Using new tools

Remember in my last post, when I said, "we may also be uncomfortable about what we find out, but that's a good thing."

Get ready for uncomfortable.

Dianna Brewer-Jackson is pushing forward with a planned meeting on racism in the Elmira School District. What's even better is that she now says, "I get tired of people saying I don't have proof," she told [the Star-Gazette] on Tuesday. "I choose not to provide proof. But for this meeting, I'm going to give what I have."

She is going forward despite those who are asking for a cooling off period. The Elmira school board will be undergoing diversity training later this year. What's impressive to me is that it sounds like the state is creating the diversity training program for Elmira, which could then be used at other districts.

The diversity training would deal with one of her concerns. But she doesn't want to wait to hold a public hearing, and that's fine with me. She wants to offer the public the proof that she has.

Good. We need to see it. We need to hear what others have to say about racism in Elmira.

Let's hope for a civilized meeting, at least. I find it a little ominous that there is a question about who will be in charge of the meeting. The board president wants to be in charge. And there may be a question that Brewer-Jackson wants to be in charge because she is the one who called for the meeting. A skilled politician would resolve the question with the board president ahead of time.

Let us also hope that she learns from the adage I posted yesterday: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."