The NAACP South Dade Branch’s Statement on the Treatment of School Board Member Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
The NAACP South Dade branch joins local leaders in our dismay at the treatment of School Board Member Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall. In April, Member Bendross-Mindingall attempted to attend a meeting called by fellow school board members Danny Espino and Roberto Alonso; the meeting was on the topic of minority contracts.
Espino informed Member Bendross-Mindingall that she could not attend – a clear violation of Florida’s Sunshine law. Even based on common sense, one would think that the input of a seasoned school board member that represents a heavily African American district would be welcomed. Instead, she was turned away.
We cannot ignore the racial connotations of their actions. While we are aware that School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas apologized to Member Bendross-Mindingall, we demand that the Chair publicly announce what steps will be put in place so that this type of exclusion will not happen again.
