Black Children White Parents

In the waning days of the school year, I am happy to report that the new school principal at my daughter's elementary school finally can tell my daughter apart from a girl who's only similarity is that she is in the same class and is the same height. Sure the girls are both African American, but they wear their hair differently, and their skin tones are different, and one wears glasses.

Last year my daughter's principal, who was African American, would say, "Hello little Ms. D," when she saw her in the hallway. She would also invite my daughter as well as other students to lunch regularly. I developed a nice relationship with her when we both read Langston Hughes to the fourth graders when my son was in fourth grade. She provided some of her own experiences growing up in Detroit, before she read Mother to Son which starts, "Well son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair."

My daughter's new principal seems to doing a fine job, she just hasn't impacted my daughter or our family like her previous principal.

As white parents raising strong, compassionate, self confident African American children I relish opportunities for our children to have strong, self confident, and compassionate African American role models in their lives.

While our district couldn't keep her previous principal in the district, I am glad that they have hired a Superintendent who who appears to be extraordinarily capable and happens to be African American. Even though, I doubt my children will even meet our new Superintendent - her leadership at the top will help to improve our schools, set the tone for increased diversity in hiring to reflect our multi-cultural district, help to narrow the achievement gap with which our district struggle, and improve community relationships after our district recently closed of our most racially diverse elementary school.