CNN 2010-05-18

Principal says hey, these kids need role models. Let's go meet one. In this case, a black rocket scientist in Ann Arbor¹, a successful, smart guy with some good advice for the kids.

Here is the problem.  The trip was just for the black students. The white kids? Didn't get to go. That sound fair?

Take a look at this report from Kim Bora at WDIV-TV. Then let's talk.

It was supposed to be a field trip, a chance to meet a real-life African-American rocket scientist.

He showed us he's cool, like, lab and stuff he does.

What wasn't cool for some was how Principal Mike Madison chose to handle students in one class after some were heard booing African-American students who took part in this trip.  Parents say they were told the principal raised his voice at them, shaming the very students he excluded by not giving them a chance to go on this trip, but not all parents are convinced.

I think it was something that was very simple that was blown out of proportion.

I think it's very important for people to realize that the majority of parents at Dicken are very happy with Principal Madison.

In a letter addressed to parents the principal said in hindsight things would have been handled differently.  He wrote, quote, "I'm sorry if any kids were upset by the field trip or my discussion afterwards with them, and I have let them know that."

I think that and anything they're trying it is a good thing.

The fact that kids were booing the kids that were returning from the field trip in my opinion would have upset me had I just planned a field trip that I felt really good about and I just saw the kids being really excited by it and inspired by it.

And I think that there has been a lot of reactionary² talk.  I think that the firing and the lawsuit³ discussion is pretty absurd at this point.

PHILLIPS: OK.  Here's the thing.  White kids need black role models, too, why? Because, let's face it, there's still racism⁴ in this country.  KKK members, white supremacists and less radical⁵ racists raising kids and the Internet with all kinds of racist⁶ poison out there; kids might believe that stuff unless they're challenged not to.  See it debunked⁷ right before their eyes.

Role models come in all colors, all genders⁸, all professions; it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.  So I'm glad to hear that now that the school program in Michigan is being suspended so school officials can tweak it and make it more inclusive. Good thing because the segregated⁹ field trip might have violated Michigan law.
 

1 arbor   

n.凉亭；树木

参考例句：

• They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里，边喝茶边聊天。
• You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。

2 reactionary   

n.反动者，反动主义者；adj.反动的，反动主义的，反对改革的

参考例句：

• They forced thousands of peasants into their reactionary armies.他们迫使成千上万的农民参加他们的反动军队。
• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。

3 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

4 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

7 debunked   

v.揭穿真相，暴露( debunk的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His theories have been debunked by recent research. 最近的研究揭穿了他的理论的真相。
• Some advertising slogans should be debunked. 某些夸大的广告用语应予揭露。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 genders   

n.性某些语言的（阳性、阴性和中性，不同的性有不同的词尾等）( gender的名词复数 )；性别；某些语言的（名词、代词和形容词）性的区分

参考例句：

• There are three genders in German: masculine, feminine and neuter. 德语中有叁性：阳性、阴性和中性。 来自辞典例句
• Japan was fourth among the genders of foreign students. 日本在二十个留美学生输送地中列第四位。 来自互联网

9 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。