Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 9-4-15 Edition

Local
Residents Talk About The Labor Day Holiday
State Representative Investigates Alleged Civil Rights Violations
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Labor Day is celebrated in the United States on the first Monday in September. The federal holiday is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American employees.
The holiday was first offi- cially recognized by the gov- ernment when municipal ordinances were passed during 1885 and 1886. In June 1894, Congress passed an act desig- nating the first Monday in September as a legal holiday.
The introduction of legisla- tion took place in New York. However, the holiday first be- came law in Oregon in 1887. Some Sentinel readers shared their opinions about the holiday and their plans to celebrate it.
Danny Green said, “It honors the
American
labor move-
ment that
contributes to
the well-being
of this coun-
try. But, most
people look at it as just an- other day to barbecue, have a picnic and just a day off from work.”
Michael Dozier said, “What does Labor Day mean to me? Growing up as a child in Alabama, Labor Day was celebrated by our neighbors
and friends in the com- munity with Bar-B-Qs, picnics, all- night parties and cook- outs. During
that time as a child, I had no idea what Labor Day was all about; I just loved the Bar-B- Qs, picnics and cookouts.
“However, as a teenager and going into adulthood, I discovered that for a lot of peo- ple, Labor Day means two things: a day off work and the end of summer. For me, Labor Day is a time of celebration and paying tribute to those working men and women who have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Yes, I plan to cel- ebrate on Monday, September 7, 2015 by participating and celebrating at a community picnic!”
Dr. Samuel Wright said, “The Labor
movement in
America was
huge among
the grass-
roots, hard-
working blue
collar work-
ers in America! The social and economic achievements were significant. With the progres- sion of human and Civil Rights, the average citizen was empowered in so many ways. Labor Day is a celebration of the regular people who fought
to be respected by governmen- tal jurisdictions at all levels.”
Ed Racker said to him, Labor Day is “A day for family and friends to get together and drink and eat
barbecue!”
Rev. Karen Jackson Simms said,
“Labor Day,
the federal
holiday estab-
lished to cele-
brate the
workers of
America has
never really held up to its pur- pose during our genera- tions. Today, it has become the official end of the summer season, a long awaited three- day weekend for some, or a chance to get some long de- sired rest. I’ll take all three with thanks to the workers of yesteryear!”
Attorney Ford said, “Labor Day is a sacred holi- day, because Labor is the foundation of economic and
Roderick
national prosperity. Labor is both mandatory and sacred.
“For this reason, I think of Moses as a great labor leader of former slaves in ancient Egypt, and so was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a great labor leader. Happy Labor Day to everyone!”
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
In a letter dated August 19, 2015, State Represen- tative Darryl E. Rouson contacted Danille Carroll, Director of the Office of Civil Rights with the State Attor- ney General’s Office in Talla- hassee.
Rep. Rouson’s letter was a request that an investi- gation be launched into the alleged violation of civil rights of Black students by the Pinellas County School Board.
Rep. Rouson he has met with members of the School Board, and they are doing research on his allega- tions.
“I will be meeting with them again.
“What brought this to my attention were a series of published articles and the subsequent outcry by the parents, teachers, and stu- dents.”
Rep. Rouson said his office is not interested in casting blame, but instead want solutions.
Rep. Rouson said what raised his ire was an article entitled “Failure Factories” that detailed the results of
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DARRYL ROUSON
low performing, predomi- nantly African American stu- dents in South St. Petersburg at five key schools operating within six square miles. All of the schools are in his district.
“We knew in 2007 this was happening and this issue must be addressed. There have been comments that it’s the fault of the state for budget cuts and other acts.
“I met with State School Officials and they assured me they are doing everything in their jurisdiction, and they think the problem is more lo- calized.”
Rep. Rouson said mem- bers of the Black Caucus and the Chair of the House Edu- cation Committee, Marlene O’Toole, will be touring some of the schools begin- ning Friday (today).
“Teacher turnover is crit- ical, and I want to find out what’s going on,” said Rep. Rouson.
“There are students who’ve reported uncon- trolled violence on their cam- puses, and there has been a discrepancy in the reporting process that also needs to be looked into.”
Rep. Rouson points out that Pinellas County schools were resegregated in 2008, and since then Melrose, Maximo, Lakewood, Fair- mount Park, and Campbell Park Elementary Schools have received dismal funding all while enduring staffing is- sues with some children hav- ing to cycle through several teachers throughout a school year.
In the five elementary schools, Rep. Rouson said 95% of Black students tested are failing math or reading, and those statistics rank the schools in the top 15 worse elementary schools on the state’s list for academic per- formance. Also, all of them have “F” ratings.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015