My View
The Lone African American in the Room
By MILTON THOMPSON/School Administrator, December 2017


WHEN I WALKED into the cafeteria of the elementary school on my second day on the job, nothing struck me as unusual. I was the first African-American superintendent of a small school district in northern Wisconsin, and my start back in 2013 was uneventful.

That changed when a student spotted me walking through the cafeteria and approached me with considerable excitement. “I know who you are!” he exclaimed.

Knowing that children can be unpredictable, I responded, “Who do you think that I am?”

He smiled broadly, with a sense of satisfaction and said, “You are President Obama!”

I smiled, wanting to laugh at the innocence of this case of “mistaken identity.”’ I shared this story with the staff, telling them that I had received a promotion.

Resisting Offense
My cafeteria encounter illustrates a rather humorous but all-too-common experience for any African-American who is willing to step out of his or her cultural comfort zone to become superintendent in an all-white school district. I discovered I must resist being easily offended by any comment from someone in the community or school district.

Most people I have met over my lifetime, which includes 31 years as an educator in the public schools in uniquely different communities, are people of good will who may lack any experience dealing with people of another race. That is especially true in rural Wisconsin where few people of color reside.

In my book, The Only One In The Room, I share many stories of how my family members have been pioneers in breaking the racial barriers in Racine, Wis., and other places. My parents taught me this requires an open heart toward people and great patience.

Lingering Doubts
Another thing you must expect if you are to be a pioneer as the first African-American superintendent is to be misunderstood. People without experiences in diverse settings may default to stereotypes or to the experiences of others, good or bad. In some instances, I was given less of the benefit of the doubt than white superintendents who preceded me.

This was troubling and made me question the benefit of taking jobs in communities lacking diversity. However, I always defaulted to the view that someone had to be the first. Why not me?

Even if you are misunderstood or mistreated, those situations will benefit the next person of color to come along. Though I have not seen another person of color follow my tenure in the Wisconsin district, I am hopeful that it will happen.

When I was named superintendent in Beloit, Wis., another African-American superintendent already had broken the color barrier for me. I personally benefited from the willingness of someone else to risk being misunderstood and mistreated to open the door of opportunity for me. I feel obligated to return the favor.

Diversity’s Benefits
The other quality one must cultivate is the willingness to forgive. If you allow mistreatment to make you bitter, it will poison your soul. My parents taught me that partaking of bitterness is like drinking poison but expecting the other person to die. If I am to have a positive influence on the schools I serve, I cannot become bitter and hateful.

Given the current state of race relations, it is imperative we commit wholeheartedly to opening doors of opportunity for the underrepresented to be superintendents in this country. If we expect conditions in our society to change, we must ensure that students and staff experience leadership from people who are different from them racially.
MILTON THOMPSON, a retired superintendent, is an education consultant in Kenosha, Wis., and author of The Only One In The Room: A Lifetime of Observations on Race. E-mail: milt@miltthompson.com