Shame on the Enterprise-Journal
Written by admin on May 4, 2009 – 5:50 pm -Editorial:
“Shame On the Enterprise-Journal”
by Anthony Witherspoon – Mississippi Tribune
Last week’s report in the Enterprise-Journal about Higgins teacher Nick Jenkins, intentionally omitted some very important details that I think the public should know. If you read the article last week, you may remember that the Enterprise-Journal listed all of the witnesses that testified
in the hearing. The report also gave snippets of each witness’ testimony. However, there was one witness left out of the article, Jacqueline Lumpkin.
There’s no doubt that the omission of Mrs. Lumpkin’s name and testimony was intentional. Bear with us a moment as the Mississippi-Tribune do our usual, and that is, set the record straight. Three weeks ago Mrs. Lumpkin e-mailed us a letter to the editor to be published in the Mississippi-Tribune. I also recognized that the letter had been cc’ed to others, including the Enterprise-Journal.
In the letter, Lumpkin strongly expressed her dissatisfaction with those involved in the cheerleaders’ try-outs. Mrs. Lumpkin mentioned in the letter that “a white principal†who has a daughter on the cheerleading squad may have tainted the process. There’s only one white principal in the McComb School District, Kelly Little.
Little’s confrontation with Jenkins has been the primary focus of the hearing. Last week, during cross-examination of school superintendent Terese Palmertree, Jenkin’s attorney, Edna Stringer asked if Palmertree was aware of any other complaints about Little (more specifi cally, involving a cheerleading try-out). Palmertree stated that she was unaware of any complaint brought against Little in reference to the cheerleaders’ try-outs. The next day Stringer called Lumpkin to the stand in order to impeach and discredit the testimony of Palmertree. Lumpkin testified that she did make Palmertree aware of her complaint in a meeting and a written letter. Further questions by Stringer revealed that there was a conversation between Palmertree and Lumpkin about the matter. During the discussion Palmertree asked Lumpkin if she would call Kelly and explain to her that she didn’t mean to cause her any harm by the letter to the editor in the Mississippi-Tribune. Stringer asked Palmertree why did she always request of black people who had problems with Little to apologize or bow down to her.
The Enterprise-Journal did not even mention the fact that Lumpkin testifi ed in the hearing. Then they had to nerve to print Mrs. Lumpkin’s letter
to the editor, but only after Lumpkin testifi ed in the hearing that they refused to print it three weeks ago. Last Friday, the Enterprise-Journal finally
printed the letter, but they also made sure that it was followed up by a rebuttal from Palmertree immediately below it. People, it’s time that we wake
up to the games being played by the Enterprise-Journal.
This paper has proven time after time to be the most racist establishment in our community. Yeah, I said it. It’s time out. Our eyes are open. And
those who the paper “pats on the back†we know who you are too. Our eyes are wide open.
And oh, by the way, everyone saw politics at its best when Dr. Harrell was passed over for the school board. Give me a break, resume for resume, this was a no-brainer. It just goes to show that people are more concerned about their own agendas than the children’s education. If we want better schools we should leave the politicking out.
Anthony Witherspoon,
Publisher
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