When confronted at yesterday school board meeting about her use of a racial slur, Broward County School Board Member Ann Murray didn't respond and then "slipped out the door," according to the Miami Herald.
The newspaper followed up on the report here about Murray's written reprimand for using a racial slur while working as a transportation supervisor at the district prior to her election. As she promised, activist Freda Stevens, vice president of a group called the Broward Democratic Black Caucus, called for Murray's resignation at yesterday's school board meeting and called for Murray's resignation.
"You have boldly admitted using the term 'nigger' multiple times without even an ounce of contrition,'' Stevens told Murray according to the newspaper. "... You deserve an "F'' in character. The School Board is no place for a racist, especially an unrepentant one."
One clarification to the Herald article: I didn't report that employees complained that Murray used the N-word "frequently." Murray admitted to using the N-word while supervising school buses contracted to help move fans at the 2007 Super Bowl at what is now Sun Life Stadium. Lisa Spince, the white supervisor to whom Murray was talking at the time, said Murray referred to the rowdy upper level seats at a football game as "nigger heaven." Spince told me that Murray then repeated the slur as if there was nothing wrong with it. The black school bus driver who filed the discrimination complaint also told Spince that it wasn't the first time that Murray has used the offensive word.
Inside, read what Roland Foulkes, the chairman of the School Board Diversity Committee, wrote in an email about Murray's words.
Foulkes clarified that he did not write the following email in his official capacity, but as a private citizen. In it he included the original post about the incident.
From: Roland A. FoulkesDate: Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 8:32 PMSubject: IF ANY OF THIS IS TRUE, THEN MURRAY MUST RESIGN - "Is School Board Member Ann Murray Racist? You Be the Judge"Greetings:If all, some, or any of this is true --- and, I hope none of it is true (as naive as that hope may be. I'm NOT judging; just observing and pondering the story conveyed below.) --- then Ms. Murray must step down from the School Board of Broward County/SBBC--- NOW! Even if she has not verbalized the word/phrase --- either publicly or privately --- since becoming a school board member. She was then, as she is today, a paid school board member, on the district's payroll!I hold the same stance for all of those mis-educated, so-called, rappers of all stripes, as well as those mis-educated youth among our K-12 students who use the term or related phrases --- i.e., "'N'-word" --- as one of endearment or put-down [see, Dr. Carter G. Woodson's classic, "The Mis-Education of the Negro," 1933].It is wrong, inappropriate, unacceptable, not to be tolerated in 2011!No other group would tolerate it --- i.e., the use of an historically negative, hate-filled, other-deprecating word. During the 2004-2005 academic year, I witnessed --- and it was reported in local newspapers --- the immediate, swift, removal of a teacher, for use of the "'F'-word (3 letters there)" in addressing a student in one of our schools, following a diversity committee site visit. A word overheard and reported by the then-Diversity Committee chair.No doubt if the "'K'-word (four letters there)" were used so liberally, Ms. Murray, or any one else, would be gone --- off the school board's payroll and taxroll, history --- in a New York minute (i.e., "The time between a traffic light turning green in New York City and the cab driver behind you honking his horn.")!Such epithets must never be on the lips --- in the hearts, minds and souls --- of anyone, especially an elected official supposedly representing, elected by, the very same people targeted in the slur!See the disturbing article below. And, as the writer suggests: "You be the judge!"Roland A. FoulkesPrivate Citizen / VoterFounder and Chief Strategist - ONE BROWARD!
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