Editor’s Note: The message below was posted on Rev. Melvin Clark’s Facebook page. Rev. Clark, Pastor of Missionary Baptist Church near Waco, is a man of action. After being held hostage at gunpoint in his own church as well as the episode in Charleston, SC where 9 were gunned down and the shooter apprehended in Shelby, Rev. Clark went public with his plan to train and arm 10 of his churchgoers to act as “Security Guards” during church services. Similar plans have been suggested at Cleveland County Schools but CCS has rejected such common sense programs. After reading this message below you will see that the CCS School Board may not have any common sense to begin with. Stay tuned for my next article regarding the race card being played by Commissioner Candidate “Massa” Eddie Holbrook as there are a series of racially charged issues going on along with this issue right in the middle of Early Voting in the Democrat Primary Election. Rev. Clark plans on addressing the School Board tonight at 6:00 PM at the CCS Central Services building. The meeting is scheduled as a “Work Shop” which CCS uses as a way to not allow public participation. However, a Board member may make a motion to amend their agenda to allow Rev. Clark to speak. Refusing to allow Rev. Clark the opportunity to speak at this meeting, as the next meeting is after the Primary Election, would certainly indicate a planned scheme to divide the white Democrat vote from the black vote and divide the black vote among itself. All for the express benefit of re-election Massa Eddie Holbrook.
Rev. Clark’s Facebook Message:
Music Teacher at our school Washington Elementary School decides to play a racist song with the “N”—-R in it knowing it would be unacceptable and only got a few days suspension. We are outraged at her actions and the action of the school system leadership.
Pastor Melvin Clark
It is with these expectations in mind that we are very concerned with the recent actions of the music teacher at Washington Elementary School and the subsequent handling of the situation by the local educational authority, Cleveland County Schools.
The music instructor at Washington Elementary, after informing the students that a song (Oh! Susanna) was a controversial selection, decided to play the song not only once, but several times for the six-year-old students in her class – stating to the students that Oh! Susanna is her favorite song. The song, Oh! Susanna, is a song replete with blatant racial over and undertones; a song steeped in the ideals of the “Old South” and created for the performance by white artists with their faces painted in black as a parody to mock African-American slaves.
This is CLEARLY INAPPROPRIATE. Public educators must follow the standards set by the State and by the local educational authority – and, when in doubt, must counsel with the curriculum specialists assigned to their designated schools. It is obvious that this particular educator’s blatant disregard for the district’s Mission, Vision and Core Statements goes unchecked as she is STILL on staff after only a brief removal from the classroom. She was then allowed to return and lead the school choir in a public presentation.
We, as a group of very concerned citizens, find the lack of further discipline not only morally fallacious, but also as a bold indication of the extreme level of disregard for the racists actions of this public servant who perpetrated a wrong against some of our children. We as a minority community have tried, to no avail, to prick the morally bankrupt conscience of the leadership in the Cleveland County School System.
It is obvious that the music teacher had some doubts regarding the appropriateness of this song; however, she decided to proceed. How can we continue to have faith in a system that continues to fail us? How do we trust THIS TEACHER and the Cleveland County School System to work with us in our efforts to destroy the disparities that continually plague our communities? How can we trust this teacher, who has CLEARLY demonstrated that her judgement is skewed, to provide a quality and fair experience for our children in the classroom – especially when it comes to grades and discipline?
The time is NOW, Facebook Family, to say enough is enough! There is NO PLACE for racism in our public school system! We need to DEMAND that this teacher be removed from our school and our school system! This teacher MUST NOT be left to her own racist devices when it comes to our innocent, impressionable children ANYWHERE in this school district!
Please join me in sending Dr. Stephen Fisher, the Superintendent of Cleveland County Schools, an email at srfisher@clevelandcountyschools.org requesting the IMMEDIATE removal of the music teacher at Washington Elementary School from any contact with ANY children in our school district – and especially children of color.
We have included in this letter the lyrics to the song, Oh! Susanna. We are confident that you will decide that these lyrics are inappropriate for young ears, inappropriate to be heard even in our own homes and that THIS teacher has NO PLACE in our school system!
Oh! Susanna
BY: Stephen FosterI come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee
I’m going to Louisiana
My true love for to seeIt rained all night
The day I left
The weather it was dry
The sun so hot
I froze to death
Susanna, don’t you cryOh, Susanna
Oh don’t you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my kneeI jump’d aboard the telegraph
And trabbled down de ribber
De lectrick fluid magnified
And kill’d five hundred Nigga
De bulgine bust and de hoss ran off
I really thought I’d die
I shut my eyes to hold my bref
Susanna don’t you cryOh, Susanna
Oh don’t you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my kneeI had a dream the other night
When everything was still
I thought I saw Susanna
A-coming down the hillThe buckwheat cake
Was in her mouth
The tear was
In her eye
Says I, I’m coming from the south
Susanna, don’t you cryOh, Susanna
Oh don’t you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my kneeI soon will be in New Orleans
And then I’ll look around
And when I find Susanna
I’ll fall upon the ground
But if I do not find her
This darkey’l surely die
And when I’m dead and buried
Susanna, don’t you cryOh, Susanna
Oh don’t you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my kneeOh, Susanna
Oh don’t you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee