NAACP On the Wake Co school Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday,October 11,2011

For More Information: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber,NC NAACP,President,919-394-8173 Jennifer Watson Marsh,Legal Redress Coordinator,jwmarsh1@gmail.com

Tonight Can Mark the Beginning of the Politics of Tomorrow and the End of the Mean, Divisive Politics of Yesterday by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II

While there is still some more voting to be done in the days to come,tonight we believe,marks a major step forward on the Highway of Justice and Love. Children of all colors,we pray,can once again feel welcome in their schools and at their School Board. There are thousands of children tonight,in Wake County,whose only hope in escaping poverty is our public schools. Their only hope is a high quality,constitutional,well-funded,diverse public education. Their only hope is strong schools with high student achievement, to which we know diversity and resources are key. Their only hope is a loving teacher,who nurtures the spark in them in the early grades,who spends some moments with them on the playground,expanding their world, igniting their interest in learning,and telling them they are as smart and as good as any other child and they can follow their dreams. Children who, though no one in the family ever went to college understand that opportunities for higher education are open to them just as they are for those who come from college educated families. Let us welcome all children into our fine public school system.

We in the NAACP,believe all educational decisions must be guided by the standards of the law with respect to civil rights,the data of sound research which continually proves that diversity and resources are key components to student achievement and the lessons of history which remind us we must go forward and not backwards. From the outset,the NAACP has noted eight fundamental principles that must guide any real desire to have healthy schools and strong public education:

1. Stop resegregation and promote diversity 2. Provide equity in funding for all schools 3. Provide high quality teachers and smaller classrooms 4. Provide high quality leadership teams 5. Provide high quality facilities 6. Focus on math,science,reading and history 7. Support parental and community involvement 8. Address unjust and disproportionate suspensions and reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates among African-American students

Tonight,hopefully,marks the beginning of an oiling of the machine that drives Wake County's economy,cultural life and the sense of community we enjoyed before the well-financed ideologues began their campaign to divide our community along color lines and deprive our community along class lines. Tonight we hope,marks the beginning of a tune up on the Public Education engine,making sure that the new commitment to ending the school-to-prison pipeline remains strong and at the same time moving toward the Gold Standard Plan student assignment plan which will build upon the great and noted success of Wake County rather than destroy the progress we had made.

Now,as I always remind you,the NAACP is non-partisan. We don't endorse candidates but we do endorse public policy. We work with anyone who supports our goal of eliminating race discrimination and inequality from our society. We noted with disgust and dismay,that the Margiotta/Tedesco/Pope group of ideologues condoned the use of racist mailers and internet images, one featuring an unflattering photo of me with Mr. Margiotta's opponent. Those who used racist propaganda and dirty tricks seem to have forgotten that the education of our children is a sacred thing--our teachers are sacred, our schools are sacred and our school leaders have a sacred duty to be responsible for all our children. Tonight we thank God the people didn't forget.

The NAACP believes that the Truth will win out;that healing the breach God's family is difficult,but the results are worth the struggle and the bad times; and we will win. Tonight we believe the beginning of change in the power configuration of the school board is small victory for people of goodwill in the battle to keep pushing forward for the common good and we rejoice. Tomorrow,NAACP members from across the State gather for our 68 th Convention in High Point. Hundreds will celebrate the victory of the children and parents of Wake County and draw lessons from your victory in the continuing struggle for justice.