I am a 24 year-old black female and I have lived in Grand Bay all my life.  The reason I am sending this email is because I am very upset at how the cheerleaders are chosen and judged at this school (Grand Bay Middle).  This year alone there were 5 black girls, a couple of bi-racial and Asian that went out for cheer-leading this year.  NONE of them were chosen at all.  These girls have worked very hard practicing and training for this and each and every year they are not chosen, not one. This school has been known in past and present times to have had racism problems.  Every year these kids go out and try their hardest to make these teams and year after year just let down.  There has not been a black cheerleader at this school in about 5 years.  Before that my Aunt who is about 35 or so and before that my Cousin who is about 37 or so and her daughter has been one of the ones who have been trying out her whole middle school term. My thing is, when I go to games where they cheer, you can’t hear them, they mess up, and half of them are confused at what they are doing.  One of my cousin’s have been trying out since she has been attending this school, her brother played for the football team but yet she has never been able to cheer him on.  I find it funny that they want the whole football team to be black because they say “they have talent” but there can’t be any black cheerleaders or in any other sports there might be one black on a team, do they not have talent also?  Some of these girls have been taking gymnastics or dancing and most of them cheered when their brothers played football in the park.  The cheer coach made a comment to the squad during try-outs that I felt was racist and a little inappropriate; she told them we’re not going to do it SaBria’s way, one of the black girls that was trying out, because she has a big butt and she moves it too much, we’re going to do it my way.  If she had a problem to how she was moving, maybe too much rhythm, she could have pulled her to the side and told her that privately.  This is not an all white school.  The athletes are not all white. There should be at least half and half on a squad or team especially if you have a good amount to try out.  These girls work hard and pay money for nothing because once they go to high school, Alma Bryant in particular, they most definitely wont have a chance.  How can a girl receive an outstanding evaluation at mock try outs but nit be picked the very next day?  Why would you go and get an all white panel of judges but have minorities trying out?  Nothing is done fairly.  Since the team has already been chosen, which I think was done before the actual try-out, I think the community should have a chance to see all the girls perform and have some say.  I think the students should have some say. I especially think the athletes who they will be cheering for should have some say. If they have to have 2 squads like they have 2 Scholars Bowls teams, something should be done to make this fair and right.  I was a student at this school when it was a high school still and it wasn’t much different.  I don’t think its right that they are allowed to be this prejudice towards the students.  Even some of the students are prejudice towards the black students and when they do and say things, they rarely get punished. The School Board need to check into how things are done at this school and how it is operated.  I think these people down here think that since we are way down here in the country that they can run it their way and do things their way but we have had enough.  Why would any kid want to come to a school where they can never have a chance to do anything because of their skin color?

Based strictly on what you’ve said, it certainly does sound like there is discrimination within the panel that chooses the cheerleading squad.  Who decides who sits on the panel that judges and ultimately chooses the cheerleaders?  Are they teachers?  Other students?  How many are there?

I don’t have any suggestions, but if there are no black cheerleaders on the squad now, nor have been for the last five years, it would be hard to argue that something that sounds suspiciously like racism isn’t going on.

-nab

I am a new cheerleading mom, from “the country,” but not Grand Bay. My daughter did not make it last year, though she did this year, even though I felt she was exceptionally talented, able to do all the round of back hand-springs, tucks, etc… Instead of basing your decision that it is automatically a racist issue, why not go to the cheer sponsor and ask to see the results your child was scored on. I know that our judges are outside the school, and I believe are paid to judge-I think that was what the money we paid for the cheer camp prior to try-out was for. When I saw the results for my child last year, yes she had 10’s on all the tumbling, etc, but lower marks on stage presence, etc(because she was nervous and not as loud as she needed to be).

If your child has perfect 10’s (or whatever their scoring system is), then yes, question it further. If not, instead of propagating the whole racist thing, encourage her to work on what she scored lower in and try again next year. Cheering is a very competitive sport, with a very few spots. You may even need to go the extra mile next year and do some private lessons beforehand.

One other thing that factors into choosing cheerleaders, is also grades and discipline. So make sure your student doesn’t have issues with either of these areas. I hope that helps.

My daughter also tried out for cheerleader at GrandBay Middle School.  I was very upset with the outcome. What I would like to know is if there were any girls that made it who’s mother or relative was not a teacher or had a sister who was a previous cheerleader.  There were girls who made the squad who could not do a back handspring nor could dance very well.  My daughter could do both.  I was really shocked when she did not make the squad.  Im not a coach of cheerleading but I have danced since I was 10 years old and I went to collage on a dance scholarship so I know what makes up a good dancer/cheerleader.  I know for a fact that if my daughter had what it took to make the squad.  I feel like if she had a relative who was associated with the school or had a sister who was previously a cheerleader at the school, she would have made the squad.  I did encourage my daughter to keep practicing and hopefully she will get impartial judges at the next tryout.

Like I said in my previous post, I am not a Grand Bay mom, so I can only tell ya’ll from my experience at a different school. If you feel like your daughter should have made it, schedule an appointment with the cheer sponsor to see the scores your daughter was given by the judges. Be nice about it, don’t “attack"-just say you would like to see her scores so that you will know what to work on for next year.

I am 45 years old and my sister went through the same thing when she entered a public school and tried out for cheerleader.  She was a new student and won varsity leader going into her freshman year.  The girls were so ugly towards her because she won that she told them to “shove it” and gave it up.  She did not want to be a part of any such school.  No one had ever given up varsity cheerleader.  This was Alba at the time, now Bryant.  She enrolled in a private school and won there also.  Sometimes it’s better to sacrific money for private schools where your child doesn’t have to put up with public school attitudes.

Please give me a math lesson?!  14 students made the GBMS cheerleading squad.....You said 5 african american students tried out.....Your proposition was for half of the quad to be african american...... HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!  I’m very curious!  14 divided by 2 is 5?

Pick your battles.  My mom didn’t go ranting in very incorrect grammar on the local news stations’ websites when I didn’t make the MIDDLE SCHOOL basketball team.  ACCEPT FAILURE!  It might make you a stronger person and more tolerant of disappointment.  It might help children learn that sometimes the world may not be fair (not saying by any means that GBMS cheerleader selection was not fair) and that they don’t have to pull the race card to make a big stink of the situation.  This behavior only leads to RACIALLY - CHARGED thoughts (which are against WKRG ToS) and then make people without any power feel they have to make rash inappropriate decisions....a la Davidson student.  (absolutely NO disrespect intended, however this is a perfect example of a child making SUPREME HORRIBLE decisions because he felt powerless)

The problem with society is that people feel that they are owed rights and assume certain allegations if things don’t look right!  Another very serious problem is that parents are not mature enough to raise children the appropriate way so that they see life from more than 1 viewpoint!  Having the ability to see things from others’ perspectives could really get you a lot further in life than an internet connection and the ability to make large run-on sentences!

The OP made this statement:

“There has not been a black cheerleader at this school in about 5 years.”

Based on this alone, if it is indeed true (and I can only assume it is or else she’s lying) it’s hard to see how anyone could make a case that racism does not exist within the cheerleading squad.  Are you going to try to tell me that in five years there hasn’t been a capable black girl skilled or talented enough to be chosen?

That doesn’t seem possible.

-nab

MYGIRLYGIRL,

Here are the facts:

* 1. The cheerleaders are chosen by three judges from the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA).
* 2. The girls trying out are assigned numbers and not names so as to remain anonymous when being judged.
* 3. The judges are PROFESSIONALS who have years of experience in dance and cheerleading.
* 4. The cheer coach has NOTHING to do with which cheerleaders make the squad.
* 5. An African American helped oversee the judging this year.
* 6. There is an African American cheerleader on the squad this year.

You wrote, “The cheer coach made a comment to the squad during try-outs that I felt was racist and a little inappropriate; she told them we’re not going to do it SaBria’s way, one of the black girls that was trying out, because she has a big butt and she moves it too much, we’re going to do it my way.”

Your statement is ENTIRELY FALSE as those involved advise that never was there anything stated such as this...nor would it be tolerated.

You also wrote, ”I find it funny that they want the whole football team to be black because they say “they have talent”.

This statement too, is ENTIRELY FALSE and racially charged. What RMSEEK1234 stated is valid and may be applicable to your situation.

Perhaps you should address your concerns with the school (I am sure the Principal would gladly meet with you) instead of posting on a community forum with racially charged, false accusations.

I can not believe what i read. I guess the LADY who posted this did not do that good in school because she would have did better at her homework. You see last year Grand Bay did have a child that was bi-racial on the cheerleading squad.  Your facts are WRONG!  Whether they shake their rear ends too much or not enough doesn’t matter.  Nor does it matter if they are white, black, blue or purple.  The fact is there will always be people who want to judge and get upset if their child does not make the team.  Whether it be football, basketball, cheer squad or any other team.  Instead of blaming others, You should be helping your child to succeed instead of setting a bad example as this one.