Robinson, Ervin Williams-Blake spar over education for minorities

FLORENCE — On the way to pushing forward measures designed to help Florence’s downtrodden downtown, the three black members of the Florence City Council got into an argument about the city’s downtrodden minorities.

Councilman Ed Robinson differed sharply with colleagues Teresa Myers Ervin and Octavia Williams-Blake over the state education for blacks in Florence. The disagreement erupted when Robinson presented a report on the 2011 South Carolina Palmetto Assessment and State Standards (PASS) report which he said showed Florence students in grades three through eight to be far behind students on the state level. That black students “are so far behind” academically, said Robinson, “is the core of the problem.

“How many African-Americans are arrested as compared to ethnic groups?” continued Robinson. “They don’t have the knowledge. Education is what they need to open the door for the future.”

Robinson said the education gap is “everybody’s problem” and suggested a vocational educational program to go along with Florence’s recreational programs. Councilman Robinson has been harping on this subject in recent months while council has debated a proposed gymnaisium complex, somewhere in the downtown area. The gymplex is council Ervin’s idea, but nearly every time it’s come up for discussion, Robinson has suggested that it was flawed because it did not include an educational component, such as space for classrooms or computer laboratories. Robinson said previously that it was unfair to black children to give them a basketball court and stereotype them as kids who could excel in one area.

Councilwoman Octavia Williams-Blake countered Robinson’s basic premise, noting that students at Florence’s North Vista Elementary, which is 98 percent black, did well on a standardized progress report.

“But you look at this report I’ve handed out,” Robinson said. “Something has got to be wrong. Our kids are at the bottom. Lord have mercy.”

Councilman Ervin said her children excelled at academics and athletics.

“Athletes can be smart students,” said Ervin. “I’ve never liked a blanket statement or being stereotyped,” she said. “It’s not a simple problem when it comes to education. Athletes will rise to the occasion if given the chance.”

Countered Robinson, “Now I see why black kids are at the bottom when we have black leadership like this. We have to deal with white folks dealing with black problems. This is insane.”

Williams-Blake pointed out that she graduated from high school in Florence in 1990. She went to Columbia College and then the University of South Carolina Law School.

Williams-Blake noted that Ervin is a nurse, “and a very good nurse at that.”

“It ain’t about you,” Robinson said.

Robinson also said at one point that he was getting more help from white churches than black churches in this regard, an assertion that clearly irritated Ervin.

“Looking at this handout, it does appear that the statistics are lower for Florence students,” Ervin said. “We need to identify the problem and see what can realistically be done to change it. ... As far as black leaders and churches are concerned, I won’t dare let black churches be left out here with that stigmatism. They do a lot of work behind the scenes. I appreciate the African-American churches and I know they are doing a good job.”

Mayor Stephen J. Wukela, filling a sort of a peacemaker’s role, noted that “Councilman Robinson makes a fair point.

“I think,” said Wukela, “we can build on the recreation system to improve what he is talking about.”

Prior to that debate, council gave first reading to an ordinance dealing with the maintenance and appearance code for downtown. City Manager Drew Griffin also alluded to a resolution approving downtown incentives to encourage the revitalization of downtown Florence by existing property owners and potential developers. City attorney Jim Peterson said Haynesworth Law Firm is making sure everything is up to snuff with the language regarding low-interest loan program.

He said the resolution has to be in compliance with state law.

The loan program, along with a proposed series of small grants, backstops the proposed maintenance ordinances by providing funds to help downtown property owners defray the costs of enhancing the appearance of their buildings.

Wukela said earlier that the maintenance and downtown incentive programs were important to continuing the momentum for revitalization in the downtown area.