MANSFIELD: A Follow-up to a Recent Article

 

Last week I weighed in on the issue of Rodney Axson, the Brunswick high school football player who was denigrated by his teammates (and called “nigger”) for kneeling during the National Anthem. My position was — and still is — why would a black family move to virtual Klan country and then is surprised when racism and bigotry reared its ugly head?

In my sometimes-scathing style I questioned the wisdom of blacks moving into hostile territory instead of strengthen their own communities. I received this email in response:

I recently stumbled across your article pertaining to my family. I would first like to say, you made quite a few assumption that you obviously know absolutely nothing about.  If you would like factual information about why I “consciously” made the decision to move my family to Brunswick I [sic] open to speak to you.  For the record, I do not have ” low self esteem” nor am I trying to “outrun my blackness”. I am very proud of who I am and where I came from. What you didn’t bother to mention in your article is I’m obviously an intelligent, educated Black Woman who made a choice for her children that would not only help to mold them into well rounded individuals but would also provide them with the tools and education that they’ll need to be successful in life. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you, Danielle Axson

I responded:

Ms. Axson,

I do have to question your intelligence (at least to some extent) since you obviously didn’t factor in the racism your son could (and did) face in Brunswick. There were many other places that your family could have moved to that would have provided all of the positive things you want for your son, without the potential negatives of racial hatred.

I just can’t understand how moving into what essentially is Klan country is a good thing. The proof of that comment is this: Where are all of the supposedly “good” upstanding white citizens of Brunswick? Why are they not speaking out and saying what was done to your son should not and will not be tolerated in Brunswick? The reason is, these kids on the football team were just giving voice to what their parents feel.

You set your son up for this incident by not thinking through your decision to move into a racist environment. If you don’t understand that, I have nothing more to say to you on the matter.

Stay well and all the best to you and your family.

She responded:

And it is closed minded, individuals like yourself that help contribute to the underlying issues.  I gave you an opportunity to get the whole story but I guess it makes you feel better about yourself, to form your own 1 sided opinion and question my intelligence.

You have a nice life.

I responded in turn:

I’m completely open to you explaining to me why you decided to move into Brunswick. Write it down and I’ll read it.

I’m also a radio host. You can call into my show on Sunday evening at 8:05 pm if you want to debate the issue.

In the interim I got a call from Michael Nelson, the new head of the NAACP (who has gotten involved in the case), who stated that Cleveland schools were so bad the Axson family had little choice but to move their family to a city where their child could get a better education. He then proceeded to place the blame on Frank Jackson.

I explained that I could understand their feeling — but moving to Brunswick? There are many places in between Cleveland and Klan country where a black family could have moved to.

But the larger issue is this: The reason Cleveland schools are struggling is because middle-class blacks abandoned the city for suburbs both near and far; and that began long before Frank Jackson became mayor.

I live in Hough, and am proud to say my wife and I built our home here back in 2000, when we could have built it anywhere in the county. We actually like being around our kith and kin.

No one should blame Frank Jackson (who still lives on East 39^th Street, by the way) for the sad state of affairs of inner-city Cleveland neighborhoods and schools. If you want to blame anyone, blame the black folks that abandoned the city starting over 50 years ago, all in the name of integration, which has proven to be a failed notion. Some blacks, like the Axsons, are families without a community. They don’t want to live among their own, and whites really don’t want them either.

From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com

 

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