In the October newsletter of the Culver City Democratic Club, club officer Pat Levinson wrote (see below), “as Anne Burke ended her concluding statement, she remarked that she was ‘the only candidate of color’ for the Board election. Huh? Don’t keep us in suspense, Anne. Which color is that?”
Wow. That kind of small-minded bigotry from Ms. Levinson has no place in Culver City.
Anne Burke is the first person in her family who went to college. She is also a minority. These are facts.
What would motivate Ms. Levinson to stoop to that level?
Pat goes on to say, “Truly, why should that matter, anyhow?”
Any true Democrat would understand that the Democrats have been champions of inclusion for decades. Any true Democrat would understand the value of diversity – particularly in the case of as experienced, well-qualified and thoughtful an individual as Anne Burke.
Why would the club print such ugly commentary in their official newsletter? The Culver City Democratic Club trumpets the cause of diversity when it suits its purpose. Apparently it’s an inconvenient fact this time around.
What an embarrassment to all Democrats.
Ms. Stuart, longtime community activist, may be contacted at stuartlauraj@gmail.com
Patricia Levinson’s Lettter in the Democratic Club’s October Newsletter
In response to a story in the Sept. 24 edition of the Culver City News:
Gosh! Were we even at the same meeting on Sept. 9 at the Culver City Democratic Club? I know I was there, and I’m the Recording Secretary.
Steve Montgomery of the Culver City News reported on page 1 under the headline “Local politics takes a turn of unpleasantness.”
I didn’t see unpleasantness, sour grapes or nastiness, as described by Mr. Montgomery. Was he there? I saw passion, discussion and
integrity in the entire process: the panel, the question-and-answer period, the partisan statements and the voting.
Rigged votes and skullduggery charges among local bloggers are opinions. The Culver City Democratic Club continues to support free speech.
We do not support slander or libel. I feel like our democratic process was impugned.
As Mr. Montgomery stated, School Board candidates Anne Burke and Scott McVarish and a variety of sources claimed – without offering a smattering of proof – that the endorsement process had been compromised in advance.
How can the vote be compromised in advance? All the ballots were blank, save the names of all three candidates including the usual no-endorsement phrase.
Dr. Kelly Kent won the endorsement on the first ballot. The remaining candidates did not receive the necessary 60 percent of votes required to endorse on the second ballot.
Was anyone bamboozled? Befuddled? Were personal decisions made by unknown members before the vote?
If there were, it was not the result of a telephone tree or a robocalling effort by the Culver City Democratic Club. Perhaps we were we all put under a confundus charm by Harry Potter?
I was unclear only on one point: as Anne Burke ended her concluding statement, she remarked that she was the only candidate of color for the School Board election. Huh?
Don’t keep us in suspense, Anne. Which color is that? Truly, why should that matter, anyhow? But she brought it up.
Ms. Levinson, recording secretary of the Culver City Democratic Club, may be contacted at secretary@culvercitydemocraticclub.com
Even if she is a “candidate of color,” does that help her do a better job? Why even announce that at a debate? Why not spend more time explaining what her plans are for the future of our students and our schools instead of passing the mic over to her neighbor? Laugh out loud.
Much like having a more diverse faculty in our schools helps students of color achieve (http://neatoday.org/2014/05/16/nea-report-lack-of-teacher-diversity-jeopardizes-student-achievement-2/) having Board Members who can reflect all communities is important. Having a more diverse School Board is important, as long as those Board members focus on making sure all students can reach their highest potential.
Those of us who know Pat know she is no bigot and trying to paint her comments as being bigoted is ludicrous. But, of course, this is election season and this type of attack is sadly typical.
Ms. Stuart, I would just like to point out that someone can be curious without being a bigot. They are not one and the same thing.
Sincerely,
Debbie Hamme
Anyone who is familiar with the nuances of “white privilege” will certainly see Ms. Levenson’s writings as racist and bigoted. Let’s also add mean-spirited and unbecoming a democratic club.
Not sure you’re a racist? Click on this Harvard test to find out: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
“In English the word “bigot” refers to a person whose habitual state of mind includes an obstinate, irrational, or unfair intolerance of ideas, opinions, or beliefs that differ from their own, and intolerance of the people who hold them.”
I know Pat Levinson, and I would never describe her this way. Her choice of words could have been better, but to go from that to calling her a bigot, I think is a very long shot.