The black vice president of the San Francisco school board refuses to resign amid fierce reactions to a series of racist tweets she made against Asian Americans in 2016, including using “white supremacist thinking” to “get ahead.”
Senior school district staff on Sunday denounced Vice President Alison Collins, saying responsibility for the shocking tweets had not been properly assumed, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
In the December 4, 2016 tweet thread, Collins said that Asian American teachers, students, and parents had used “white supremacist thinking to assimilate and” move forward. “
Collins explained that he sought to “fight anti-black racism in the Asian community” and “in my daughters’ predominantly Asian school.”
His publications also contained racial epithets, including a reference comparing Asian Americans to the “house ns.”
In a tweet, Collins described a situation in which his daughter “heard boys mocking a Latino about ‘Trump, Mexicans and the KKK.’ The boys were Asian-Americans,” KGO reported.
On Saturday, Collins expressed regret for the pain his words caused, but declined to admit his tweets were racist and insisted they be removed from the context.
“Several tweets and posts on social media that I did in 2016 have recently been highlighted. They have been taken out of context, both the specific moment and the nuance of the conversation that took place.” he said in a tweet.
“But whether or not my tweets are being removed from context, only one thing matters at the moment. And that is the pain our Asian-American brothers are experiencing. Words have meaning and impact, ”he said.
“… I recognize that at this time, my words taken out of context can cause more pain to those who are already suffering. For the pain my words may have caused, I am sorry and I apologize unreservedly, ”Collins said.
But on Sunday, the district’s top 19 central office administrators, including deputy superintendents and department heads, said in an open letter to district staff and the school board that they are “united” in the responsibility of sharing “serious concerns” of his colleagues and the community.
They said they agreed with board members Jenny Lam and Faauuga Moliga, as well as with former board members and city officials, that Collins’ tweets “perpetuate gross and harmful stereotypes and leave no room for nuance or possible misunderstandings “.
On Saturday, Mayor London Breed and other senior elected officials and various community groups called for Collins to resign, according to the Chronicle.
Superintendent of Schools Vince Matthews declined to specifically address Collins’ tweets on Saturday, but sent a note to district staff saying, “We need to meet and talk when we see or hear racist actions or behaviors. perpetrated against any member of our community “.
Meanwhile, council president Gabriela Lopez defended Collins, saying she appreciated her colleague’s apologies.
Several of the tweets were posted by the newly formed Recall SF School Board group, which was founded by two school district parents who have launched a campaign to remember Collins along with two other board commissioners, KGO reported.
“He seemed to be judging Asian Americans for wanting to study hard and work and educate children,” said Siva Raj, who co-founded the retreat group with Autumn Looijen.
The posts were reposted on their website as part of a slide show called “30 Reasons to Remember the SF School Board”.
Collins did not return requests for comments from the Chronicle on the letter on Sunday.