Christina Hernandez, Newsday (New York), November 21, 2008
Like Barack Obama’s campaign, the plan to rename a Hempstead school after the president-elect was “a remarkable grassroots approach,” the district superintendent said Friday.
At a meeting Thursday night, the five-member Hempstead school board voted unanimously to rename one of its schools Barack Obama Elementary School, said Superintendent Joseph Laria.
The change was effective immediately, although the district does not have a new sign yet. The school, formerly called Ludlum Elementary School, is on William Street in Hempstead.
{snip}
The move could herald a name wave—schools, streets, parks, people—following Obama’s historic rise to the presidency.
{snip}
The new name will appear on a sign in front of the building and on stationery, “hopefully before Christmas,” at a cost of several thousand dollars to the district, Laria said.
The change will be formalized at a ceremony sometime in December. School officials are hoping Gov. David Paterson can attend. The state’s first black governor graduated from Hempstead High School.
The prime minister of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has said he’s taking measures to have Boggy Peak renamed Mount Obama. In Portland, Ore., students want to rename Clark K-8 At Binnsmead school. Elsewhere on Long Island, the Clear Stream Avenue School in Valley Stream will consider a renaming resolution in December. And parents already have been naming newborns Barack.
In Opa-locka, Florida, the city council is considering naming a street after Obama, as well, the Miami Herald reports.
Original article
Email
Christina Hernandez
at christina.hernandez@newsday.com .
(Posted on November 21, 2008)
Public School Review, no date
Students by Ethnicity
This School
New York School Average
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
5%
7%
% Hispanic
59%
21%
% Black
35%
21%
% White
1%
49%
Original article
Comments
Just ridiculous. Don’t we have a tradition in this country that buildings aren’t named for politicians at least until they’ve retired from office (often, not until they’ve died)? And this school is being renamed for Obama before he’s even been inaugurated?
In Minnesota, a quickly urbanizing township near St. Cloud decided in 1999 to incorporate as the city of Ventura, after Jesse the body, who had recently been elected governor. Enthusiasm for this soon waned and the city is now called St. Augusta.
This fervor over Obama will fade as well. Usually there is a cooling-off period built into renaming regulations to keep something from being impulsively renamed for someone who there is excitement over or who has recently died.
“LI School Renamed for Obama.”
I’ve written it many times, but it bears repeating: These people who are making this guy out to be some kind of saint, when there are some dusturbing indications that he could very well be thought of as the most hated or incompetent president ever, especially by the blacks when they see for themselves he’s not going to turn them into kings and queens, and that they still have to get ahead on their own.
The school is 59% Hispanic. I’m sure there will be questions here about whether Hispanics will approve of naming the school after a black politician, esp. when in southern California, many MLK things are having their names changed to Cesar Chavez. But east coast Hispanics tend to the Afro-Caribbean, not Chicano or Mestizo. So Obama stirs their racial loyalty; Obama beat HRC handily among east coast “Hispanics” in the primaries.
I don’t mind the name change at all.
Like Any school named after MLK, Rosa Parks, Booker T., and W.E.B. Du Bois, the Obama schools will fare no better.
These schools will embarrass BHO.
This is going to be the unintended consequence of voting that one into office. His face will be plastered on (probably worthless) money very soon. Thousands of schools will be renamed for him. Streets and parks will be follow suit. Since he will be sitting president during the second great depression his followers might want to get most of the honoring done soon as history might not be his kindest judge.
Very kind of the blacks to help us whites avoid areas that are going to be as notorious as any street named after Martin Luther King… We can all imagine what a school named after Barry Soetoro - sorry - Barack Hussein Obama - is going to be like.
How do you get to Roeashea’s house from here?
Take Martin Luther King blvd 2 miles to Obama St. Take a right onto Obama St. Go two blocks down Obama St. Turn right onto Martin Luther King drive. Take the next right onto Martin Luther King express way. Go two miles and turn into Obama estates. Roeashea lives in the green.
So goes the town and neighborhood.
Want to make a wager?
In one year there will be more places/things named after Barry boy than have been renamed for Ronald Reagan in all 28 years since the Gipper was elected.
You know, I’m really beginning to feel sorry for the poor slob. Not three weeks after the election,and he’s already being deified.
A mere mortal can never hope to attain the status of a god. When he proves unable to fulfill the walking-on-water hopes of his child-like blind-faith followers the backlash will be strong, severe, and total.
Mount Obama! Sheesh! I’ll bet ten to one that Obama has never once heard of Antigua and Barbuda in all his 47 years on this earth!
The D.C. Subway system is producing boarding passes with Obama’s visage on it, honoring inauguration day. As far as I’m concerned, they can rename the D.C. Public School System after him. After spending $24,600 per student per year and getting very poor results, it might symbolize his upcoming administration.
Don’t feel sorry for Obama. As his administration progresses so will the Black on White violence that has not let up since the civil rights days of the 1960’s. Does anyone really think that the same liberal and controlled media (we know who controls it)that put him in office is going to actually be critical of this guy in any way, shape or form. It’ll be ‘blame the White Man’ time. Any of his proposals or anything that he initiates that fails will somehow, in some way be blamed on the White man. You can bank on it.
Cincinnati made the mistake of naming a street after Pete Rose before he was kicked out of baseball for his illegal gambling habit. I don’t think it’ll be any different for any street or school prematurely named in honor of Obama.
Hey, Election Day was only 2 weeks ago, and Inauguration Day is still a long way off. He’s not even President yet! This is getting ridiculous. It looks like we’re going to see an avalanche of name changes in the future.
Tony Rezsko, Bill Ayers and Karl Marx elementaries coming next.
Too bad they wouldn’t name one after Malcolm X — a black nationalist who recognized that multiculturalism is oppression of all ethnic groups.
I saw that one media headlined this story with the blurb: “overwhelming sense of pride grips community”
Pride for what?! A guy with no experience ran for President and managed to talk a bunch of homeless people and racist blacks to vote for him - with the help of ACORN. Period.
That’s his major accomplishment and these idiots continue to see him as this messiah character (like the YouTube black lady who said her vote for Obama meant she didn’t have to worry about buying “gas no more”).
A mere mortal can never hope to attain the status of a god. When he proves unable to fulfill the walking-on-water hopes of his child-like blind-faith followers the backlash will be strong, severe, and total.
This is OK though, Crocadiles follow the herd too! As pointed out, there are a lot of people who are going to feel “entitled” and when it isn’t forthcoming, the crocs will conme to shore.
In Minnesota, a quickly urbanizing township near St. Cloud decided in 1999 to incorporate as the city of Ventura, after Jesse the body, who had recently been elected governor. Enthusiasm for this soon waned and the city is now called St. Augusta.
Jesse himself chose the name “Ventura” after a city in California.
I have to say that these black people are just showing a healthy sense of race in naming things after MLK, Malcolm X or Obama. If we don’t have such a sense we should blame ourselves.
Whites name schools after MLK but blacks don’t name schools after George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. The reason is simple, Washington and Jefferson are white and are not really heroes for blacks.
Now white tax dollars pay for these schools, roads and buildings and other races come here because of what Jefferson and Washington (and other whites) created. So that is one argument against the name changes. But what really matters is race. If the race of a city is black then why would we expect them to honor anything white.
Black renamings are turning out to be whites’ best friend.
Changing first names to ludicrous ones like LaKeisha, Dewayne, etc., and renaming schools after blacks, streets after MLK, all serve to give whites advance information on somebody or something that can help warn them that all of that kind of data involve blacks and to stay away from all of it at all costs.
With 59% Hispanics I’m willing to bet there’s going to be some resentment in the near futre because the school wasn’t named after a Hispanic. Right now the mestizos are stupidly thinking the Obamanation is going to be good for them. After they learn differently, watch out.
It will be fights over the school name, Black History Month, while mestizo holidays and figures are ignored.
The more I think about the present situation, the more I recall the old Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times.” Of course that is meant as a curse, but I look at it as entertainment.
Grab a soda, pop some popcorn, then sit in front of the boob tube and watch the chaos unfold in living color.
Stock your pantry shelves, grow a garden, buy plenty of ammo, and hunker down while this utopian paradise implodes into a clash of brown masses everywhere, but the greatest part of it all is that the self-appointed elites are going to be shocked beyond belief, because it will be their wealth that the restless natives will be rioting to get at.
To Mr. Stevens:
Don’t look now but Chicago already has a school named for Malcolm X.
The junior college was originally named after philanthropist/businessman Richard T. Crane. Unfortunately, he was a White man and thus not deserving of the continuing honor of having a school named in his behalf despite having pured millions of dollars into Chicago charities.
What tangible good did Malcolm “X” Little ever accomplish?
The parents of those 1% need to have their heads examined for keeping their children in that school. I live in Anchorage, we have an airport named after Ted Stevens.
Hey Brett, I am sure you will be seeing a malcolm x school coming soon.
I never thought of what one commenter said. It is nice that they would think enough to name the areas such so we know to avoid them.
I don’t think these schools will embarrass obama. I don’t think you could care less what happens. He is little more than a self center narcissistic ego-maniac.
Hopefully, all this will fade away and be remembered only as a short nightmare.
“This is getting ridiculous. It looks like we’re going to see an avalanche of name changes in the future.”
Since the school was named after Dr. Charles Ludlum, a physician who served the Hempstead area in the earlier part of the twentieth century, the name should not be changed. Dr. Ludlum not only contributed to the community as a beloved healer, but was also a contributor to the educational development of the village. He served on the school board and held the office of president for a number of years. It was for this reason that the school was named for him and why the school’s name should remain as intended.
“Obama” now joins “Martin Luther King” and “Malcolm X” on the list of names of streets we don’t want to find ourselves walking down at night and the list of names of schools we don’t want to send our children to. As you would guess from its demographics, the Hempstead school district is notorious for the wretched academic performance of its students and incompetent administration.
That may be true, but remember, the Gipper has a new aircraft carrier named after him.
Having given tremendous mental exertion to this question…
The school should be named after Santa Ana or Cesaer Chavez…given that most of the kiddies are Hispanic.
The best response would be to put an electronic sign above the entrance. The words ‘elementary school’ could be permanently affixed. The name would change from day to day.
If after roll call, the tally sheets show most of the kids are Hispanic, then that day the electric sign would display “Santa Ana”. So the total would read Santa Ana Elementary School.
On another day, if white kiddies were the most at school that day, the electric sign would display “Davy Crockett”. So the total would read Davy Crockett Elementary School.
On another day, if black kiddies were the most at school that day, the electric sign would display “Booker T. Washington”. So the total would read Booker T. and the M. Gees Elementary School. We can have a MoTown Elementary School. An Aretha Franklin Elementary School. Just think of the possibilities. Its a win win for everybody.
This hype over someone who hasn’t even taken office yet is getting ridiculous. The TV is running nonstop commercials for Obama Victory Plates and minted coins. Are we going to see an Obama food line in the supermarkets similiar to what Paul Newman has?
“That may be true, but remember, the Gipper has a new aircraft carrier named after him.”
Posted by gemalo at 6:12 PM on November 22
Yeah, the USS Gipper, right?
Idolization of any politician is fawning and overbiased idolitry.
In Cleveland every other park, school, public buiding, or street is named after one of the Stokes brothers.(Carl, mayor; Lou longtime Congressman) We have the Stokes Courthouse,Stokes Blvd, Stokes library, Stokes senior Center. The local public housing authority even has a Stokes Museum, and don’t forget the Stokes Transit Station. What would be more appropriate would be a Stokes jail, but no luck there. All of this highlighting of supposed black role models hasn’t improved black test scores, however.
This seems to appeal to the black brains’ desire to have a “big chief”. Obama will be an even bigger chief, and get ready for an endless wave of Obama things.
They can name it The Great Obama School of High Achievement and Excellence but the issue is not the name, it’s the students.
Different name with the same students = same results. There’s no magic here. Just racial realities.
This school district must have money. Changing the signs, envelopes,stationary, sports uniforms,payroll cheques,and on and on. No doubt the children are the brightest in the nation and dont need the funds for any type of educational tool.
Too funny, Ice, and oh so true…
Our 40 million uninvited Hispanic “guests” and their open-border supporters are anxiously awaiting for Barack Obama to fulfill his grand and golden promise of amnesty… Of course, when this “payback for their votes” gift doesn’t hit reality soon enough, sparks will certainly fly. Then, indeed, we can sit back and enjoy the show…
Meanwhile, we’ve got to keep our train of immigration enforcement running full speed ahead… It’s hard to stop a train in motion; so the further we get, the better it’ll get.
The black students at this school will see the name of Barrack Obama on their building and think of how much this black man, one of their own, has accomplished. They will realize that in America anyone can achieve anything they set their minds to. They may pull up their baggy pants and start applying themselves in school.
But these black students, no matter how hard they study or how strongly they believe that all men are created equal, will not succeed academically. Affirmative Action will be their only means to academic success, as it was Obamas (and Obamas wife’s success for that matter). These Black students will grow angry at their inability to achieve their academic goals. This will be the Obama legacy.
As others have commented, I also think that it is noteworthy that the school is 59% Hispanic. At this point, every non-white is interested in seeing and celebrating every other non-white who accomplishes something in America. It gives them the sense that America is not just a white nation. There is an alliance against the white man.
Once, I was watching a cable news channel that was hosting a bright Asian economist. My eyes were opened. He said that he thought that BHO’s economic plan would probably be worse for America than McCain’s, but that he was originally leaning toward Obama because of the race issue. I at first naively thought to myself, “But he’s Asian! Why would he care about the race issue?” Then I came to my senses. Everyone (INCLUDING WHITES) who supported BHO for the “race issue” is anti-white. They wanted to see the non-white win. And they were especially happy to see a black guy win.
It’s one thing to reasonably criticize yourself or your race; it’s another thing to hear other people unreasonably criticize you or your race on the grounds that you have “a shameful past” or “evil ancestors” or “unearned white privilege.” And this is exactly what that Asian guy obviously thought.
He hasn’t even taken office yet, and already he has risen to heroic status. Not in the least bit surprising, but even if he went down as one of the worst presidents in US history, blacks would still view him as some sort of martyr.
“Idolization of any politician is fawning and over biased idolatry.”
I absolutely agree. I really HATE to see airports, government buildings, and such things named for politicians. It’s their way of being immortalized. They’re supposed to be public servants, not demi-gods.
Wasn’t there a restaurant named after the obamanation years ago? I can still see the young lad being chased by a tiger on it’s menu?
Mr. 8:08 a.m.:
You and I are paying for the name change.
They obviously aren’t proud of being American. It’s just possible that Obama’s presidency will bring back some pride in America.
Does anybody but me understand that blacks and Hispanics should be naming their schools, streets etc., after the people responsible for creating a country they had to flee to to get REAL freedom and a chance to make a living?
Wouldn’t it be more decent of them if they named these places after George Washington or one of the other founders. They didn’t pick head lettuce and they didn’t protest with signs trying to get freebies for Mexicans and blacks, but if it were not for them the mestizos and blacks would be back in Tacoland or the intellectual capital of the world, Africa, paying homage to whatever corrupt demagogue beat them less.
Why they don’t do that is because they’re disgusting ingrates and liars who claim it was their historical icons who made all this possible for them.
Letting these people into the country in the first place should have been made a capital crime long ago, punished by public hanging and the same penalty given for those responsible for not freeing the slaves and sailing them back to their home country.
Being from Long Island, I can tell you Hempstead is a pesthole of a community. I was there last week to got to traffic court for a speeding ticket and I got out as fast as I could. If they didn’t name the school after Obama, I would have been shocked. I knew that Hispanics have been moving there in increased numbers, but I had no idea of how much based on the racial statistics of this school. I am curious of who the 1% “white” is.
No doubt the school will one day be located at the intersection of Barak Obama Blvd and Rev. Wright St.
In honor of The Messiah (aka) The One , I’m going to rename my AmRen UserID in all future posts to:B ama.
Let’s get with the ‘Hope And Change’ program people…
That’s par for the course, naming schools for Communists/Socialist. My high school, formerly Northern High School, in Baltimore, Maryland, was remained for the W.E.B. DuBois Vocational Center.
This is part of the new wave of naming/renaming schools. Remove the names of our founders, (those racist white men) and rename them either for some plagarist, like MLK or for some Communist/Socialist. Anybody who doesn’t think Comrade Obama fits the bill, is most likely from Oz or another planet.
I’m looking to the day that Thomas Jefferson is toppled from his memorial in Washington, to be replaced by the great One.
“They obviously aren’t proud of being American. It’s just possible that Obama’s presidency will bring back some pride in America.”
Just like it did to his wife? The media created this man, hid the skeletons in his closet and his agenda, and now we are all going to have to pay for it.
I’ve always had pride in my country, which is why I post here. It is those in control and the media brainwashing that I have always been against. How does being pro-Obama supposed to instill pride in the US? Just what magic trick is he going to pull off?
This school naming is just the beginning. He’s not even President yet…absolutely ludicrous.
But the guy hasn’t done one thing yet!! Not in Chicago, in the Senate or certainly as President-elect. Unbelievable.
“That’s par for the course, naming schools for Communists/Socialist.”
All government schools are socialist. The Pledge of Allegiance was written by the socialist, Frank Bellamy, in 1892. Looking Backward, written from the imagined glorious year of 2000, was written by Bellamy’s cousin, Edward. Looking Backward had almost as much influence as the Comminist Manifesto.
As Chris Rock says, “If you’re anywhere near a MLK/ Barack Obama Boulevard, you know there’s some crime going down.”
What even gives a five-member school board the right to change the name of one of its schools? Shouldn’t other school members or the parents get some sort of say?
As for the “Barack Obama” Elementary School… Please pass me a bucket! It sure is a far cry from the name of my school when I was a kid… Sunnylea.
The funniest thing about this is that Obama sends his kids to private school. Sidwell Friends, to be exact. Imagine that. And on a certain level, I actually feel bad for the guy. He should have stayed a Senator. I think he really “stepped in it” by being President.
Boggy Peak beats Mount Obama going away. As Triborough Bridge beats Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. Or the lovely Idlewild beat JFK. Replacing quirky, descriptive and sweet sounding place names with the names of pigmy pols is an assault on our common memory and is always a destructive act, all disclaimers not withstanding.
Unless I miss my guess by this time next year government schools all across the country will be renamed “Barack Obama Memorial” schools…
“I’m looking to the day that Thomas Jefferson is toppled from his memorial in Washington, to be replaced by the Great One.”
That’s the road we’re heading down. We may not live to see the outcome, but it will happen. It’s coming. You can smell it in the air.
