‘Given the current political climate in our state and the composition of the current slate of school board candidates, we are in for some turbulent times,’ said Dr. Goliath Davis.
BY GOLIATH J. DAVIS, III, Ph.D. | Staff Writer
PINELLAS COUNTY — Have we matured as a school district, or has the political emphasis of the Moms of Liberty changed? I suggest the political agenda for MAGA Republicans has not changed, but the approach has.
A single Mom of Liberty member, responsible for more petitions for book bans than one could imagine, asserted some time ago that she has moved on from book bans to focus on school board elections and policy. In other words, if the right candidates are elected to the school board, policies can be enacted to ensure desired books are banned, and other desired policies can be ratified.
Last year, around this time, the Pinellas County School Board members, administrators, scholars, parents and community activists were engaged in debates regarding the appropriateness of honors students reading “The Bluest Eye” and elementary scholars watching a film on the Ruby Bridges story. Both were banned and were subsequently reinstated after considerable debate, scholar, teacher and community input. Not so this year.
So, the answer is yes. To some extent, the district has matured. But I warn all of our voters. Given the current political climate in our state and the composition of the current slate of school board candidates, we are in for some turbulent times. If some running for elected school board seats succeed, the board’s composition will have a high probability of seeding divisiveness and community rancor.
Kudos to teachers, scholars, administrators, librarians, parents and activists for their commitment to education and anti-authoritarianism. Ruby’s lesson is still taught a year later, and the film is still being shown.
Dr. Goliath Davis is a former St. Petersburg police chief and deputy mayor who advocates for education in Pinellas County, focusing on Black student achievement.
