Colin Powell: I Have 'No Problem' With Gay Marriage
Keith Weigelt: Journeys With a Daoist in the Business World
Williams-Bolar's father, Edward Williams, is also being charged with fourth-degree grand theft for stealing more than $30,000 in school services for the two girls. Williams-Bolar herself will spend 10 days in jail and be placed on probation. Also, the judge in the case, Patricia Cosgrove, made it clear that she was using Williams-Bolar to set an example for other parents who consider doing the same thing. The judge went out of her way to tell the woman that she gave her jail time "so that others who think they might defraud the school system perhaps will think twice.''
Besides being a single mom, Williams-Bolar was going to school part time in the hope of getting a job as a teacher. The judge noted that because Williams-Bolar has been convicted of a felony, she will no longer be allowed to teach in the state of Ohio. Therefore, the punishment that she and her girls will face is set to last a lifetime.
The Kelley Williams-Bolar case strikes a chord with quite a few people in the black community for a few reasons. Most directly, a lot of kids can remember their own mothers doing the same thing to try to break the cycle of poverty that so many of us confront as children. Inner-city schools are inadequately funded, so many parents have no choice when it comes to finding ways to get their kids a good education. Some of the children I mentor attended poorly performing inner-city schools and even though they did what they were told, most of them were unprepared for college after graduation and had never even done any homework.
One has to also wonder why there is a $30,000 funding differential between the school that Williams-Bolar sent her children to and the one that was in her district. Logic seems to imply that if funding were roughly proportionate between the two districts, it would simply be awash, where one school's spending could be compensated by another school's savings. But this is not the case in a world where far too many people of color are locked in to the horrible schools in their districts, as our elected officials continue to ignore the problem. Many of these schools don't have books or quality teachers, while the kids in the suburbs are given everything they need to be successful. The idea that citizens are now being put in jail for attempting to access educational equality is nothing short of being Jim Crow-like in nature.
Black family economic inequality also plays a huge role in this case. It's hard to imagine that the judge would have been compelled to make an example out of Williams-Bolar were she not a poor single mother from the projects. If she were a wealthy woman from the suburbs, she would have been able to afford the kinds of attorneys that keep people out of jail, and she also would not have been forced to break the law to help her girls get access to a good school. This case just stinks to high heaven.
Dr. Martin Luther King reminded us many years ago that a moral man or woman has the right to violate unjust laws. Williams-Bolar's decision to break the law of educational apartheid to give her daughters a better future is no different from those who broke the law to teach slaves how to read. Access to education should be a fundamental American right, but as it stands, being poor has now become a crime, especially if you have the audacity to demand equality.
Kelley Williams Bolar Update: Petitions, Anderson Cooper 360, ABC News Jump In
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. 
Comments: (248)
Add a comment
By: Michael Hale Sr. on 1/27/2011 8:12AM
The issue you raise about defaming the judge is dubious at best. It's unfortunate that you chose this story to rant about Dr. Watkins. You should check the legal definition of defamation and what it means. Maybe just maybe your parents could have found better educational opportunities for you.
Report This
By: Crabcake on 1/26/2011 7:35PM
The criminal justice system in America is indeed unbalanced, unjust and subject to the individual motives of those in the judicial chair. I am certain Judge Cosgrove is a very good judge. What I am not so certain of is her real motives for handing down such a harsh sentence on a young, single mother. The facts are that this woman is a single, working mother of two children, struggling to make ends meet and taking college courses part-time to earn a degree in the teaching field. I doubt seriously if Judge Cosgrove would have imprisoned this woman or cut off her future if she were a blue-eyed blonde (like herself). I know it is hard for some white people to want to accept the reality that sometimes it is because of the color of the skin but there it is! As to this woman's plight, I do pray and hope for strong minority legal representation on her behalf because this sentence is too harsh for the 'crime.'
White collar criminals do not get this harsh a sentence and they steal BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars annually!!!
Report This
By: Mystic Momma on 1/27/2011 12:34AM
Why do political and school officials and various law-makers allow the illegal aliens to over-crowd our schools? Perhaps illegal aliens have over-crowded this poor woman's school district putting a strain on the budget and quality of education for which she tried to escape. It angers me to see our politicians and judges ignore this important fact. If they are going to charge her with a federal offense then they will have to take action against all of the illegals in our schools across the nation immediately or "we the people" will vote these judges and political officials out of office, as well as, sue them for the aiding and abetting of crimes against USA citizens as they continue the harboring, funding and protection of illegal immigrants with our tax dollars.
This is spiritual warfare people. All of you spiritual warriors out here, get busy, you know what to do!
Report This
By: James Gadson on 1/27/2011 2:36AM
I tried to research to find out if this "Judge" was a conservative republican. These are the kind of things they love to do.
The school systems are still, to this day, unequal. Most funding gets redirected from predominantly black and brown schools to white schools.
They ended busing in many instances and many whites started sending their kids to private all white schools because in most cases they have the money.
There should not be a law restricting a parent from finding the best public school they see fit for their children, but it is just another racist law. Just another law that allows whites to amass into better schools while restricting others. (It is about the money too!)
I cannot believe that there are equal "racial" numbers in that school she sent her daughters to. There are no equal numbers in colleges either. Whites get everything 'blacks' and 'browns' get prisons. What do the so called "good" 'whites' do about this? Nothing!
As for the Judge. She thinks she's better than everyone else. That is another problem for tax payers who pay her wages.
The judge should be careful she doesn't lose her job on this one. She seems to have defamed herself by exacting evil punishment on a poor hardworking single mother!
Report This
By: LISA ANDREWS on 1/25/2011 2:18AM
I'M HOPING THE NAACP WILL COME TO THIS WOMAN'S AID!
IF HER FATHER LIVED IN THE AREA, WHY PUNISH HER TO THE FULL EXTENT. COULDN'T HER FATHER SAY HE WAS RAISING THE KIDS AND WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM? SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT HERE. WHERE WAS THE GOOD SCHOOL LOCATED AT?
I HOPE THE MEDIA "PERRY'S PRINCIPLES" PICK THIS UP FOR CNN.
THIS NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Eugene on 1/26/2011 6:30AM
Lisa:
Don't hold your breath waiting for the NAACP to do anything anytime soon. They will only get involved if the story gets mainstream national attention, so that they can stand around and profile and give long winded speeches. The Jena Six is clear proof of this.
The organization that I hope gets involved in this is the National Urban League because quality education is the centerpiece of the Economic Equality Agenda.
P.S. F**k that judge who issued this ruling.
Report This
By: Focus on 1/26/2011 11:51PM
Why? Thankfully Mr. Jealous sifts thru the riff raff of problems in the black community to get to the real issues today. Unlike the NAACP in the 80s-90s who would take on ridiculous cases without merit.
This is another case of black folks defending someone who was committing fraud. This is a perpetual issue in poor communities. Something for nothing. I don't believe she deserves jail time but she surely deserves to be fined!
Whatever happened to fighting for your children? I've seen none of it in poor communities. This is why educational standards are horrendous and the schools are not working for the children. I would be SITTING on some superintendents desk!
Report This
By: SG on 1/26/2011 12:30PM
You have a great point! I was wondering the same thing. somthing does stink, not right!
Report This
By: anndymondie on 1/26/2011 1:12PM
Where are you Rev Jeese Jackson Rev Al NAACP when this mother and Black Sister was put in jail God I pray for these people my God where are all the God filled people that seen this story Pat Robertson Benny Hinn John Hagee Tyler Perry
Report This
By: leonardjohnson on 1/26/2011 1:19PM
why is it everyone think they can bend the laws just a little and it is no big thing. this could have easly been solved let them go lived with the father give him legal costody on paper. on paper they can not deny you. the rest is just cosmetics most laws written were not ment to be bent they were ment to be used. a swing by the house to leave from the house pretty much should have pretty much taken care of the rest.THINK!
Report This