A Message From The Publisher
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
If beating a dead horse was a person, I would surely have a cowboy hat, like my daddy on my head and a leather whip in my hand.
The Westside Gazette would like to extend hearty congratulations to Dr. Shernette Grant. Dr. Grant is the newly hired Chief Program Officer of Junior Achievement (JA) World of South Florida.
If you remember, Grant was one of five Blacks demoted from a district level director position to a school based principal position by Broward Superintendent Vickie Cartwright and approved by the Blind Nine Board members.
Grant, the director for Magnet Programs, was demoted and assigned to Blanche Ely High School effective July 1st. But, much to Cartwright’s surprise, just days after the demotion, Grant submitted her resignation from Broward Schools citing another opportunity materializing that had already been in the works.
Lest we not forget or if we suffer from selective amnesia, calling to your attention there were several Whites who also had been removed from their positions, but they were saved by being placed in other district level positions that were lateral to their district level positions or even given promotions. Did anybody mentioned-Whitewashing? None had a doctorate nor did they have the extensive resume and work experience of the five Blacks who were demoted. Some of these White directors were promoted to jobs they didn’t apply for nor qualify for, yet they received hefty raises of more than $12- $15,000. However, these five Blacks were demoted and may receive salary reductions of up to $15,000, as they are only salary protected for six months.
Without conference, Cartwright simply waved her privileged wand and demoted these highly qualified Blacks without any regard for their work, its impact or other skills they had that could be useful at the district level in other positions or psychological impact which is a byproduct of Whitewashing. They were not considered or even given an opportunity to apply in most cases. And the Blind Nine Board justified this nonsense because they claimed she would run out of time. Whose fault is that?.
But, oh, the Devil is a Liar and so are his cronies.
Grant, a published author, was able to command the attention of JA World of South Florida. One has to wonder what allowed JA World to identify her talents and worth, whereas Cartwright was duped or willfully oblivious?
Grant’s book, Unorthodox Leadership: A Guide to Leading Real People in Real Organizations might be worth a read for Cartwright and the Blind Nine Board members.
Grant’s book moves from the theory of leadership to practical application when dealing with real people in real situations. She believes that in order for leaders to make a significant impact on an organization, they must expand their sphere of influence through conscious and deliberate actions with those within the organization. It reminds of a verse in a poem learned while pledging, “I can soon learn to do it if you let me see it done. I can watch your hand in motion but too fast your tongue may run …” She further notes that leaders must possess both the cognitive (the ability to think deeply) and behavioral (the ability to behave appropriately given the context of different situations) actions in their toolkits to actualize theory for everyday decisions and interactions with employees.
Grant’s book can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads, as well as a few other places you can access via a Google search. Please reach out to me at brhsr@thewestsidegazette.com if you would like to make a donation to secure 10 copies of Grant’s book. I would like to provide a free copy to Cartwright and the Blind Nine.