In Paris Texas Black Teenager Sentenced to 7 years, Racial Tension Running High
Categories: African-American, Education
Written By: Shawn Williams
Many of you know that I was born and raised in Paris, Texas. For months, I have been following a truly disturbing situation that has been unfolding in my hometown. The news of this story made it's way to the Chicago Tribune last week (click link to get the Tribune's Account).
It's the story of now 15-year old Shaquanda Cotton. Shaquanda, a young black female, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for shoving a 58 year-old hall monitor at school when she was 14. Shaquanda was a first time offender, so the harshness of sentence handed out by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville more than troubling. According to the Tribune story, "95 percent of the 2,500 juveniles in their custody are chronic, serious offenders who already have exhausted county-level programs."
In contrast, three months earlier, Superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family's house, to probation. Didn't we just cover this with Tyrone Brown who was sentenced to 99 years for smoking marijuana while out on probation for armed robbery? And in the same court a white man who pled guilty to murder violated his probation by smoking crack, repeatedly failed drug tests, was arrested for cocaine possession and remained free.
In instances like Shaquanda's racism will always come into play, but since I lived in Paris for the first 18 years of my life and my mothers still lives there, I'd like to give my take on various aspects of this unfortunate situation.
Pretending there's no racism solves nothing
Howard Witt, author of the Tribune story, chose to lead the article by referring back to the days when the Lamar County Fairgrounds in Texas was used as a venue for lynching its black citizens. I remember a picture in my Texas History book from 7th grade that showed a public lynching from the 20's or 30's that was taking place at the fairgrounds in Paris. If I hadn't been thumbing through the book I never would have seen it. We never studied that section of the textbook. And no one, not parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers; no one ever taught us about the fairground's former life as a hanging field.
Enter Phillip Hamilton of the Paris News. In his article Truth Gets In Way of Tribune Story, Mr. Hamilton characterizes Witt's Tribune account as "a journalistic lynching," as well as " …lashed with false statements, omitted facts and inaccurate information." Hamilton also disputes Witt's characterization of Paris as a "starkly segregated town of 26,000."
Mr. Hamilton may have drawn upon some emotionally charged imagery to open his article, but injustice can never be over exaggerated, no matter who it happens too. The lynching that Mr. Witt accounts in his Tribune article was most likely The Lynching of Henry Smith in 1893. There's no way to soften the realities of a man whose body was burned with hot irons, and then had them shoved down his throat for good measures. Mr. Hamilton even leads his story with the account of a 1920 lynching in Paris. But as is so often the case in this country, his version is sanitized and seen more as a local misstep than the abomination that it truly is. The children and grandchildren of the lynched and lynchers probably still reside in or near the town.
And furthermore Paris is extremely segregated, as is the case in most cities across this country. Anyone who is white that is reading this article ask yourself this question: how many of your immediate neighbors are non-white? To your right, your left, across the street? I'm not talking about the black family down the street who "integrated" the neighborhood. I grew up on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, what do you think that my neighbors looked like? There is a black side of town in Paris, anyone who denies that is not being real with themselves. Many white families have moved outside the city limits to avoid going to Paris High School where African-Americans make up about 40% of the student body.
Denying the facts, or more specifically the reality of the situation will not help us overcome the troubling place in which we find ourselves. Everyone is so afraid of being a racist, they don't even acknowledge that they could use race as a factor for anything. You can make racist decisions without being a racist person just like you can make stupid decisions and not be a stupid person. Race is always a factor, and will always be a factor in this country.
Tomorrow: There's more than one side to every story
photo by Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune
March 21st, 2007 at 9:56 pm
As a parent of two, I believe the bigger problem is the parenting involved in this case. From the context of the articles, I am sure this is not the first time Shaquanda has acted in this manner. It would be different if she was a model child or even an average kid and this happened but since she was already termed a “troubled” kid. I’d say her parents created this situation if every time she acted out in the past; Ms Cotton went blaming someone other than Shaquanda. God didn’t make any “troubled” children. Ineffective/inactive parents troubled God’s perfect creation.
The first time Shaquanda acted out, her mother and/or father should have been there to do what my mother calls “snatch a knot in her a$$”. Where were they?
The NAACP is once again sticking itself in some defenseless mess. When is the modern NAACP going to take a PROACTIVE step and actually do something about all these parents letting their kids run a muck, do something about all these fathers not raising their children, do something about these kids who can’t pass a simple reading test or add & subtract, do something about all these teens becoming parents, do something about these folks who’d rather get a check from the government than get a job and go to work, DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF REACT to the white man’s ill will. Racism will always be with us until the Lord decides to do something about it. Till then, we need to stop serving ourselves up on silver platters for a racist system to devour.
If Ms Cotton and Shaquanda’s dad had been there every step of the way like they should have been, they wouldn’t be in this situation and Shaquanda would not be in jail for the next third of her life. Judge Chuck Superville would never have gotten the opportunity to take her childhood away. When is the NAACP going to return to the business of acting where it can really make a difference? When will it become relevant again?
Please forgive me, I’m just a frustrated parent here trying to feel my way thru fatherhood. Its tough and very frustrating at times, and sometimes I feel like bouncing out of here too. I stay because I love my kids, love my wife and I don’t want them to fall victim to the world. Furthermore, I have an obligation to my God to live by his commandments. Parenthood is not easy, nothing worth doing is.
I don’t know these people, but I do know the old term about the apple not rolling far from the tree is usually correct.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:28 am
A problem that I had with this article was that Mr.Williams had no mention of the courts take on the situation. Mr. Williams seems to be trying to be ethical, but the only other side I got was from the opion of a parent. What some parent thinks and what the courts said, and brought to the table, are different.A little part of me agrees with Mr.Bryan on how “Shaquanda has acted in this manner” before. Even so, recieving SEVEN years for shoving is extreme. If she is found guilty should she be punished? Yes, but a punishment that fits the crime, not seven years.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:42 am
As a single parent I can say that you can be there for your children and if they decide to mess up its not always the parents fault, you can punish them, get them help, pray for them, etc. And if they want to mess up they will. I agree - she should have been punished for shoving a 58 year old woman, but she did not deserve 7 years for shoving her. And her mother shouldn’t be blamed for her actions unless there is proof that she was a bad mother.
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Shaquanda does not deserve seven years for pushing. Her mother seemed as if she was extremely active in her life and education!! She had wrote several complaints to the school for unfair disciplinary actions taken against black students. She had also marched, in protest, of the schools biased discipline against black students. She admitted that her daughter acts impulsively because she as ADHD, which she is taking medicine for. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, then what a wonderful attribute to inherit .. DRIVE, FIRE and AMBITION!! Also .. since we want to quote “old terms” … It takes a village to raise a child .. and if you are a Christian, then you know how imperative this statement is. Bottom line .. she doesn’t deserve ANY jail time for such a minor offense. This is getting national attention, and I am sure she will prevail in the long run!
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Akilah I agree with you. Our village is going to have to raise our children and educate our children, because no one else will.
March 24th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I became aware of this situation today and can only pray that sanity will rule in the end. Coming from a small Massachusetts hometown of 20,000 with 25-30 black folks, and a state that endured the 1976 lancing of attorney Ted Landsmark with a flagpole, and was the last city to integrate its pro baseball team in 1962, I can say I am at least familiar with racism. When I was 12, going on 13, I cried when my little AM radio under the pillow relayed the news that MLK had been shot. My favorite song from 1969 was "Stand" by Sly & The Family Stone. I am white, but sometimes feel ashamned of some of my fellow race. But generalizations are poison. We ought to be rising above such superficialties, anyway. In college in Boston in 1975 my room flooded and I was sent to room with a black guy from a professional family in Connecticut. He turned me on to Earth Wind & Fire "That's The Way of The World", which can proibably be seen as a good metaphor for the Shaquanda Cotton Story. In 1977 I moved to Dallas to work at a steakhouse owned by a distant relative. The job was less appealing when I got there and I was given a $100 bill and "good luck". I ended up workling odd jobs until I got a waiter job at a place called Tamales. One of the odd jobs was cleaning up a gutted public housing building in Dallas. My co-workers (except for the white guys from the day-labor place with whom I was sent there)were all black. I was a bit scared, but they said to me things like "Hey homeboy, you just like one of us" And the reason was that I just didn't want to work all that hard and just wanted to get high or drunk. At that time, such behavior was more accepted. The pooint of this is to say that I gained an apoprecaition for the very people that others dismissed out of hand because of the color oif their skin. I'm sure white folks who ''act black'' can be irritating, I hope not to be one of them, or seen as one. The only current rap CD I own is Mos Def's with "Umi Says" on it. Colorblind society? Nice dream, but all we acn do is individually try to make that a reality as best we can. I write here in the first place to say how unfair her treatment was, in light of all the worse offenses just begging for greater punishments. Let's all calmly ask for sanity to rule and not lash out in anger at the judge, who apparently was having a bad day (yeah, right). I think anyone, white or black, who has a brain and a sense of justice will see her sentence as being disproportionately over-the-top. I believe she should learn impulse management and maybe help teach other kids appropriate ways of dealing with their anger. Now that's a sentence. Jail never teaches anything except how to be a better criminal and hatred for the man. At least taht's what some ignorant white people think, myself included.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I disagree with Bryan from Garland! While it is true that the little girl might have done a couple of things before. What 14 year old hasn’t talked out of turn or done some things. If her mother didn’t care about her how did she file those complaints against the school. I have seen first hand myself when the system is used to make an example out of you to make you be quiet. Did the public servant break his arm or not able to work again? 7 years is extreme, I know of a drunk driver who was a repeat offender and he killed my friend, his wife and child on christmas day in his drunken stupor and he only got 15 years for that. This girl didn’t kill or maim anyone, at the most she should have received detention or suspended a couple of days, if she actually did it. I had a nervous cop reach for his gun on me when I scratched my leg during a routine traffic stop, if he had shot me, you would be one of the people who would have said I deserved it. Shame on you for saying this girl should be punished in this matter.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:25 am
For anyone who doubts, just know that prayer changes things. It’s the battering ram that knocks down walls of oppression. She should not have been given 7yrs for what she did.
March 27th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I’m a hispanic/white female and I totally disagree with the sentencing and the comments made about the parents being the blame for child’s actions. Keep living BRYAN FROM GARLAND and you will eat your words. We can only control our kids to a certain point and if they make a bad decision while they’re away from us, what responsibility do we have in their decision??? Although Shaquanda made a bad decision, she doesn’t deserve 7 freakin’ years in prison!!! Come on now! Yes, alternative school…maybe probation for this but that 7 yrs in prison is ludicrous. My Caucasian uncle lives in that area and trust me, this is just a glimpse of the racism that blatantly exists there today. Yes, it exists all over but there were a number minority hanging “suicides” in their jails in recent years.
The NAACP should step in and other authorities to correct this mistake before the damage is too far done. All I can say is SHAME ON OUR SOCIETY. We are still unfair and unjust - very sad.
Diversity makes us better people!
March 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I'm from Paris. I agree with some things you say…but some other things are simply not true. I agree racism happens here…do I think it is worse than other demographicallly comparable towns…no. Is housing mostly segregated? Yes. But tell me why when a black family moves into a predominantly white neighborhood, they are called traitors and "trying to act white" by their black peers? Unfortunately, racism exists, but I do believe it is getting better and have hopes that one day, it will not exist at all.
On the Cotton case, this was not the first time this girl had been in trouble and she did not get 7 years in prison. She had been in trouble 17 times and had exhausted all punishments available through the school district. And the judge, who is often known for his softness, has said in the local paper that he would've supported probabtion if her mother was willing to cooperate. Four black school officials testified against her.
The judge gave her an indeterminate sentence, which means she gets out when she cools off and is willing to follow the rules. She could be out in less than a year, depending on how much she is willing to give to her own cause. She COULD be there up to 7 years, if it takes her that long to conform to the rules.
Here is a link to the judges comments in our local paper: http://theparisnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=702edc9fc0ed587d
March 27th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I forgot to mention that I am one of those people who moved to the country because I love it…but I drive my kids in to Paris school district because I think it offers the best education, regardless of race populations. And secondly, when we lived in town, our neighbors across the street were a black family, and they were the best neighbors we had. Our son played with their son. I know that isn’t the common situation, but it does exist. I’m proud to say I teach my kids to judge a person by how they act, not by the color of their skin.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:27 am
I am from Paris, Texas. I still live here to this day and I graduated from Paris High School and was a part of PISD for as long as I can remember. First, the facts, Miss Cotton is a menace to society! The child and her mother both constantly look for someone who "MAY" be treating them unfairly. She pushed a hall monitor. Someone who takes there time to watch over our children and teach them. Someone we depend upon to make sure that our schools are safe and that OUR children, the ones that are taught manners and not to disrespect people, young or old, are safe. Plain and simple, pushing a hall monitor, a teacher, a principal, another student, anyone….wrong.
The 58 year old woman that she pushed was an elder to her. I don't know about you, but my parents taught me to respect my elders. Do you let your children walk around pushing others who tell them to be quiet? The child has been in trouble numerous times (around 17 i think) and the school district has exhausted all means of punishment. In fact, if my sources are correct, which I believe they are because I work in the legal field, Miss Cotton's mother is the one who insisted upon a jury trial (which was made up of predominately black people) where that jury convicted her. Judge Superville offered her probation and she and her mother both said that they would not obey and participate!
Why should we waste our tax dollars on a probation officer to look over a person who stands in court and says that they will not cooperate. So, he sentences her to indetermined sentence…which means she can get out as soon as she can get her act together. Now, that will probably be a while seeing as how she has a mother who has taught her that she does no wrong and that the only problem was that white people treat black people unfairly.
I hear so many people say…and i heard them say yesterday at their protest…WE WANT TO BE TREATED THE SAME. Raise your children the same. Make them understand that life is not about looking for the wrong that someone is doing to you. it is about YOU doing what is RIGHT for YOU. life is hard for everyone, black white or brown. Get over it…deal with it like everyone else. Instead of standing on our streets yelling about the unfairness of the world, get out there get a job or a hobby and show the world that you are worth something and that you can contribute. Meanwhile, since Miss Cotton's mother has now appealed Judge Superville's decision, we…TAX PAYERS are paying for this. I could buy it if the girl were a first time offender, but come on! Wake up people and lie in the bed you make!
March 28th, 2007 at 9:19 am
No matter how you look at it. The sentencing is ricidulous and way too harsh. First “school” offense or not. SEVEN YEARS FOR SHOVING A SCHOOL AIDE. If this was your child, you would be taking a completely different stance. Point blank. This IS racism.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:49 am
The sentencing was not seven years…it was UP TO seven years..indeterminate, which means Miss Cotton can get out when she learns to act right and abide by the rules of society. There is no “if this was your child” because my child has been taught the difference between right and wrong. I would not have to have her go before a Judge to hand out a sentence, I would take care of matters myself. The problem is her parent(s). She is out of control and has no disciplne. Frankly, I am proud to live in a community where that is not tolerated…where if the parents won’t do something about it, someone else will. Our kids have to learn right from wrong. If their parents won’t teach them, who will. I fell quite certian that if that was a white child or a mexican child, there would have been no Black Panthers in our town or any protesting going on. People would have been saying “What the hell was she thinking pushing a teacher???”
March 29th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
This is not a question of parenting, for the love of Christ. The question is about the sentencing. My high school here in Tennesse had numerous African-Americans–probably thirty five percent of the students total. However, if one of them had pushed a administrator, they would have been suspended like every other kid. Obviously, Paris has an issue with race, as the comments left on this board show. Also, Paris (and the south as a whole) has a problem with ignorant conservatives who scream about parenting and traditional values and God all the time, but will not discuss the other side. Instead, they will simply post these screeds in defense of their feelings. Perhaps this girl has bad parents, but what the hell does that matter? The point is that she got SEVEN years in prison, which is an absurdity, and whoever doesn’t realize that is delusional. You don’t get several years for some simple bad behavior, you get seven years for breaking a serious law. Pushing another person is not breaking a serious law. I hate to say it, but if a white person had done this in Paris, there is no way they would have even been in court, much less sentenced to seven years. How anyone can feel no sympathy for this girl is appaling to me.
March 29th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Stephen:
you should get your facts straight. she was not sentenced to “SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON” she was given and INDETERMINATE sentence to a youth correctional facility. which means, she can go home as soon as she gets her act together, which apparently she has failed to do seeing as how it has been a year and she is still there. also, this girl was given the option of probation, but turned that option down, so of course she had to go to trial. also, this is a child who has been nothing but problems. if a school keeps handing out suspension, what does that accomplish? at some point something has to be done and some responsibility has to be had.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
To all that claim that racism is getting better and that Shaquanda deserves it because she’s a menace to society, I can only hope that you or your family does not experience the same fate along life’s way. I think we all make mistakes but some of us get caught or get it worse than others. Yes, I agree that the act in which Shaquanda acted was rude, inappropriate and disrespectful to the lady but does it deserve a prison sentence??? I was young and had fights A LOT (more than 17 incidents) in my youth but I am now a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree and soon to have my MBA. I’m fairly successful and am a mentor to my children. If someone had unjustly sentenced me to prison, our justice system and society would’ve failed us.
As for black people raising their kids to understand and realize responsibility, I know many educated and responsible black people and I also know many irresponsible white kids. The bottom line is, it’s unfair to stereotype most blacks because of your “country” experiences.
Obviously, Shaquanda’s 17 prior incidents were too serious since she was still existing in society because we all now realize that if she had, that Paris judge would’ve taken care of her a loooong time ago.
Her peers may have convicted her but the judge sentenced her.
PARIS is another RACIST HICK TOWN.
Not hiding behind a screenname~
March 30th, 2007 at 7:50 am
i will agree with you on the fact that there are just as many white kids with disciplinary problems and a lack of respect and there are just as many white parents who do not do their jobs as parents. i can honestly say that if miss cotton were a white child with the same history and all circumstances exactly the same, i would still say “YOU DO THE CRIME, YOU DO THE TIME”.
I am not claiming that racism is getting better, but i do think that it is getting much more widespread. the black community is the not only recipient of racism.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Thank God! She’s been released. Praise the Lord!
August 24th, 2007 at 10:18 am
First of all, I am from Paris, Texas, I am white and I graduated from Paris High School. I lived OUTSIDE the city limits, but my parents paid Paris taxes so that I could go to school there. I wasn’t there, nor were any of you, but from MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS from students and PISD officials, the story goes that Ms. Cotton had been warned and in trouble NUMEROUS TIMES and that it wasn’t a simple “bump” in the hallway- she actually shoved her. To all of the idiots who keep screaming that her punishment was “unfair,” can you read? It wasn’t seven years… to reiterate: “indeterminate” means that when (IF) she can ever act right, she can get out of jail. I had mostly black neighbors as a child, and my college roommates for the past three years have all been black. Paris is a segregated town. How many times do the people living in the black neighborhoods go greet their new white neighbors, though? I mean, really… had this have been a white kid who “shoved” an elderly black woman and been sentenced the same, wouldn’t everyone scream that the punishment wasn’t harsh enough, and that the student was a racist? Who raises their kids to shove teachers? What a moron… And she WOULD HAVE been given probation if her and her mother would have cooperated. How can you get into trouble 17 times and think that it’s never gonna catch up with you? I personally think that she should be locked up in a youth facility until she can grow up and act right. Am I racist? Not by a long shot, but it really pisses me off that so many uninformed people are commenting on her behalf and not stating the facts. Black, white, Hispanic, whatever… if you can’t act right and you ASSAULT a teacher, you should get what’s coming to you. The black community is making this into a racial argument- the color of her skin had nothing to do with what she did, nor her punishment.
And I am NOT afraid to hide behind a screen name- first AND last…
September 8th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
wow seven years for pushing a teacher. maybe tha teacherDESERVED it. all i know is that for a judge to amek a 7 year sentence, is horrendous, if i was her father i would probally be on death row for comiting actions based on the decision.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
There are irresponsible parents of all races, of course. I think that if this girl were white, she would have been given a lower sentence (please don’t try to act oblivious here). “In contrast, three months earlier, Superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family’s house, to probation. Didn’t we just cover this with Tyrone Brown who was sentenced to 99 years for smoking marijuana while out on probation for armed robbery”. No matter how much people hide from the truth it always will come unvelied in the end.