I am an alumnus of the class of '85 and am absolutely appalled that current students are being treated this way! I had a totally different experience than the students of 2016. There was virtually an even split between the number of Black students & Asian students. White students were the minority. We all were admitted based on test scores only and for the most part, we got along!
Current student experiences sound like my friends' who attended Bronx Science & Stuyvesant in the 80's, where they were harassed because so few Black kids attended.
After hearing what they went through on a daily basis, I felt I'd actually been much more fortunate to have been accepted to such a diverse and competitive school.
What happened? Why are our numbers so low? Why is this abhorrent behavior by staff and students accepted?
Something needs to be done now!
M
Marisa Browne
10 years ago
Daughter of '66 alum. This is unacceptable and needs to be acknowledged and addressed head-on.
Y
Yolanda holliday
10 years ago
Do the right thing
G
Gloria Keum
10 years ago
A CALL TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
Disgusting. Mr. Asher what is going on here?
This is not just about black students vs white students. This situation creates a miseducation of every student. We should consider this an attack against decency and humanity.
How is it possible that our school sits in the most diverse city in the world and there is open unabashed racism going on in the halls and CLASSROOMS? I am utterly disgusted with what I've read about the school and call upon you to investigate any parties, especially faculty, who have verbally assaulted your students. If the reported racist remarks are true the guilty teachers, students and administrative staff alike should be dismissed from BTHS.
Please respond in an open forum with details on what has been done and will be done to address this situation.
T
TRACI ROBERTSON
10 years ago
I am not surprised. BK TECH has always been racially imbalanced and the faculty has always been racially biased but we had political action organizations and our people position within the DOE that kept everything in check, at least in the early 80's. also remember between the late 70's & 80's TECH was diversifying also due to & under scrutiny for not allowing enough blacks and 'no female' policy. So there was a need for them to open up the doors for a 'period' of time.
K
kyle plant
10 years ago
Make your voice and your presence count! 200+ people showed up for the alumni meeting last night, don't let it end there.
J
Janai Nelson
10 years ago
As a Tech alum and civil rights lawyer, I am appalled by these accounts. We must do better.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
I learned of this entirely REPREHENSIBLE situation from one of Dr. Boyce Watkins’ videos on YouTube. The last time I was at Tech was in 2010, and the demographical imbalance of the Tech student body is astounding; it simply slaps one in the face the moment one enters the building. The current milieu in terms of racial composition at Tech is now clearly quite different from the one I was immersed in during the 80’s and 90’s. Change is good, but not all changes benefit everyone in an equitable fashion. The paucity in representation of URM students nowadays at Tech can simply no longer be denied. I could not help but smile encouragingly to the few black and brown faces I saw in the classrooms and hallways there. They, in turn, seemed so darned happy to see me. As if to say, “How did you make it through this?”
I have always considered myself to be an extremely perceptive individual. Perceptive to the extreme. This turn of events is no surprise to me at all; it’s been a long time coming. I have stated this back in 2010, and I am saying this again now. We already have a Chiraq. Do not allow our esteemed institution of learning to morph into a Techganistan. Tampering with a student’s education is equivalent to tampering with a student’s socioeconomic and psychosocial futures. Students should not have to be racially ostracized and pedagogically gangbanged by a form of “academic yakuza” in the name of obtaining a high caliber education. This statement is inclusive of every creed and race and is applicable to any Tech student. Fill in the blank here: ___________. I personally believe that in addition to increasing the number of African American students at Tech, there should also be a concomitant rise in the number of Latino students as well. All complexions reserve the right to representation in the Tech Hall of Fame. The fact that this brave handful of students has garnered national attention via the #BlackInBrooklynTech movement is a testament to the fa
J
Joy Foster
10 years ago
I've only seen a handful of the comments and those were HORRIFIC. Do something about this NOW.
M
Mike
10 years ago
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." — Martin Luther King
http://astoldbymika.com/blackinbrooklyntech
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NY/schools/0009101928/school.aspx
I suggest everyone read this brilliant post by Jimmika L. Robinson detailing her point of view and check out the numbers she posted from schooldigger.com.
During my years at Tech, '91 - '95, there was an average of over 1700 (37%) African American students compared to 447 (8.2%) in 2014, a reduction of about 75%. For Hispanics, such as myself, this went from over 630 (13.7%) to 434 (8%) in 2014, a reduction of about 40%.
It seems that a similar demographic shift has happened at other schools as the result of a recent change in overall city demographics, SHSAT preparation and committment to self-improvement within communities, especially new immigrant populations.
Question is, why are talented students at the best high school in the city currently having to go to this extent to resolve a very serious issue? It should have never come to this.
Mr. Asher, with all due respect, continue the conversation, let the voices be heard, and fix this insidious problem. Many of my classmates from the late-80s, early-90s generation that survived a very different Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, feel that the best education was within the walls of Brooklyn Tech, but outside the classrooms. Growing up with such a diverse set of friends and classmates that taught me so much made me who I am, and I am getting the sense that there are many at Tech today that aren't feeling that same love. That's not right.
This has to be fixed and has to involve an understanding by everyone involved at Brooklyn Tech today.
Let the Alma Mater remind you how proud and unified we should be:
Tech Alma Mater, Noble and True
Proudly we arise to salute thee anew
Loyal we stand now 4000 str
R
ruth wright
10 years ago
Some people want to believe things have changed and they have not. You can change things on paper, but not peoples heart!
C
Curtis Minnis
10 years ago
Class of '93. I never felt more welcome then at Tech. This is a shame that it has come to this.
A
Adam Dobkin
10 years ago
Racism should not be tolerated any time. This should include Brooklyn Technical High School.
I
Isis
10 years ago
It's a shame that this is happening. I now know not to ever recommend this school.
Y
Yevonessa Clarke Hall
10 years ago
As an alumnus (class of '98), it is absolutely appauling to read the articles and stories related to #blackinbrooklyntech. One thing I loved about Tech was the diversity! Meeting fellow gifted students from different boroughs, social economic backgrounds, ethnicities, etc. is what made my time as a student special. I truly pray that an impact is made, people are held accountable, and that this ugliness stops! To the students who are currently living this continue staying strong and being vocal... You have a fellow Technite that supports you and will add to your voices.
M
Maggie Moroff
10 years ago
I am a parent or an alumnus and a current student at Brooklyn Tech and I am so terribly saddened by what I've just seen on Facebook. I hope to see the administration address this right away and let it be known that racism will not be tolerated at the school.
S
Shownette Austin-Hankins
10 years ago
The Tech I went to taught me that I could do and be anything. Let's return to that Tech. Class of 95
B
Brian Jackson
10 years ago
Class of 1988
J
Jason Davis
10 years ago
I'm class of 2002 tech was integral in fostering my belief that I could achieve beyond what society expected of me. It was one of the few places that served as a concrete example that people other than white males could prosper in America.
The school needs to be a welcoming environment for all students. A return to a demographic balance more representative of the city would be welcomed. However, this is more than a numbers issue it needs to be racially inclusive regardless of what the population looks like in there.
I am an alumnus of the class of '85 and am absolutely appalled that current students are being treated this way! I had a totally different experience than the students of 2016. There was virtually an even split between the number of Black students & Asian students. White students were the minority. We all were admitted based on test scores only and for the most part, we got along! Current student experiences sound like my friends' who attended Bronx Science & Stuyvesant in the 80's, where they were harassed because so few Black kids attended. After hearing what they went through on a daily basis, I felt I'd actually been much more fortunate to have been accepted to such a diverse and competitive school. What happened? Why are our numbers so low? Why is this abhorrent behavior by staff and students accepted? Something needs to be done now!
Daughter of '66 alum. This is unacceptable and needs to be acknowledged and addressed head-on.
Do the right thing
A CALL TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE Disgusting. Mr. Asher what is going on here? This is not just about black students vs white students. This situation creates a miseducation of every student. We should consider this an attack against decency and humanity. How is it possible that our school sits in the most diverse city in the world and there is open unabashed racism going on in the halls and CLASSROOMS? I am utterly disgusted with what I've read about the school and call upon you to investigate any parties, especially faculty, who have verbally assaulted your students. If the reported racist remarks are true the guilty teachers, students and administrative staff alike should be dismissed from BTHS. Please respond in an open forum with details on what has been done and will be done to address this situation.
I am not surprised. BK TECH has always been racially imbalanced and the faculty has always been racially biased but we had political action organizations and our people position within the DOE that kept everything in check, at least in the early 80's. also remember between the late 70's & 80's TECH was diversifying also due to & under scrutiny for not allowing enough blacks and 'no female' policy. So there was a need for them to open up the doors for a 'period' of time.
Make your voice and your presence count! 200+ people showed up for the alumni meeting last night, don't let it end there.
As a Tech alum and civil rights lawyer, I am appalled by these accounts. We must do better.
I learned of this entirely REPREHENSIBLE situation from one of Dr. Boyce Watkins’ videos on YouTube. The last time I was at Tech was in 2010, and the demographical imbalance of the Tech student body is astounding; it simply slaps one in the face the moment one enters the building. The current milieu in terms of racial composition at Tech is now clearly quite different from the one I was immersed in during the 80’s and 90’s. Change is good, but not all changes benefit everyone in an equitable fashion. The paucity in representation of URM students nowadays at Tech can simply no longer be denied. I could not help but smile encouragingly to the few black and brown faces I saw in the classrooms and hallways there. They, in turn, seemed so darned happy to see me. As if to say, “How did you make it through this?” I have always considered myself to be an extremely perceptive individual. Perceptive to the extreme. This turn of events is no surprise to me at all; it’s been a long time coming. I have stated this back in 2010, and I am saying this again now. We already have a Chiraq. Do not allow our esteemed institution of learning to morph into a Techganistan. Tampering with a student’s education is equivalent to tampering with a student’s socioeconomic and psychosocial futures. Students should not have to be racially ostracized and pedagogically gangbanged by a form of “academic yakuza” in the name of obtaining a high caliber education. This statement is inclusive of every creed and race and is applicable to any Tech student. Fill in the blank here: ___________. I personally believe that in addition to increasing the number of African American students at Tech, there should also be a concomitant rise in the number of Latino students as well. All complexions reserve the right to representation in the Tech Hall of Fame. The fact that this brave handful of students has garnered national attention via the #BlackInBrooklynTech movement is a testament to the fa
I've only seen a handful of the comments and those were HORRIFIC. Do something about this NOW.
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." — Martin Luther King http://astoldbymika.com/blackinbrooklyntech http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NY/schools/0009101928/school.aspx I suggest everyone read this brilliant post by Jimmika L. Robinson detailing her point of view and check out the numbers she posted from schooldigger.com. During my years at Tech, '91 - '95, there was an average of over 1700 (37%) African American students compared to 447 (8.2%) in 2014, a reduction of about 75%. For Hispanics, such as myself, this went from over 630 (13.7%) to 434 (8%) in 2014, a reduction of about 40%. It seems that a similar demographic shift has happened at other schools as the result of a recent change in overall city demographics, SHSAT preparation and committment to self-improvement within communities, especially new immigrant populations. Question is, why are talented students at the best high school in the city currently having to go to this extent to resolve a very serious issue? It should have never come to this. Mr. Asher, with all due respect, continue the conversation, let the voices be heard, and fix this insidious problem. Many of my classmates from the late-80s, early-90s generation that survived a very different Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, feel that the best education was within the walls of Brooklyn Tech, but outside the classrooms. Growing up with such a diverse set of friends and classmates that taught me so much made me who I am, and I am getting the sense that there are many at Tech today that aren't feeling that same love. That's not right. This has to be fixed and has to involve an understanding by everyone involved at Brooklyn Tech today. Let the Alma Mater remind you how proud and unified we should be: Tech Alma Mater, Noble and True Proudly we arise to salute thee anew Loyal we stand now 4000 str
Some people want to believe things have changed and they have not. You can change things on paper, but not peoples heart!
Class of '93. I never felt more welcome then at Tech. This is a shame that it has come to this.
Racism should not be tolerated any time. This should include Brooklyn Technical High School.
It's a shame that this is happening. I now know not to ever recommend this school.
As an alumnus (class of '98), it is absolutely appauling to read the articles and stories related to #blackinbrooklyntech. One thing I loved about Tech was the diversity! Meeting fellow gifted students from different boroughs, social economic backgrounds, ethnicities, etc. is what made my time as a student special. I truly pray that an impact is made, people are held accountable, and that this ugliness stops! To the students who are currently living this continue staying strong and being vocal... You have a fellow Technite that supports you and will add to your voices.
I am a parent or an alumnus and a current student at Brooklyn Tech and I am so terribly saddened by what I've just seen on Facebook. I hope to see the administration address this right away and let it be known that racism will not be tolerated at the school.
The Tech I went to taught me that I could do and be anything. Let's return to that Tech. Class of 95
Class of 1988
I'm class of 2002 tech was integral in fostering my belief that I could achieve beyond what society expected of me. It was one of the few places that served as a concrete example that people other than white males could prosper in America. The school needs to be a welcoming environment for all students. A return to a demographic balance more representative of the city would be welcomed. However, this is more than a numbers issue it needs to be racially inclusive regardless of what the population looks like in there.
I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS!