The San Francisco School Board Tuesday night unanimously condemned board member Ann Hsu for her racially charged remarks about Black and Brown families, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
As AsAmNews previously reported, Hsu wrote in a candidate’s questionnaire that it is challenging to educate Black and brown students because of their “unstable family environments” and “lack of parental encouragement.”
The meeting turned into a screaming match at one point with opposing sides in the audience going at it.
Board President Jenny Lam at one point cleared the building for 15 minutes to restore order.
“Any inability of our students to learn is not the fault of the student, caregivers or community,” Lam said. “It is our duty and responsibility to provide each and every student the education to be successful academically and in life.”
LATEST STORIES
However, some in the audience supported Hsu, reported ABC7, saying her comments have been taken out of context.
“If we want to fix the problem we have to be able to talk about root causes even if they’re uncomfortable for some people,” said Diane Yap.
Hsu has repeatedly apologized since making her statement and has since amended it.
“I said things that perpetuated harmful stereotypes,” Hsu said at the meeting, according to KTVU. “I made a mistake and I’m deeply sorry.”
The apologies have done little to alleviate the anger directed towards her.
“Her comments indicate a profound disconnect between Hsu and the Black community and blame the effects of systemic racism on the targets of that racism,” the Rev. Amos Brown, the president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP, said in a statement last week.
AsAmNews is incorporated in the state of California as Asian American Media, Inc and has an application for non-profit 501c3 status with the IRS pending. Check out our Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story, or making a financial contribution. We are committed to the highest ethical standards in journalism. Please report any typos or errors to info at AsAmNews dot com.
Barack Obama used to say that too.