Dear Editor:

Pastor/minister Dr. Lamont A. Francies, also Counselor for Antioch Unified School District currently at Black Diamond Middle School campus, is the subject of community outcry this week as word of his “Antioch Unified School District 8th Grade African American Promotion Ceremony” began to spread on blogs and social media.

Starting with a column by Barbara Zivica in the online version of the Antioch Herald, entitled “Watchdog – Black only graduation ceremony in Antioch violates Supreme Court decision” published Sunday, May 31st, 2015 at 12:43 a.m.Barbara Zivica provides as support for her piece a photo image of a flier for the event and of an wmail containing it. The email was from an ASUD email address and addressed to other ASUD email addresses and included the text of the flyer as well as contact Information for Dr. Francies at his AUSD email and phone number. The flyer, clearly stating that it was an “Antioch Unified School District 8th Grade African-American Promotion Ceremony” also, like the email, includes Dr. Francies as the contact at his AUSD Email and Phone Number.

A subsequent article in the Antioch Herald by John Crowder entitled “African-American 8th grade promotion ceremony in Antioch raises concerns, organizer explains” on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015 at 5:33 p.m., related information from interviews and comments from various ASUD officials and Dr. Francies, indicating that the event was not intentionally sanctioned as an official ASUD sponsored event. Some even defending the event as appropriate, but not as an AUSD sponsored event. It was also noted that similar promotion celebration events have been held at Holy Rosary church.

In another Article on East County Today entitled “AUSD Explains ‘African American Promotion Ceremony’ flier” on June 6th, more comments as well as questions and answers from various AUSD officials were presented. The article includes an Editorial comment which expresses the opinion that the event was not endorsed or sponsored by AUSD and the district does not want to take any responsibility for it.

In further research I found an Article in the Contra Costa Times archive from 2/4/2014 by Trine Gallegos entitled “Antioch Middle School honors MLK and its top students, too,” in which were excerpts of an interview with Dr. Francies about an Antioch Middle School event honoring MLK combined with an “African-American Honor Roll Banquet”. Quoted in the article, Dr. Francies, repeated several times, the benefits to the community. He is sometimes referring to it as community and occasionally as African-American community as if they are synonymous.

It is my opinion that pastor/minister, Dr. Lamont A. Francies, who is also a counselor at Black Diamond Middle school, and as such a part of the school administrative staff for the school district, is the root of the controversy. I believe that this man is violating the trust of the community, by promoting his social and religious beliefs on the students under his and others responsibility. I believe that in his capacity as an educator, he is there to serve all students by furthering their education and achievements, regardless of their ethnicity or religious beliefs. I fear that the school district has been hijacked for one individual’s personal social and religious agendas.

The AUSD needs to take responsibility for the actions of its staff and deal with the problem by not only clarifying policy but acting on breaches of policy with expedience and authority. Dr. Francies should be fired from his position in order to bring the trust lost from all of the community back into the equation.

Lately, we hear the phrase “celebrate diversity” quite often, and I support the idea that we should celebrate the differences in us that makes us individuals. It is a very important cultural and heritage based concept. But we as a community are trying to make the celebration of diversity the evidence of equality. Diversity and equality by their standard definition are complete opposite concepts.

Dr. King was a very inspirational speaker and very significant catalyst to the creation of Civil Rights Act. His one speech, that I think is most often quoted is the “I Have a Dream” speech. In that speech he lays out what is his definition of equality. It was not treated “different.” It was not treated “better.” It was not “reparation.” It was “equality.” Equal treatment for all. I truly believe he is looking down on us now and shaking his head at what we as a community have done with his dream.

We are failing our community, children and future generations, by claiming diversity defines and demonstrates equality instead of doing the right thing inclusively by them. Civil Rights are about all of the things that we share equally and not about trying to compensate for current or historical inequities. Neither is it about celebrating diversity and emphasizing the individual or the group. It is about sharing and celebrating in equality, all of things that we have or should have in common. One nation created equal.

Doug Knowles, Antioch

By Allen Payton

The very brave owner of the ARCO gas station in Antioch, where the hostage standoff occurred, on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, Jagdish “Jack” Bhalla shared about his experience being held hostage with his employee, Tony, by a gunman and car jacking suspect.

I spoke with him, at his service station, the following day, after being interviewed by reporters from Channels 4 and 11.

Here is his story:

“I was standing here,” Bhalla said sitting inside the garage of his gas and service station. “Tony was standing there [pointing to the driveway near the gas pumps] and saw people running. By the time we figured things out, we heard a pop. I don’t know from where. I saw one person running this direction and a police officer following him with a gun in his hand.

He ran and hid behind dispenser [gas pump] three and the police officer was in the driveway.

Tony told me go to the office. The man ran into the mini mart and into the garage. We ran into the office and locked it from inside.

He tried to break one of the side windows to get out but it was welded.

He came to the office and told us to open the door. Then he broke open the door. He told us ‘I’m not going to harm you.’ Then he made a barricade against the door.”

They were in the office with him for about three hours.

“We had the air conditioning going in the office. We tried to break the silence. He was breathing really hard. So, I offered him something to drink. He drank a bottle of Brisk tea.”

In the meantime, the police were calling on the business phone.

He was instructing me to pick up the phone or not pick up the phone. He was the one taking directly to police. He would not allow us to talk. I offered him something to eat and he said ‘no thank you.’

He was very polite and gentle to us. He never used any hard language with us.

For some reason he was feeling dizzy and his revolver was slipping out of his hand, which he’d been holding the whole time.

We tried to run out because he was dozing. But the door [inside the mini mart] was stuck.

After that he took us back in the office. After about five minutes he told Tony ‘let him get out, open the door,’ [refering to Bhalla]. But the door could not be opened. So we went back to the office.

He didn’t hurt us. He never pointed the gun at us.

At one point I told the guy ‘your parents will see you dying if you go out. The police will shoot you. I can be a human shield so the police won’t shoot you. I will protect you and they will arrest you. If you go by yourself, they will shoot you.’

All the time he was very respectful of me and Tony. I befriended him.

After a few minutes he said to Tony ‘open the garage door and he let Bhalla out.’

About a half hour later, he let Tony out, as well, because Tony pursued him to surrendere. He emptied the revolver and gave it and the bullets to Tony, who dropped them in the safe. After that Tony was much more comfortable. He also had a stun gun which he also handed to Tony.

Then he let Tony out and then surrendered.”

Bhalla, who lives in Concord, and is in his 70’s, has owned the gas station since April, 1992. Tony lives in Pittsburg.

When asked about his and Tony’s health, following their ordeal, he responded. “Tony has worked here over two years. He’s about 40 [years old] and he’s OK.”

“They checked me out when I got to the police station,” Bhalla added. “When they put me in the armored car I hurt my knee.”

Bhalla wanted everyone to know that he plans to tear down his current building and replace it with a new, larger facility and has begun the approval process with the city to do so.

East Contra Costa Republican Women Federated will be meeting Thursday, June 11, 2015, 11:30 a.m., at the Discovery Bay Country Club, 1475 Clubhouse Drive in Discovery Bay. The speaker will be Tom Del Beccaro, a contributor for Forbes and the former Chairman of the California Republican Party. Tom is publisher of PoliticalVanguard.com, author of The Divided Era, The New Conservative Paradigm 1st Ed. & 2nd Ed., as well as a frequent talk radio and television commentator.

Everyone is welcome! For information and reservations call (925) 286-7674.

New Funding will Aid in Enhanced Coordination among State and Local Partners along with USDA to Eradicate the Menacing Plants with more Effective Methods of Control

(Stockton, CA) San Joaquin and Contra Costa County leaders today applauded $1 million in new funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service (USDA‐ARS), Area-wide Pest Management Program to help in the ongoing battle to control the invasion of aquatic plants in the Delta.

“We wish to thank the USDA, and also acknowledge the important role of our local legislators and congressional delegation, along with other State, federal, county and community partners to secure these much needed federal funds to control these aquatic weeds that have severely impacted our local economy and all those who do business in the Delta Region,” said Supervisor Kathy Miller. “These invasive plants have sucked the oxygen out of our Delta’s waterways, prevented ships from reaching the Port of Stockton and deterred visitors from reaching marina businesses due to clogged waterways.”

“The funding received could not have come at a better time due to the ongoing drought and unseasonably warm temperatures. The funds will be invested in improved coordination so these weeds and the mosquitos that nest and breed in them could be eradicated once and for all,” said Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho. “This is the result of parallel efforts by local, state and congressional leaders to fight the scourge of water hyacinth with tools that are equal to the scale of the infestation,”

Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman said. “This infusion, and the operation it funds, in combination with the additional $4 million in ongoing state funds secured by Delta representatives in the State Legislature, is a significant augmentation of the arsenal we have to deploy against water hyacinth.”

“This federal funding represents a direct investment in the health of the Delta as an economic driver in the region, and our ability to eradicate dangerous and invasive plants from its ecosystem. It will provide critical new tools to better manage the growth of these aquatic weeds that can obstruct waterways and stifle the ability to provide water for urban and agricultural uses. I am thankful to the USDA and all of our partners who came together to address the threat that these invasive species can have on the Delta economy, environment, and agriculture,” said Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA‐9).

“Invasive species is a chronic problem in California which impacts hundreds of species. Eradicating water hyacinth is critical for healthier waterways, a better boating experience, expanding commerce at our ports and operating California’s water systems,” said Congressman Jeff Denham (CA‐10).

“These federal funds will enable communities in the Delta to make use of new techniques that have proven to be far more effective in controlling the weeds than prior eradication methods that were ineffective and expensive,” stated U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, Co‐Chair of the Invasive Species Caucus. “We all know invasive species pose a costly challenge to infrastructure, agriculture and the environment. These are preventing ships from reaching port, discouraging visitors and hurting business. By making use of new and better eradication techniques, we can get our delta waterways back to the healthy state on which so many jobs and businesses depend.”

“This team effort jointly spearheaded by stakeholders in San Joaquin County, Contra Costa Counties, and the federal government will help address the invasive aquatic weeds that pose an environmental risk to our communities, which depend on the Delta to provide valuable water resources to the area,” said Congressman DeSaulnier (CA‐11).

“We’ve all seen how the drought has made the problem of invasive species worse in the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta. Water hyacinth, Brazilian waterweed and emergent giant reed present massive threats to agriculture, navigation and the environment. As a member of the House Invasive Species Caucus, I am proud that we have worked together at the local, state and federal level to prevent further harm to our health and to the local economy,” noted Congressman John Garamendi.

The inter‐agency partnership for improved control is targeting floating water hyacinth and submerged egeria or Brazilian waterweed, as well as the shoreline giant grass known as arundo. All three plants are non‐native and invasive and produce flowers, but typically spread via buds and fragments borne by Delta currents. They can grow throughout most of the year in the Delta. In the summer and fall of 2014, the Stockton Deepwater Ship Channel, Port of Stockton, private marinas and public boat ramps, and the state and federal water pumping stations around Tracy were plagued with dense mats of water hyacinth that made navigation dangerous or impossible, restricting commercial shipping and trapping recreational boats in their slips.

Water hyacinth and egeria also reduced water flow to the South Delta pumping facilities, requiring removal of tens of thousands of tons of plants over the fall and winter with conveyer belts, backhoes and huge dump trucks. Dense aquatic weeds caused similar problems in Discovery Bay and elsewhere in Contra Costa County. The mats of aquatic weeds made control of mosquitoes by the San Joaquin and Contra Costa County Mosquito Vector Control Districts more difficult. Mosquito outbreaks led to detections of West Nile virus in mosquitos and birds in both counties in 2014.

The USDA‐ARS Delta Areawide project, which first received funding in June 2014, is designed to develop and implement principles of IPM, to increase the efficiency and success of control of water hyacinth and other invasive aquatic plants, and to improve coordination among agencies responsible for their management in the Delta. Some of the funds will also be used to improve control in the western Delta in Contra Costa County. Key participants include the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit in Albany and Davis, which is leading the project and conducting research to improve weed control efficiency.

The NASA‐Ames Research Center in Mountain View is using satellites, areal images and visual models based on water nutrients and flow to pinpoint and predict where water hyacinth and other aquatic plants are growing and moving. This critical information is being used by California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways to prioritize the worst invasive populations of water hyacinth for treatment with herbicides and mechanical removal under its state‐funded programs.

The San Joaquin and Contra Costa County Mosquito Vector Control Districts are receiving funding to augment their efforts to control mosquitos near aquatic plant‐invaded waterways. Several departments at UC‐Davis are also involved, providing new knowledge of weed and mosquito biology and an economic model to track project success. New partners this year include the California Department of Food and Agriculture‐Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services, and the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta Conservancy. The ultimate goal of the Delta area-wide project is to reduce or eliminate the economic and environmental damage caused by large populations of water hyacinth and other invasive aquatic plants, thereby improving protection of water resources and Delta habitats.

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 61st installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program on Saturday, June 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Prosserville Park neighborhoods. Please meet at West 6th and M Streets.

This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from The Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program; Volunteers in Police Service; community volunteers and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, “We”, everyone who works and lives in the City Antioch, can make a difference and improve the quality of life. It’s our community and it’s our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Cleanup program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

Volunteers will receive instructions and the equipment necessary to accomplish the goal. The targeted area is within walking distance. Excluding inclement weather, future Neighborhood Cleanup events are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and the locations will be announced in advance.

Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community.

Dear Editor:

Hi, everyone I wanted to reach out and ask y’all what you think about an idea I have. I went by the Hudsons yesterday and had a moment to chat with a young lady that was collecting signatures for the recall and speed bumps. We chatted about how there is a group on the 11th block that looks out for the neighborhood and I expressed that I also was part of a smaller group on the 13th block. This made me wonder how I can make my city better. If I may digress slightly and briefly.

I’m an engineer, Eagle Scout and former Marine. The information that is being gathered is a huge asset to our cause of making our city a safe and desirable place to live. So, when I was over seas I was involved in some of the nastiest urban combat that our forces have ever seen but we made head way and took the cities back for the people to live safely and not in fear.

We would do things like walk and talks to get to know the people and show that we were approachable. We also frequently went to gathering places of the population, such as mosque, souks and bazarres to make contact with the population and the heads of households.

So, how can this help Antioch? Well, what I want to propose is if there aren’t any objections and that it’s all legal, why can’t we use the info gathered to start a real community watch program? This is an opportunity where we can have neighborhoods, all over the city, talking to one another and could work with our community policing officer with the APD to empower the people to take back our city.

I know from experience that if you empower the people and can get them all (the good guys) communicating you will have faster and lasting results that will make their communities safer and will give the enforcement agency, in this case APD, a better means in targeting problems and problem locations. This will empower us and create better community relationships with our police department and will make our city safe.

I would want to use this info to build on what formal neighborhood watch programs we have currently and do real meetings and classes once a month with APD and different parts of town to get the intel we can gather, to the people who can do something about it. So, if this sounds enticing let me know. Thanks for your time.

Patrick Wright

Antioch

By Corporal R. Martin #3343, Antioch Police Department

On Tuesday, June 02, 2015, at approximately 9:00 PM, Antioch Police Officers responded to the intersection of Gentrytown Drive and Johnson Drive on the report of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Officers arrived on scene and contacted both involved parties. The pedestrian, a 14-year old female Antioch resident, sustained major injuries. She was transported to Oakland Children’s Hospital. The driver, a 20-year old male Antioch resident, was on scene and cooperative with the investigation. Alcohol or drugs does not appear to be involved in this incident.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441 or Corporal R. Martin at 925-779-6900 ext.83343. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

No further information will be released at this time.

By John Crowder

A ceremony celebrating the promotion from middle school to high school of African-American students residing within the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) has generated intense scrutiny on social media, with some claiming that a flier sent through the AUSD email system was a misuse of public resources, and that both the flier and the event may have violated laws against segregation and/or separation of Church and State.

The flier was received by parents of students attending Dallas Ranch Middle School (DRMS) on Friday.

According to Dr. Donald Gill, AUSD Superintendent of Schools, though, the flier should not have gone out.

“Unfortunately a flier that had been prepared by one person at one school was forwarded to others, but it was not authorized by the District,” Gill said.

Gill also commented about the event. “It was a community celebration,” he said. “We support community events like this. But, we wouldn’t support the use of the AUSD logo for this.”

“We support any organization that wants to honor and celebrate the milestones of our students,” he added.

Stephanie Anello, Associate Superintendent, Educational Services, while expressing her support for the event, said that the District was taking steps to ensure that the public is not misled as to the sponsorship of such events in the future.

“I very much support celebrating the achievements and milestones of all students,” she said. “The District acknowledges and respects the right of community organizations to sponsor celebrations for students that attend District schools. Those celebrations are separate from District “promotion” ceremonies which recognize the achievements of all students.”

However, she added “We are going to be meeting with key staff members to determine where District procedures and protocols may have broken down in order to address future instances wherein it may appear that an event is a District event when, in fact, it is a community sponsored event.”

Anello also acknowledged that District resources were used in support of the event.

“Upon investigating the matter, it appears that District resources, including District email, and perhaps some office supplies, were used in support of this event,” she stated.

She went on to say, though, that Dr. Lamont Francies, who is a counselor at Black Diamond Middle School and the pastor at Delta Bay Church of Christ, where the event was held, used his own time and resources in order to have the function.

Ed Dacus, Principal of DRMS, and Pamela Price, a counselor at the school, related the sequence of events surrounding the flier. They said that, some weeks ago, they had received an email with the flier attached, from Francies, who created it.

Dacus related that he believed his role was to disseminate the information it contained to his school community. He had the flier posted throughout the school; in common areas, in the office, and on windows.

Later, on the day of the event, he said he had a conversation with Price, in which she asked if anything further should be done to inform the school community about the function. He then advised Price to inform school parents through School Loop, which she did. “I had no information that the flier was not to be resent,” he said. Price also acknowledged her role in sending out the flier. “I sent it,” she said.

When asked about the event on Tuesday, June 2, Price responded “Is there a problem?”

After being told by Herald staff that it was a private event promoted using school district resources, she pointed to a copy of the flier on the window to her office, unaware that it was not a district sponsored event.

That was confirmed in an email from Gill, received by the Herald Tuesday afternoon, in response to a question of whether district staff were informed that the event was not sponsored by AUSD.

“Yes, a memo was sent this morning,” he stated.

When reached for comment, Francies said that he had sent an email with the flier attached on April 24, and again on May 20, informing District personnel about the event. He said that he had not directed or asked anyone to send the email, or the flier, to anyone else.

He confirmed that there was a conversation between him and Anello, on or about April 27, in which they discussed that the program was not a District sponsored event, but it was in the context of funding for the event, and no discussion of the use of the letters ‘AUSD’ took place at that time.

Francies was unaware that any distribution to the public had taken place at DRMS until the evening of the event. Francies did provide fliers to middle school staff members to be used as they thought was appropriate, and handed the fliers to parents and students at Black Diamond Middle School who expressed an interest in the event.

However, a revised flier without the AUSD information included, was not created or distributed.

Francies described the event as a way to build trust between members of the African-American community and AUSD administration, and as a way to encourage families to focus on the value of a good education.

“A number of our kids are struggling academically,” he said. “These types of events are common in African-American communities, and are a part of our tradition.”

Francies also talked about the church connection.

“The black church is at the heart of our community,” he said. “This was a celebration of black culture.”

“We can’t separate that from our faith tradition,” he added.

“The celebration of one culture is not a denigration of another culture. People have asked about having other cultural celebrations. I support it. I’ll attend,” Francies added.

In fact, this reporter, who is white, was in attendance at this event, having been invited by the African-American parent of a student being honored. While most people attending the event were African-American, many other races and ethnic groups were represented, both in the audience, and as part of the program. As my son and I walked up to the entrance, we were greeted very warmly by a church member, who said, “Welcome to Delta Bay Church.” Throughout the evening, everyone we spoke with was welcoming, and several in attendance made it a point to introduce themselves to, and interact with, my young son.

The message, delivered by Pastor Kirkland Smith of Grace Bible Fellowship, prior to the handing out of achievement certificates to all students in attendance, focused on the importance of obtaining a good education, and on parenting skills.

Francies said that he hopes to expand the event next year.

School Board Member Debra Vinson, who was in attendance at the event along with fellow Board Member Barbara Cowan and several district administrators, provided a statement in which she spoke positively about the function.

“I saw this as a community-sponsored event from community members that wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of students that attended their church, lived in their neighborhood or had received some form of social emotional support from various places in the community,” Vinson shared. “This was not a graduation; it was not a promotion; it was a community celebration and was no sponsored by AUSD.”

“This event was open to all students and there were students and families from non-African-American backgrounds that participated,” she stated. “The flyer should not have been released in its current format by anyone without final approval from District Administrative Staff.”

Vinson continued, “I would hope that the educational achievements of all students would be appreciated because celebrating our students in this community helps to reduce crime, builds self esteem, builds pride in Antioch and sends the message to students that they are not alone in the ‘educational process’ and that the community of Antioch stands behind them. Yes, I want all of our school age students in school daily.”

Explaining the motivation behind the event, Vinson said, “Many students struggle daily to remain focused on learning because there are so many non-educational choices available to them and they have many personal hurdles to overcome. If there are people in the community that want to help students maintain success by celebrating their learning milestones, then we should all stand behind that!”

Vinson concluded, “I hope that the community of Antioch will continue to celebrate our students because it will promote positive ‘citizenship’ and teach them to respect this community called ‘home.’”

When asked about the flier in an email sent to all board members, Walter Ruehlig responded, “I never saw this – I saw it on an AUSD weekly calendar memo given to [the] Board, but thought of that as a throw off favor, much like they might mention State of City (as example). Though I did not attend, I assumed it was like the baccalaureate, privately organized sponsored, funded and promoted. We are meticulous to disassociate baccalaureate from AUSD and I assumed that protocol was in keeping with this.”

“To go the extra mile we rotate churches and invite the entire public,” he added.

Board Vice President Diane Gibson-Gray also responded to the email about the flier, on Sunday night.

“The promotion ceremony on May 29th was described as ‘…a joint African American 8th grade Baccalaureate Ceremony,’ which was not on school property and faith based, as is the high school Baccalaureate Ceremony this evening at Most Holy Rosary Church, which is not an AUSD event. I did not see the promotional flyer until it was published on EastCountyToday.net post event. I now understand it has AUSD’s logo on it and was promoted using district resources.

I did not attend the African American 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony. That evening I was attending the E.N.C.O.R.E. Promotion Ceremony, an AUSD event. I will be attending three of the five middle school AUSD Promotion Ceremonies this Wednesday, in which all 8th grade students promoting on to high school will be celebrated.

My knowledge of the history of the African American 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony is:

·I received a last minute invitation for the 2014 ceremony. I voiced my concerns about it being an AUSD event and did not attend.

·Based on the 2015 ceremony description, I did not view it as an AUSD event and did not attend.

I’m asking Dr. Gill for additional background and information. I have asked that it be placed on our agenda for school board discussion.”

Cowan responded by email with links to a 2011 article entitled “Are black graduations at traditional colleges ‘reverse racism’?” and a report from the Journal of Pan African Studies entitled “Using Cultural Competence to Close the

Achievement Gap.” She did not answer the questions in the email from Herald staff.

Board President Claire Smith did not respond to the email.

Comments on the Herald Facebook page, in response to a commentary by Barbara Zivica, included one by Antioch resident Darcie Hill Cooper.

“This is just crazy,” she said. “This is a step in the WRONG direction.”

Another Antioch resident, Ron Zaragoza wrote, “This doesn’t seem helpful to the people of our community. Seems like it supports divison (sic)…”

Francies responded to the criticism levied by some that the event was exclusionary.

“I understand the backlash. I’m not shocked by it,” he said. “I did this to celebrate one culture and not to exclude anyone else. Everyone was welcome. It was targeted to a group who feels disenfranchised. I make no qualms about that. Of course my intention was never to offend anyone else. We’ve never turned away any kid of any color who wanted to participate.”

Allen Payton contributed to this report.