LadyLibra

Most of this thread has actually been a form of cyber bullying on Mrs. Patterson. I am sure if you parents knew your children were doing the same thing, you'd be rightly alarmed and have them stop straight away! Sadly though, by the time you've found out - the damage is already done!!

I have read your posts on whether this is a race issue or not and have decided that as much as you all try to create some kind of scenario, regarding the Head at Goodrich and make excuses for Moyles, the fact remains that subtle racism did play a part in this whole sorry saga. I just wish one of you would admit it. London is very multicultural and most people like it for that reason. London is going to have black Head teachers. As a black woman I do not want to live in a area of one race. A mix of people, cultures, foods and smells is for me, wonderful. Though one of the most multicultural cities in the world, the chasm between black and white is disgustingly enormous. I love to watch people's body language and I find some white people who live in this area to be very stand offish, seemingly superior, indifferent and sometimes incredibly rude. I am not saying black people are not the same, but I always try to create some harmony with everyone I have connection with. In Dulwich Park, I have been in the play park and watched with great interest how a white middle class mother of a mixed race child, will avoid a black parent with a black child like the plague - not even eye contact. I have spoken to other friends about this and they too, have experienced this odd behaviour. The saddest thing is that these women, though married or with a black partner obviously, secretly struggle with their child's heritage, not appreciating that they will be seen as black by black and especially by white people as they grow up. Hence, we end up with screwed up mixed race children because their white parent chose to ignore their black side. I have lived in this area for a long time and have many long term, white, middle class friends who are all university educated and they at times, have astounded me with their 'outbursts' of totally unprovoked racism. Interestingly, none of them have any other black friends - only the odd one because he/she is married to a white middle class partner. Some examples:- Once talking to a friend re the teen mugging that goes on in London, she actually said that if her son was ever mugged by a black group of boys, she'd be so upset she'd have to reconsider our friendship. Now how can I be blamed for the actions of black perpetrators, that I do not even know? I had another white friend who said she felt guilty for making her daugther half black. A white teacher friend of mine, in London says that white middle class parents, at her state run nursery, always seem to feel 'safe' saying racist things to her. I have a white friend who though married to a middle class man, has affairs with black men and had the sheer audacity to say, if she got pregnant by a black man, she would not abort the child but put it up for adoption - hence adding to the large amount of mixed race children living in children's homes already. I have a married friend who is a science teacher (head of her dept)in a secondary school and she described a new boy in her class as being 'black as the ace of spades'. Her husband just happens to be black and they have a mixed race son aged 5 who is the same colour as me. I am a light skinned black woman (two black parents), but she makes no bones about saying that she sees me as mixed race not black. She is obviously having problems accepting her son is mixed race and is as dark as me. Another friend of mine with two mixed race children and one black grandaughter, told me some time ago, she voted BNP to keep the Polish out. She died of cancer recently. Mrs. Patterson, I am sure is not perfect, but who is? She has been subjected to an awful time, even having 'Black C....t' written on the school wall and yet only one person during this thread has mentioned it. Maybe some of you think she deserved that? Imagine your livelihood going down the pan, overnight due to another race wanting to set the bar and deface your character at the same time. My aspiratons for my children are high but worry constantly with whats happening at this school in 2011. I also think racism and intolerance is getting worse. You care for your children, so do we, believe it or not. To end, I do realise that the feelings most of you have cannot be helped. Most importantly you cannot ever imagine what it is like to be black, so some of your comments unfounded. The Head needs a little compassion because she is being crucified in such a way, I do not know if she will ever recover. Moyles will though.

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am currently watching Shrek with my child (who > is obsessed with it). The film starts off with a > scene in which an angry mob come looking for > Shrek. I don't believe the film is racist, or that > the scene has any racist connotations. > Is there a reason to believe that there is racist > intent behind the poster at Goodrich? I'm sure > that there must be a context to this. How can you be so insensitive and compare a 'Shrek' scene to what is happening in Goodrich? You ought to put yourself in Mrs. Pattersons shoes - just for a moment, imagine the whole sorry scenerio, where your livelihood is being threatened - but you don't have to, do you. Your lack of empathy is obvious.

Bunny19 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Carefill dully, you and the odd other poster are > very close to libel here, as the administrator has > already indicated. You could well be causing more > problems than you could ever imagine. If I was Mr > Moyles and I have no idea whatsoever the intent by > his poster, I'd be backing my innocence all the > way through the legal system and you could find > yourself dragged headfirst into it as well. What absolute hog wash!!!

dully Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not really. (fair enough bunny). > > You would not crack jokes about the holocaust to > jewish people > You wouldn't think that genocide is a laughing > matter > so why is it suddenly ok to attempt satire using > lynch mobs when lynch mobs are as horrific to > black people as the holocaust to jewish people. > The last lynch mob I heard of in this country was > in the late '90's. They strung up and burned a > black man for dating (respectfully) a white woman. > It is not so distant and gone. > > The point is that whilst race relations have made > enormous steps forward, we are not all the way > there yet. A black head teacher is still fairly > progressive and in a vulnerable position. It is > not appropriate to make jokes about lynch mobs, it > show a great lack of awareness for what people > have come from and whilst some of the white middle > class populace may not understand that it is hard > to integrate at a higher level post and lead > people when they cannot even understand who and > where you are as a person. > > I don't think it was paranoid of mrs. Patterson to > call the police. I think she knows where she comes > from and where she is. Some People in east dulwich > can be amazingly racist but think because they > haven't used any "n" words and they haven't said > whatever directly to a black person that it tows a > line. People need educating and integrating - I > would have thought a black head teacher was a > perfect place to start. Take it as a learning > curve - don't get angry and defensive about it. > Learn to say "I have acted like a complete moron. > I do not want my child to grow up to be a bigot > like me so I will open my mind and learn what is > fair, true and decent." Good luck. Absolutely well said, but will not be appreciated by most on this thread. There is a total lack of compassion and it seems they are unwilling to change.

james84 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This thread should probably stop now. Lady Libra > you are not going to accept anything else but your > own point of view, and anyone who argues with your > point will be labelled. From your last post it is > obvious that you are picking an argument. How absurd.

james84 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thaty is a disgusting site, and not representative > of society as a whole. You seem to be missing the > point though- no one knows what the intentions > were of Moyles, you just want to jump to > conclusions and make accusations. > > At the end of teh day this all seems pretty > innocent to most people, and has just been taken > the wrong way and blown way out of proportion, > hence Southwark council not wuilling to comment > any further and the police stating that there was > not racial malice intended. I cannot speak for Moyles and what he truly intended from his poster and I can understand what you are saying, but tell that to the Head who is going through it. I do not know this woman personally, but I am sure she tried her best with the school. We all know with the best will in the world, sometimes it does not work. From previous posts it is said some of the parents objected to her from the beginning - did they actually work with her? The whole situation is awful and all that was needed, was dialogue - between the Head and governors to sort out parents concerns. London is a place of success and moving forward, so intelligent people should not be acting in this way. If there is any risk of causing offence, this poster should not have been allowed to print - its not rocket science.

Have a look at this page: Link to racist website removed - The Administrator It is disgustingly scary and personally if I were Mrs. Patterson I'd give Goodrich a wide berth. Maybe Moyles will now see why it was not a good idea, to do what he did with that poster. Somehow he has really tapped into the worst of racists available.

Mark Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > LadyLibra Wrote: > > Now if I were to say what you said, as a black > person - it is without a doubt, frowned upon. > > How do you know dully is not black? Why has the > colour of the writer got anything to do with it? > Why do you assume it will be frowned upon? Please > stop trying to stir up a racial argument beyond > the poster discussion. > > Read my posts and you will see how folk have frowned upon my posts. Me trying to stir up a racist argument - this whole thing is a racist argument! If you read from the beginning, some folk are saying similar things such as I.

dully Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think it would have been unprofessional for the > teacher to comment to the daily mail. Any other > paper maybe but they were always going to give her > a rough ride. > > The poster is awful and too questionable a choice > to have been used in the context of a primary > school even if it was for parents. The guy clearly > has an ego problem if he thinks it was > appropriate. If he was elected then surely it was > his choice to work for the pta, so just do the job > and don't try and turn it to a satire exercise. > Magazine, student paper would be appropriate. Kids > school no. > > I have noticed that some East dulwich residents > are sometimes racist. Whether out of malice or > ignorance it has been seen and heard. I wouldn't > discount that there may have been events which > contributed and affected the head teachers > perception of events. The fact that the parents > are pushy enough that this poster was made in the > first instance would suggest the head is up > against it. Good luck to her I say. Well said, thank you. Now if I were to say what you said, as a black person - it is without a doubt, frowned upon.

How entertaining for you.

Had you read my post properly, you would see that I am talking about the parents involved in this sorry saga only!

post removed for being overly antagonistic after I have just given a warning - The Administrator

Monkey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why do people assume that parents are giving the > head a hard time just because she's black? Because > they're white and middle class? Isn't that a > racist assumption to make? Goodrich's results have > been going down. It's a fact. My poor impression > of Goodrich (apart from this thread) comes from > looking at league tables and also from seeing a > number of grammatical mistakes on their website, > including a glaring one on the homepage (now > removed)... That's why I decided not to send my > daughter there. If a new head is appointed and > results start going up, I will reconsider my > decision, whatever the colour of the new head. > > Headteachers are paid a lot of money (far too much > in my opinion) so when they don't deliver, they > need to be held accountable. Headteachers are paid a lot of money and should deliver, but before this poster was produced, lots of 'little' things were happening before the poster issue came to light. Mrs. Patterson is not paranoid, but sadly just used to this form of underhanded racism, which most black people experience on a daily basis, but choose to ignore - due to fighting off the perpetrator all the time. Just because a white person does not use the 'N', 'wog' word or hurl blatant racist abuse at a black person does not make them non-racist. The fact of the matter remains if any of those white parents were to be asked an honest question regarding who they would prefer to run their school, it would be a white Head - full stop! Had a white Head been running the school now and it was 'failing' - I know categorically that he or she would be given an easier time and lots of much needed support. Also to be 'white and middle class' is not a racist assumption - again sadly and not all, but most white middle class people actually feel it is their absolute right, above all, to succeed. To succeed is good but to actually wreck other people's lives in the process is very wrong. It is unfortunate for Mrs. Patterson because she is being intimidated, hounded and bullied and no doubt all the parents who are part of this must be members of the BNP or KKK. May their conscience rest well with them - and I know it will!!

It has to be said that I know white people, through experience, are very good at trying to get themselves out of 'holes' when caught being racist. I used to live in the Dulwich area and know how the white middle class parents fight by 'any means necessary' to make sure their children get the best educationally. My guess is they do not want Mrs. Patterson as their Head, being black of course 'she isn't good enough for their precious babies' - I remember a similar scenario at St. Saviour's School, Herne Hill, when they had their black Head. The fact remains that Southwark houses some of the best private schools in London or maybe in the country and these parents, would send their children to private schools, but cannot afford it. They have to realise they live in London, it is very multicultural and if they do not want a black head, they have to do 'white flight' and go to another town outside of London, where everyone is white. I feel sorry for Mrs. Patterson, being black myself, I know what it is like to have racist slurs, 'jokes' or the like hurled at me, all underhanded of course - and have most of my life. Hence it has to be said most of those parents will never walk in Mrs. Patterson's shoes, so will not ever understand how she feels. The saddest thing is, I am sure most of these white middle class parents are university educated, so one would hope should know better!!