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| Thursday, July 27, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Garcia's epithet creates outrage The new superintendent of Clark County says his use of a racial slur was not meant to be offensive. By Lisa Kim Bach and Natalie Patton
Review-Journal In an attempt to make his stand against racism clear to a group of black teen-agers, new Superintendent Carlos Garcia used a racial epithet that outraged some people and caused others to question his judg- ment.
Garcia's taped interview with a group of interns from KCEP-FM, 88.1, was broadcast Wednesday morning. In the interview, one black teen asked Garcia -- the Clark County School District's chief since July 7 -- what he planned to do to prevent racism. Garcia took an immediate stand against racism, saying the mind-set has no place in public education, and that as an individual "I never see colors, and people are people."
His follow-up comment prompted an uproar from civil libertarians and members of the black community. In what proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, Garcia prefaced his remark by saying people could take it out of context.
"Niggers come in all colors," Garcia said. "To me, a nigger is someone who doesn't respect themselves or others."
Patricia Cunningham, a KCEP talk show host and head of the Alliance for Social Justice, called Garcia's remarks insensitive. She questioned whether he would have used that particular phrase before a group of white students.
"One, he said it to a group of children," Cunningham said. "Two, he said it to a group of black children. And three, he knew it was going to be broadcast. My concern is that anytime your judgment is lacking this much, it will surface again."
Late Wednesday night, Garcia said his remarks were in no way meant to be offensive. The comment was made in an attempt to emphasize the need for racial tolerance.
"If it was in any way mistaken for something other than that, then I want to apologize," Garcia said. "We were having an honest, open conversation, and when you do that, you take some risks."
Gary Peck, who oversees the American Civil Liberties Union in Nevada, is willing to give Garcia the benefit of the doubt, but he believes Garcia's choice of words was poor.
"Nothing I heard indicates to me that he meant to be racist in his remarks or that there is racism in his heart," Peck said. "His comments do, however, raise a question about his judgment and lack of sensitivities in regards to people with whom he's dealing."
Of additional concern to Peck is Garcia's comment later in the broadcast interview, when the superintendent spoke of withholding welfare checks from families of habitual truants.
"That, to me, is very troubling," Peck said. "To suggest withholding welfare is Draconian and very misguided."
Peck also said the implication that truants only come from poor families was a bad generalization.
Garcia said he was not offering that idea as one the district should embrace. In Fresno, Calif., where he was a superintendent before coming to Clark County, Garcia said the practice was initiated by the welfare department.
"He needs to maybe go back to Fresno," black activist Marzette Lewis said Wednesday. "The School Board probably made a mistake in hiring him."
Lewis stopped short of calling for Garcia's resignation.
At the very least, Garcia owes the black community an apology, said Lewis, adding that her grand-niece was among the student interns who heard the comments when the interview was taped.
"Since he came and got on the radio station with these students and said what he said, I feel he needs to come to the forefront and explain himself," Lewis said. "He needs to come with an apology."
Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, who heard Garcia's comments while listening to the radio Wednesday morning, said an apology may not be enough.
"He can apologize a thousand times and it wouldn't do any good, if whatever caused him to say it is still in his mind," Williams said. "I do think it brings into question what the chances are of improving education in some of the most-needed areas of our community."
Williams, who is black and serves as chairman of the Assembly's Education Committee, said he was disturbed by Garcia's use of the racial slur as well as comments the superintendent made about truancy.
"I was baffled and confused for a number of reasons," Williams said. "That type of thinking is really disheartening. "Everyone I've talked to has been shocked by the comments. I'd like to ask him why he felt so comfortable saying what he said."
Williams said he thought about Garcia's comments throughout the day but could not understand why someone would choose to use a racial slur when talking to students about the issues of racism.
School Board President Mary Beth Scow had not heard the KCEP broadcast, but urged people to remember the context.
"I guess the thing I hope for is that people will remember the message he was trying to bring, that racism is not acceptable," Scow said.
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