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Community leaders question CMCSS on lack of student access to inauguration coverage
President Barack Obama
A Multi-Cultural Coalition of leaders from the community and the Clarksville NAACP will meet with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Director of Schools, Mr. Michael Harris, at 3 p.m. Monday, January 26, to discuss the recent policy disseminated system wide by email that prevented a significant majority of students from viewing the Historic Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Many students and parents assumed they would watch the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama in class Tuesday but were shocked, disappointed and upset about the majority of classes in which the inauguration 
wasn’t shown.
Pastor Tommy Vallejos, a community activist and Pastor at Faith Outreach Church, made this passionate statement to the media, community and school system.
“This is a historic event that will never happen again. Kids in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East got to see this, but kids in Clarksville, Tenn., United States of America, didn’t get to see it.
“We have guest speakers, we have sports pep rallies, and this event isn’t more important than that? We couldn’t take 15 minutes to see the president take the oath of office? Whether you support him or not isn’t the point. It’s history in the making.” ~~ Pastor Tommy Vallejos
A press conference is scheduled to take place immediately following the 3:00 p.m. meeting with the Director of Schools.
The coalition leaders include:
- Pastor Tommy Vallejos, Director, Hispanic Organization for Progress & Education (H.O.P.E.)
- Jimmie Garland, Sr., President, Clarksville NAACP
- Terry McMoore, Director, Urban Resource Center
- Pastor Jerry Jerkins, Director, Private Citizens Advocates (PCA)
- Robert Brooks, President, Tennessee Korean American Federation.
About Christine Anne Piesyk 
In my 40+ years in media, I have worked as feature writer, investigative reporter, editor, publisher, and film/theater/arts critic. I brought my liberal New England activism to Tennessee several years ago, having finally completed a mid-life undergraduate degree in community organizing and women's studies, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts with a concentration in Alzheimer's Disease. I served on Future Search Commissions for two colleges and on homelessness for the City of Northampton (MA), where I applied some of my undergrad work in urban planning and community development. I am a member of FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties. I am a certified storm spotter just because weather fascinates me. In my spare time (define spare time please?) I am a voracious reader, obsessive movie buff, ballroom dancer, and classical music junkie. I also create sci-fi/fantasy and renaissance costumes. I see life as an ongoing opportunity for learning and adventure (one current interest is mastering preparation of foods from India and Southeast Asia). My dream: a return trip to Machu Picchu. After all, the best things still to come. All posts by Christine Anne Piesyk as presented on Clarksville Online are copyright ©2006, 2007, 2008 to the author.
Email: womanspeak@gmail.com
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Clarksville NAACP President and School Board member Jimmie Garland Sr., CMCSS Director Michael Harris, Hispanic Organization for Progress & Education (H.O.P.E.) Director Tommy Vallejos, Historic Inauguration, Pastor at Faith Outreach Church, Pastor Tommy Vallejos, President Barack Obama, Private Citizens Advocate JerryJerkins, Tennessee KoreanAmericans Federation President Robert Brooks, Urban Resource Center Director Terry McMoore2 Responses to “Community leaders question CMCSS on lack of student access to inauguration coverage”
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January 24th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
i really have a problem with my city, the great city of Clarksville, not showing the inauguration city wide. come on yall, we are a lot better than that. for some strange reason, i have a feeling that the parents that was against their children watching the inauguration would have been for their children watching the inauguration if Mr.Cain and Mrs. Palin would have won
January 26th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hood, I think you’re exactly right. Unfortunately, it can’t be undone. This was historic, no matter the party. President Obama – whether you agree with his views – is the first non-white president in US history.
Our children should have been allowed to see this moment, and no matter their class, it should have been viewed. The idea of “working it into curriculum” is as absurd as it is regressive. After all, how does the President of the United States not relate to any class?
Math – talk about the economy.
English – discuss the speech itself – and the flub by Chief Justice Roberts would have been good fodder for discussion.
Science – How might Obama’s views on global warming and our environment affect public policy?
History/social studies: See English. And of course, duh. He’s the first black President.
Band – See if you can’t get someone to play “Hail to the Chief” Bonus points if you can play it with a saxophone (think Bill Clinton)
P.E. – discuss the Presidential Athletic program.
I mean, really. It’s not rocket science. Although, there’s that too.