I'm guessing she's never seen "Roots."
You may have already seen this, but there is a lot more to the story than what's in that heavily edited excerpt with a lot of jump cuts.
That always makes me suspicious.
So, I dug up the full two-hour meeting and as it turns out, once you place her comments in the proper context and include statements that were left out of the tweet, it's not as bad as it seems at first.
It‘s worse.
It's like I gave her the benefit of the certainty.
Let's break this down. The only version of the entire meeting is an audio-only recording, so it's not always clear who is who and I'll note that. (The video in the tweet is not what's posted, a parent made that during the meeting.)
I transcribed the relevant parts, and note the people involved in those parts, as far as I could tell:
Our cast:
- Superintendent: David Feliciano
- Board President: Rebecca "Becky" McRae
- Board Vice President: Chardá Bell-Fontenot
- Board member: Minerva Martinez Scott
I'll note that the board is small, five members in all. I hate doing ethnic and gender breakdowns but it appears to be all the rage these days. All are women, three appear to be white, one Hispanic (Minerva), and one black (Chardá).
I'm using first names, as that is what they use in referring to each other.
Most of what follows begins around the 1:25 mark. That's almost an hour and a half into the meeting. I did not listen to everything that came before but it was largely a discussion around the main agenda item regarding setting a date to open the schools to in-person learning. Chardá Bell-Fontenot was resistant throughout.
Chardá: We don't have to do anything that we don't want to do right now that's what you all don't understand. I don't know where you're getting your information from. Who are telling you that we have to make a decision today. That is not how this works. We do not, I know that you're new to the school board, I'm not saying this as a slight to you, but we do not have to make a decision today.
While there was overwhelming community support as reported by the Board, with 80% of teachers and parents wanting to open the schools, she questioned where that input was coming from insisting she get the "geographic" breakdown, which didn't exist.
That sounds like a reasonable request, but here's the thing. If you look at the breakdown of the school population, by school, they are predominantly majority Hispanic and majority "Socioeconomically Disadvantaged."
Who exactly does she think they were getting responses from? The 17 rich white families who didn't send their kids to private school?
There was also a lengthy discussion about teachers being vaccinated. One board member pointed out that that can't be the only element of the decision-making process, that there are other considerations including the welfare of the children.
Chardá: Without any teachers we don't have the ability to teach the students so that's where we have to start right now we can't just say the kids can go back into the classroom and there's no vaccinated teachers there willing to do that.
That's the problem I'm having I'll let you guys, what your guys' plan is.
Leaving aside the fact that all evidence suggests vaccinations are not necessary to keep everyone safe, this was a strawman argument. They just wanted to set a date, and set one in which they had some confidence could accommodate those vaccinations.
No matter.
Chardá: So how we're forcing people to, that seems like a very white supremacist ideology to force people to comply with, you know. and conform (laughs) without thinking about all of their intersecting factors and barriers that exist for all families. We're thinking about one type of family when you're speaking right now. Just letting you know, privilege, check it you guys.
It's white supremacist ideology to require people who work for you to work.
I wonder if it's also white supremacist ideology to require taxpayers to pay their salaries.
Or how white supremacy works on wanting to open up schools where only 28% of the students are white.
One of the board members had the perfect reaction to this.
Okay, focus… I'm sorry, but, um, I…. hold on. I gotta, you know what. Wait, I gotta stop.
We should all have to stop there.
But not Chardá!. She leaned in. Way in.
Chardá: Let's not be forcing people to do things they don't want to do. Okay? That's where I'm at. So, I don't want to be a part of forcing anybody to do anything they don't want to do. That's what slavery is. I don't want to be a part of it.
It was noted again that the goal was to set a near-term date that could accommodate the vaccinations. This was based on certain assumptions, of course, but that's always the case when you're talking about the future.
Keep in mind, this was an hour and a half into the meeting after which reams of information had been provided, and arguments made justifying the setting of a date.
Chardá: So it sounds like nobody even knows, none of you guys even know what we're talking about right now.
She sounds like a very pleasant person. Probably fun to sit next to at a dinner party.
As you read her next statement, keep in mind schools have been closed for nearly a year.
Chardá: I don't understand what the rush is today.
The superintendent had had enough, and after a little more back-and-forth weighed in.
David: I take great offense to the statement that no one here knows what they're talking about right now. I don't believe that to be the case at all. And uh...
Chardá: I wasn't talking about you, David, I was talking about my fellow board members especially the new ones.
David: I'm not talking about me either I'm talking about your fellow board members. I don't think they…
Chardá: Well they can speak for themselves if they have an issue with me they can tell me but you don't need to speak for them, David.
David: I can speak for them if I choose to and right now [garbled] offensive...
Rebecca "Becky" McRae: We're upset and I know…
Chardá: And it's disrespectful. Like this is the second time you've disrespected me David.
Her version of being disrespected is when someone calls you out just after you said your colleagues don't "know what we're talking about right now" which as everyone knows is pretty much respect personified.
Becky: I think this should be a, that should be a private conversation between…
Chardá: No it doesn't need to be private, none of this should be private, racism doesn't need to be private, Becky,
Yeah, racism doesn't need to be...
Wait, what?
Becky: I don't need racism to be private, I need to move this meeting along...
Chardá: Well, I would like it to be reflected in the record that I am shocked and appalled.
Not just shocked, but appalled too!
David: By what, exactly?
Chardá: By what you just said Mr. Superintendent…
"Mr. Superintendent." That was totally intended to be respectful.
Some back and forth and,
Chardá: ...you said you could speak for all of us.
He denied that, mainly because that's not what he said.
There was some more back and forth, in which she insisted,
Chardá: You said that.
Becky: We need to stay focused
And now for what might be the best part.
Chardá: If these things were actually recorded for the public we'd know that.
Oops.
David: Actually they are, Rebecca announces that at the beginning…
And she does, it's the very first thing they say at the beginning of the "for the public" recording that I listened to.
Naturally, Chardá responded with the grace and humility we have come to expect from her.
Chardá: Where are they? Where are they?
They're not easily accessible.
Becky: I can pull it up, it, show you can...
Chardá: Ea-si-ly ac-cess-i-ble.
She enunciated and emphasized each syllable for effect.
Becky: You could ask Cathy..
I took "Cathy" to be an admin most likely for the district.
Chardá: Does everyone have a Cathy?
In a sense, yes, you just call her up and...
Chardá: No.
Oh, okay.
Chardá: That's what I'm talking about. And you guys know what I'm speaking about so please stop making it seem I don't know what I'm talking about and like I'm dumb.
"Making it seem."
No need. You're doing a bang-up job all by yourself.
Becky goes on to explain how you can get the minutes…
Chardá: I'm offended by the smirks on your faces.
She had her own video turned off, by the way.
One member had had quite enough.
Minerva Martinez Scott: I, I don't understand why you're so upset.
Chardá: You don't know me but I'm not upset. At all.
Minerva: I know you keep throwing out the racism, I'm Hispanic and I have four adopted children. We look like the UN so that's why when you say you're throwing out the racism I don't understand that part either. So I'm just confused.
The meeting settled down a bit after that. They eventually voted.
The board did eventually vote to open up classrooms April 19, two days a week, for two hours a day, which many parents are not happy with. Bell-Fontenot was the only member to vote no. A petition has since been started calling on her to resign.
I guess that's what passes for "opening the schools" these days in California.
There is a larger issue here: The way you get people to believe that they live in a white supremacist nation is to train them to take every slight, every offense, every unkind word as harboring racist intent.
Chardá Bell-Fontenot was acting like a jerk. Calling her out for it is not racist.
I don't doubt that she has encountered real racism in her life, but based on this, the mind boggles at how many imaginary encounters she has had.
Here's a link to the whole meeting in all its glory for those of you so inclined. It's only up for 30 days, so hurry!
As for me, I need a drink, something light, might you.
