The Valedictorian at McGehee Secondary School, about an hour's drive SE of Little Rock, should have been Kymberly Wimberly. (Yep. That's her name.) But she was forced to share that honor with another student - a white student - with a lower GPA. See, Kymberly is black. Letting her be the Valedictorian - the smartest, best student to graduate in the class of 2011 - would have "caused a big mess." So, the principal named another, whiter student the "co-valedictorian," even though he had a lower GPA.
What are you thinking? Are you asking yourself, "Did she take an easier course load?" Not according to the lawsuit she filed. It claims her transcript is loaded with advanced and AP classes.
Kymberly is a teen Mom, and managed to earn the valedictorian title despite this added responsibility. But, being valedictorian is not about chastity or propriety or other puritanical points of view. It's the title given to the person with the highest GPA in the graduating class. Period. Except at McGehee Seconday School.
It's 2011 and the schools is 46% African American. How could this happen?
The full truth will come out, but the allegations in the complaint are fairly detailed and easy to check with discovery and investigation. Having read about the lawsuit as summarized in the article, I'm convinced (for now) that an injustice occurred here. The case is yet to be litigated, and other facts may come out, but Kymberly's Mom works at the school and overheard her daughter's valedictory fate being discussed in the office.
Why would it be so messy if a black person was the valedictorian? Is it really so hard to accept that sometimes, the smartest person on the room is black? We should all be used to it now since this guy
is in our TV rooms nightly.
We have had decades to come to terms with our embarrassing history of slavery, segregation, civil rights abuses, and racism. But apparently, some people in Arkansas haven't gotten the memo. So, here it is:
MEMORANDUM
TO: Rednecks all over America
FROM: The rest of America
Re: Racism
Being white does not make you better, smarter, prettier or more powerful. It just makes you whiter. Get over it.
If you read this, please post and tweet the link so Kymberly Wimberly can get the recognition she earned, and so the administration at McGehee Secondary School can get the criticism they deserve.
Signed a petition with Color of Change in regards to this young woman and the unfair treatment she has received. Another friend posted it on her Facebook page. Hopefully justice will prevail and Kymberly will receive all the recognition due to such a hard-working, smart young woman!
ReplyDelete