In response to a racist email sent to the CPS superintendent

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Mary Ratliff, president of the Missouri chapter of the NAACP, holds a sign in September denouncing comments from State Representative Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, in which Basye alleged the curriculum was inappropriate for the Hickman High School and called the Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools. Brian Yearwood to resign.

I am sending this letter in response to an e-mail sent on December 8 to the Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools, Dr. Brian Yearwood. It reads: “You must be forced to move to Africa where you belong”. How dare a person send such an email to our superintendent or any person of color. We built this country after being stolen, sold and kidnapped, brought here against our will and enslaved for over 400 years.

Is the African American community angry with this email? You bet we are, that the writer had the nerve to insult the head of Columbia’s public schools and the community that brought him here at this point. This America is our home whether we choose it or not. It is our home that we love, although far from perfect. Here we pay taxes. We have helped make America a leader on the world stage.

We know that opposition to the District Mask mandate was only one reason to attack this black leader, because how can a black leader with all credentials dare to be the leader of our education system.

Brian Yearwood, the new principal of Columbia Public Schools, poses for a photo.

We know you are playing with the far right playbook that has developed since Reconstruction during a time like this when all the ugliness of white racism has been unleashed. We also know that your efforts are to get the Superintendent and the members of the Black board to resign. But let’s be clear: we will never surrender to be less than first class citizens with all the same rights as all other citizens.

We keep saying that we think there are more good people than bad here in Colombia. When will people stand up and speak out against this behavior that tries to bring us back to a time that can and will never be tolerated?

We will continue to support CPC and challenge all Colombians to speak up and support this Superintendent and the Board of Directors; they did what they thought was right for the safety of our students, teachers and staff.

Two years ago you could not have convinced me that I should write such a letter in Colombia and that we would have two state representatives outside Colombia leading this unruly group.

The story continues

If you think this email is unacceptable, speak up.

Mary Ratliff is the Columbia Chapter President of the NAACP.

This article originally appeared on the Columbia Daily Tribune: Letter to the Editor: In response to a racist email sent to the CPS Superintendent

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