This speech from Rev. Joshua C. Robertson is spot on in calling out Pennsylvania Democrats for their hypocrisy on race issues.  It’s a must read:

How many boys and girls are we going to bury before our state leaders get serious about education? 

That’s all I’ve been able to think since May 29th, when a 17-year-old student was shot getting off the school bus in Harrisburg. The victim was a young black man, like so many of the young people who have lost their lives to senseless violence in our state. He was full of promise and potential that none of us will ever see. 

As a pastor, I know there’s no simple solution to stopping the bloodshed. But as the head of an education organization as well, I do know the solution has to include fixing our schools. So many students are turning to violence because they aren’t learning in the classroom. Pennsylvania is spending more than ever on public schools, yet black and brown students have abysmal scores that haven’t improved in more than two decades. They need better schools, better options, and a better chance to lead lives of meaning — not lose their lives getting off the bus. 

Sadly, state politicians are standing in the way. Worse, they’re trying to make life even harder for the students who urgently need the most help. 

Two weeks to the day after that Harrisburg student was killed in cold blood, House Democrats introduced a package of bills to limit students’ educational options. While students of every race would be hurt by this proposal, black and brown students would be hurt the worst.  

At the core of House Democrats’ plan is a dramatic cut to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit scholarship program. This program helps low-income families, including tens of thousands of black and brown students, pay for tuition at better private schools. Democrats want to take scholarships away from about 30,000 current students. They also want to cut funding for charter schools, which are very popular with black and brown families because they provide more options and choices. 

If Democrats get their way, where are black and brown students supposed to go? Philadelphia is already closing seventeen public schools, disproportionately hurting students of color.