Stephanie Rawlings-Blake injects race into Morris fiasco
To their credit, most people in the Baltimore political establishment thought something was wrong with the hiring of Brian D. Morris as the top deputy in the city school system simply because he negotiated for the undadvertised, $175,000-a-year job while he was still school board chairman and was given the position mere hours after he resigned. Those who didn't think that flawed process was enough reason for him to resign came around after The Sun reported Friday about his 15-year history of bad debts, legal judgments and business failures.
But not City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake. In an interview on Anthony McCarthy's radio show on WEAA on Friday night, Ms. Rawlings-Blake suggested that none of the questions about the hiring process or Mr. Morris' finances would have been raised if he were white. She said:
"He is a professional. … Many of the top-level positions were created for individuals and not advertised. But we are living in a city where a brown person can't get that treatment. If a job is created for one of us, your credentials are questioned, your background is questioned, the process is questioned.
"[Schools CEO Andres Alonso] looked at his integrity, his drive, what he knew of his capabilities. You take a person with ambition, and not every person has a skyrocket to the stars without having bumps along the way."
These were not nit-picky questions about the hiring process, nor did somebody make up the dozens of court judgments against Mr. Morris to make him look bad. A knee-jerk response suggesting that race had something to do with the situation is a great way to rationalize hiring someone manifestly unqualified for a job with tremendous impact on the city's kids.
Ms. Rawlings-Blake called The Sun Monday afternoon to clarify her comments. She said she understands that the process by which Mr. Morris was hired was flawed because of his role as Mr. Alonso's effective supervisor. She said his resignation was the right thing and hopes the focus can be returned to the kids and their achievements.
But she didn't back away from the notion that race played a role here. She said, "I still feel, I wish there would have been an even scrutiny. This has been the way Dr. Alonso has made decisions up to this point, and it seems uneven. My concern was that it was based in race. I know there are several other factors that played a role in it. I still have that concern."
Ms. Rawlings-Blake wouldn't give specifics of which previous Alonso hires she thought escaped appropriate scrutiny, but she said, "I think the record speaks for itself. The process has been the same."
To that, I'd respond with this: If you know of anyone who was hired under questionable circumstances to a position of significant public trust despite a record of troubled financial dealings, by all means, let us know. We'll be more than happy to check it out, no matter what the person's race. But vague inuendo about racism seems to do little to achieve Ms. Rawlings-Blake's stated goal of bringing the focus back to the children.
Comments
This is all fair game--let's have the names and discuss!
Posted by: On top of things | June 15, 2009 1:52 PM
Wow.
What a convinent excuse by Rawlings-Blake.
Our city council president cries racism where none exists.
Morris' record/lack of ethics speaks for itself.
And this woman could succeed a guilty Mayor Dixon.
Yet another reason to flee this cesspool of a city.
Posted by: jay | June 15, 2009 1:53 PM
this must have been an important topic to her because she sacrificed a few minutes of eating to actually verbalize a statement.
Posted by: bill | June 15, 2009 2:10 PM
How did race play a role in this affair? The council president strongly implies that the school system has been hiring a bunch of politically-connected deadbeats who happen to be white and getting away with it. Let's out them. Name names, Ms. Rawlings-Blake and let's right this wrong. How else can you claim there's a double standard? Because if you can't provide a single name, your suggestion that race played a role is not only unjustified, it hurts the cause of African-Americans who experience legitimate discrimination.
Posted by: Hopeful | June 15, 2009 2:13 PM
When I read her comment in the paper this weekend, I was completly embarrassed that I voted for such a shallow minded person. Never again.
Posted by: jacky | June 15, 2009 2:29 PM
These comments seems par for the course for Stephanie Blake. All lip and no substance. If there were actually names of people who've received favorable treatment, you can bet your last dollar she wouldn't hesitate to name them. Instead, uncorroborated rhetoric from someone who should know better. I'm estatic I don't live in the city and am therefore not subject to any legislation passed with her racist views.
Posted by: Mike M | June 15, 2009 2:30 PM
Y'know, half of the time when I think there is something regarding inequality as a motivator for firing, I'd easily agree. However, this represents another expression made by the current city council president that isn't...uh....quite correct or even well thought out.
This whole situation is ugly, and it's easy for anyone to say "y'know, he's done this before...I won't name names, but he has". What's her fear in saying a name or two? Political? Please. This is a "stalling tactic", hoping someone else will do the hard work for her because she has absolutely no idea. All she does have, quite possibly, are half-heard rumors and unsubstantiated innuendo that wouldn't even make it to a City Council tea party, much less a committee table.
Say what you mean or say nothing.
Posted by: Steven | June 15, 2009 2:31 PM
The hiring of someone who has little or no experience working with teachers and more importantly children is the real problem. Let me try to become the president of the NBA's players association without ever having played pro ball or coaching......not gonna happen. Its no wonder that anything associated with Baltimore's political system and especially its school system, creates a dark cloud and presents more questions and frustration than hope. Being a former teacher, it saddens me that our children who are the innocent victims, are the ones who will suffer.
Posted by: donald odoms | June 15, 2009 2:47 PM
I am an African American female and I do not feel there were any racial overtones to scrutiny of Mr. Morris' background. Anybody who is hired to an unadvertised position, should to have their background checked. To not do so, would be negligence. It doesn't matter what their race is.
If Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is next in line for mayor, that will be a travesty.
Posted by: Rhonda | June 15, 2009 2:54 PM
Wow, what a suprise! Pulling the good ole' race card! Have another donut Steph!
Posted by: Ron White | June 15, 2009 2:57 PM
It might have helped Ms. Rawlings-Blake accusation if she had actually supported it with some positions and names. She does the African American community no service making empty accusations. If she backs her accusations with examples maybe the Sun will need to look at Dr. Alonso closer. My guess is that you won't hear her name any names.
Posted by: ravensfan59 | June 15, 2009 3:03 PM
It looks like Morris is rocketing to the stars on taxpayer money. I hope his rocket fizzles out and drops from the heavens with a big thud. I don''t see any racism here. Morris was having a jolly good ride until the time he was revealed as an emperor without clothes. I would say being black has been a help and not a hindrance to this merry overcomer of roadblocks and rocket traveler.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 15, 2009 3:17 PM
I continue to be amazed at what passes for 'leadership' in Baltimore City.
The fact that someone as ignorant, racist, and uninformed as Rawlings-Blake can get anywhere near public office only reinforces my vow to never move back to that joke of a city.
Posted by: Groundskeeper | June 15, 2009 3:28 PM
It is easy for the sun to check the hires. Do the research, you do not need names from Rawlings Blake. Look at Alonso's hires, scrutinize them, and print the findings in the paper. I am sure you will find that her view point is quite accurate.
Posted by: James A. Merritt | June 15, 2009 3:37 PM
There is a paradigm shift happening in the Country, the middle class would like to re-populate the city, but. these are old school city politicians making a grab at their last chance. In a generation they will be left behind as a bad memory (history).
Easy to identify: They are the ones who think Baltimore can't do any better and keep the taxes high on the middle class.
Posted by: Dunn | June 15, 2009 3:47 PM
James A Merritt
is Mr. Morris the type of man that you would want in any position of power and leadership in the city?
Hell no.
How he ever got to be president of the school board should be investigated too.
From all outward appearances this man is a con artist/carpetbagger pure and simple.
He is a disgrace to Baltimore.
He has no place in government/education period.
Is this what you are defending?
Posted by: jay | June 15, 2009 4:02 PM
the question of race never was an issue. The question was the double speak coming from the politicians. They keep telling us they have to cut services because we have no money, yet they hire a person outside of the normal job hiring process for a six figure salary. That was the issue "Stephanie"!
Finding race bias issues in non-race situations shows us that you yourself are a racist.
Posted by: chuck kords | June 15, 2009 4:03 PM
James A Merritt
Why is it the Sun's responsibility to prove Rawlings-Blake's accusation. I would have thought to make it she would have some proof. Since she neglected to support her claim it's hard to take it for any more than an empty racist comment from her.
Posted by: ravensfan59 | June 15, 2009 4:28 PM
This is addressed to grounds keeper: The burden of proof lies on Rawlings-Blake to produce the names.
I am sake and tired of us using the race cards.
Morris' appointment was a huge mistake and he did the honorable thing to resign..NO where in this world will one hire a person with questionable financial dealings to the post in question. (maybe in some developing country )
BGroundkeeper you sound like a sycophant..Blake beware of the sycophants.
Posted by: Ms Wordsworth | June 15, 2009 4:29 PM
When will Mary Pat Clarke be given a chance to run this city? How could she possibly do worse than what we've had over the past decade. And by the way....I'm black.
Posted by: Mack | June 15, 2009 4:30 PM
Baltimore gets exactly what they pay for!
Posted by: Duane | June 15, 2009 4:37 PM
Ms. Blake needs to apolgize to everyone for this fiasco. Her race baiting is very old school. She won't make it to next election with her bad attitude.
Posted by: Carl | June 15, 2009 4:42 PM
Don't forget Stephanie's train wreck finances, or her husband's for that matter. Wasn't so long ago that the Sun was covering her. She didn't have as long a laundry list as Mr. Morris, but it is out there.
Posted by: Joe | June 15, 2009 5:32 PM
At best she is complaining that the current administration has not been able to participate in the same type of graft as others have in the past. Exactly how corrupt is this administration?
Posted by: Darwin | June 15, 2009 6:24 PM
The real disgrace of the whole Morris siyuation was the completely irresponsible,racist and down-right STUPID comment from Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
How dare she try to play the race card in a (using her own words) majority "brown" city, run by a "brown" mayor, with a majority "brown" common council in a nation with a "brown" president!! All put into place with the help of a great many "white" votes!!
Utterly STUPID Ms. Rawlings - Blake. Why can't we just look at the facts surrounding this miscarriage of authority and judge it based upon its merits. Race-baiting and in fact reverse racism, gets this city and society nowhere and only leads to questions regarding her stability, leadership ability and judgement of a woman who obviously brings to her job and decision making a tremendous amount of bias and resentment with regards to race on a daily basis.
Wake up and smarten up!
Posted by: rdp | June 16, 2009 12:54 AM
Ms. Blake is a very big fish that will never make it out of her very, very small and insignificant mud puddle.............
Posted by: mdr | June 16, 2009 5:45 AM
Have you heard Mrs. Rawlings-Blake complain about any of the other AAs Alonzo has hired? It's always the ones that don't get hired that these people whine about. I'm AA and sick of the people pulling out the "R" card when convenient or not. I would vote for these pathetic people if I was paid to. The standard is so low in the City when you call Rawlings-Blake a "leader"?
Posted by: smartguy41 | June 16, 2009 10:37 AM
Rawlings-Blake over reacted on this one. Morris was rightfully exposed and the city is better off without him. Rawlings-Blake is one of several losers in this story.
Posted by: jptjptjpt | June 16, 2009 11:02 AM
Rawlings-Blake is a SICK racist PURE & SIMPLE.
Morris was a glorified Huckster, who obviously had $175,000 worth of leverage inside City Hall.
Let's get it straight! I don't care what color this man is. The fact is that he has a long history of failure in business.
Integrity? Professional??
Blake used these terms to describe Morris. She has obviously never met a person with these qualities.
Rawlings-Blake takes the easy way out by calling people racist. That's just stupid, sad and lazy. That's what we're used to here in Baltimore. Stupid, Lazy, Arrogant, Corrupt Politicians.
This entire disgusting scene in City Hall is absurd. I'm ashamed to work in the same City as these morons.
Posted by: NAH | June 16, 2009 12:46 PM
BTW:
Hey Steph guess what?
Who do you think got the un-advertised, newly created, high paying job?
That's right... It was a brown man. (Whatever that means)
No education
No business related skill-set
No related experience
No referrals
and NO BACKGROUND CHECK.
You need a background check to work at Walmart, but not at the Baltimore City Board of Education
Rawlings Blake should apologize and then resign.
Better yet, just resign because racists don't change.
Posted by: NAH | June 16, 2009 2:59 PM
I understand comments coming from both Black and White individuals. However I get Ms Rawlings-Blake's implication. When we begin to be more courageous about race-based behavior.African-American racial conscoousness and that of European-Americans differs..Black folks are judged first by the color of their skin and then those other qualities they bring to the table which closely emulate those of white folks; and then they may be acceptable. Mrs.Rawlings-Blake's comment is a result of knowing of situations wherein whites are as quickly and without appropriate vetting put in high positions and if and when negative information is found, no muckraking happens as in the Alomso-Morris affair...Why is it that no one has suggested looking into Alonso's past...he is a product of the same vetting process.
Posted by: Woody Grant | June 17, 2009 3:36 PM
Didn't Sara Neufeld look into Alonso's past when she wrote that 2 part article featured in the Sun?
Posted by: On top of things | June 17, 2009 4:02 PM
Woody, you seem to have a problem with the facts. There was NO vetting on Morris. He was simply handed the job. Also a new position for him was created paying $175,000. Even if he didn't have the other issues it was wrong. Like Ms Rawlings you talk of situations where whites were treated differently, but do actually give any examples. Regardless of race it was wrong on many levels. You and Ms Rawlings need to stop trying to rationalize a seriously bad decison made. Given Alonso's attempt at an explanation maybe he should be vetted again.
Posted by: ravensfan59 | June 17, 2009 4:33 PM
I'm Black and I don't appreciate Blakes accusation. He's a crook and and her statement makes it bad for real cases of bigotry. Whatever good he's done for the schools will be overshadowed by his lifestyle of falsehood and trickery. As a former BCPSS employee, I can tell you that all of this is the result of North Ave not being under the city of Baltimore's control since former mayor Kurt Schmoke. Since they don't have any watchdogs they can get away with a whole lot of improper activities. Why hasn't someone raised the issue of putting them back under the City where they belong? If not, they'll continue to do what they want to do. In the meantime...Johnnie still can't read! our kids are suffering! Hire Bill Cosby, he'll straighten out the schools LOL!
Posted by: BornNRaised in East Baltimore | June 17, 2009 4:36 PM
Woody, that comment is as irresponsible as Blake's!!! The issue is about how she INJECTED race into an issue that had NOTHING to do about race.
It is her fault that race is even being talked about. That said - I am glad she did because now she is seen by all as the racist and bigot that she is.
Please do not put yourself to the same lowly despicable level that she is at by trying to understand anything that her disgusting bigoted pathetic mouth spews.
Posted by: rdp | June 17, 2009 5:27 PM
"this must have been an important topic to her because she sacrificed a few minutes of eating to actually verbalize a statement. "
Wow, Bill. What a freshmonic response to a serious dialogue.
Grow up.
Posted by: mliza | June 19, 2009 12:02 AM
I relocated back to Baltimore in 2007, this is the worst mess I have ever seen, the city looks a mess!! you have Blacks in charge of everything and its chaos and confusion. I think Obama management style of all races and political ideas come together to make it work for the common good. Baltimore needs to grow up! It's time to clean house and guess what I'm Black!!
Posted by: rara | June 22, 2009 3:08 PM
Her father would be appalled by her comments. Nothing like facts of the case to cloud judgement!! No leadership here and I thought she had what it takes and as a lawyer this is terrible rendition of facts and BS. Please Council President the whole world is not racist but you sure don't help by throwing out the old racist card!!!
Posted by: ED C | June 22, 2009 4:31 PM