Apparently, Texas officials decided that complaints about staff members wearing “chucks” and pearls to recognize the first Black and South Asian vice president were best remedied with an apology, according to CBS DFW. The Grand Prairie Independent School District, which is about 15 miles southwest of Dallas, included in an internal newsletter a photo of teachers in pearls and the Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers that have become part of Vice President Kamala Harris' signature style on the campaign trail. The photo inspired complaints from staff members who felt that wearing the accessories violated a district policy regarding political neutrality, CBS DFW reported.
“Yesterday, a photo ran in the Daily Message that was intended to celebrate a historic accomplishment,” the district said in its apology. “While we did not mean for the photo to be a political statement, in a larger sense it was and that goes against the direction given to all staff to remain apolitical. We apologize for our error in judgment.” The district definitely made an error in judgment, but it wasn’t in celebrating history in the making, it was in choosing to appease the egos of a few instead of taking an opportunity to educate the entire staff about an election that is not only a part of Black and Asian history in the making but American history. Harris is also the first female vice president in this country’s history.
Linda Ellis, who took on the position as superintendent of the district last May, chose to instead focus on giving the appearance of political neutrality. “As part of what we do on a routine basis, a message was shared with staff earlier this year that while teaching it is critical that we remain politically neutral,” she said Thursday in a letter CBS DFW obtained. “I think we can all agree on that. Where the conflict arose is when we put a picture in the daily message that some staff construed as political.” She explained that the picture was "intended to celebrate a history making day” and the administrator even attempted a bizarre kind of apology for her apology.
“The apology the following day was not intended to take away from history or from the picture, but rather to apologize for the impression of some that staff at central office chose to include the picture and did not adhere to political neutrality,” she said in a statement CBS DFW obtained.
Social media users clearly weren’t happy about the district’s position. A “violation of political neutrality? SERIOUSLY?” Twitter user Lee Ferguson asked in a tweet Sunday. “These women are celebrating the elevation of a woman who looks like them and many of their students by wearing shoes and jewelry and y’all are gonna silence them by removing their photo?” Ferguson added.
Faneeza Mohamed, an educator and author, tweeted Sunday: "People are really in their feelings about #Chucksandpearls2021. They can't seem to celebrate that a #woman holds the second-highest office in the nation. Is it because she is a #Democrat or a #womanofcolor? #KamalaHarris"