them, ‘I don’t have time to fool with you,’ the whites tell the blacks that.”
Gibson mentioned that there are economic implications, as well, to the district’s hiring history.
“So many people are driving to Hot Springs, and Arkadelphia, and Little Rock for jobs and are not given the opportunity here,” she said. “I know that people are qualified. The work is not that complex, especially the staff positions.”
Malvern Citizens for Positive Change also wants community involvement in reviewing the district’s policies which includes required racial sensitivity training for board members and district employees, analysis of discipline and student outcomes by race, and for the district to develop a strategic plan to promote racial equity in the recruitment of faculty, staff, and administrators.
“There has not been any intentional effort to change things, and that’s what we are asking for,” Gibson said. “A 10-year plan, a five-year plan, a one-year plan!”
Monday night was the first time the school board met since it accepted Bennett’s resignation. The group did not get to address the board, since it had not submitted a letter asking to be placed on the meeting’s agenda.
“We just wanted them to see our faces and know what we’re concerned about,” Gibson explained. “And hopefully, we can open some dialogue that is helpful and useful.”
“And I think we can get the ball rolling, if the community gets together, and quits talking about what they’re gonna do, and don’t do,” Stitt added. “They talk outside the system, but they won’t come to the board meeting or anything like that.”
Malvern School District Superintendent Brian Golden said he had not heard any criticism of the way he handled Trent Bennett’s resignation. He also told THV11 that he was unaware of Malvern Citizens for Positive Change’s demands until a reporter brought it to his attention.