Imagine that, say, a major university in one corner of a state was searching for a new campus leader. Also imagine that an applicant was a successful minority candidate from that state's more racially diverse capital city. Further, envision a member of the hiring committee offering this thought as to why said candidate would be an inappropriate hire: "There is no cultural affinity between the university and the capital city."
That sounds a little, well, uncomfortable, doesn't it? Cultural affinity? Whatever could this comment refer to?
What’s the point?
A search for “cultural affinity” between two parts of Arkansas can be based on many characteristics.
Thankfully, that's a fictional tale and nobody in that northwest corner of a state made such a comment. But a state senator named Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock did respond this way to the hiring of Bentonville schools Superintendent Michael Poore to lead the long-troubled Little Rock School District: "There is no cultural affinity between Bentonville and the Little Rock School District."
What, exactly, could Sen. Chesterfield have been suggesting? Is there no affinity among educators, or among administrators who want to bring a community's educational institutions to a higher level of competency? Is there no affinity among communities that want the best for their children of every kind? Is there no affinity among Arkansans, or among the many people who want all the children of this great state to live brighter futures tomorrow than they are experiencing today? Is there no affinity among people, no matter where they live, who desire to be judged on the content of their character?
Oh, we can dream.
Commentary on 04/27/2016