A Texas School board member is being asked to resign after pictures surface of her in black face for Halloween.
What We Know:
- A Midlothian ISD school board member is being asked to resign after a photo of her wearing blackface at a 2010 Halloween party has surfaced.
- The picture shows school board member, Tami Tobey, wearing an athletic visor, with a black braided wig, a black turtleneck holding a tennis racket with brown makeup on her face and hands.
- More than 3,000 people have signed a petition demanding Tobey be removed from her position as place 6 board member after the picture came to light.
- Tobey is standing her ground. She told WFAA that she would not resign at a board meeting Monday night. However, she did issue a lengthy appology on Facebook saying she is working with the Black community to make amends.
- When the rest of the board members learned about the racist picture, they expressed their disapproval. “This is not representative of the Midlothian ISD Board of Trustees nor the Midlothian Independent School District where we are proud of our strong values by providing a safe and caring learning environment,” said Board President Matt Sanders.
- Tobey stated her decision to not resign came down to the responsibility she owed to voters and God. “I don’t believe that’s what the Lord is telling me to do,” Tobey said. “There were a lot of people that were as naive as I was with what the term ‘blackface’ meant–and what that held as far as the historical meaning for African Americans. So, again, my heart goes out to anybody that I offended or hurt.”
- After public comment during the board meeting Monday night, the board voted on a resolution that condemned Tobey’s actions and asked her to reconsider her decision to not step down. It passed 6-1.
- After the vote was made, Tobey adressed the crowd by saying she would never judge someone on a single photo. Then she followed that comment by trying to explain the photo was an example of “painted face” not “blackface”.
According to World Population Review, the city of Midlothian has a population estimated at 30,000 residents who are 87% white. The shool district itself has a 67% white student body and black students make up below 8% of that student body.
