Community reaction to Section VI changes

Buffalo Public School parents, community members, activists and others came together on Friday night to speak out against the changes to Section VI football.

THE PUSH TO STOP ARE-ALIGNMENT OFLOCAL HIGH SCHOOLFOOTBALL TEAMS ISGETTING MOREINTENSE.OPPONENTS CLAIMTHE DECISION BYSECTION SIX COULDAMOUNT TO RACIALDISCRIMINATION.NIKKI DEMENTRICONTINUES OURCOVERAGE OF ANISSUE WE HAVE BEENFOLLOWING ALL WEEK.FROM THE GRID IRONTO THE ROUNDTABLE--THE COMMUNITYWANTS ACTION.

THEYWANT ACTION NOW.BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOL PARENTS,COMMUNITYMEMBERS, ACTIVISITS,POLITICIANS ANDOTHERS CAMETOGETHER FRIDAYNIGHT AT THE FAMILYLIFE CENTER ONMICHIGAN AVENUE.NAT POP: THEY'VEDECIDED TO ISOLATEOUR STUDENTATHLETES.THEY WANT SECTIOSIX TO REVERSE THEORGANIZATION'SDECISION TO TOREALIGN FOOTBALLCONFERENCES.FOOTBALL PROGRAMSWILL NOW COMPETEWITHIN THEIRLEAGUES... MEANINGBUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOL PROGRAMSWILL NOT BE ABLE TOCOMPETE AGAINSTSUBURBAN SCHOOLS.WE'RE AGAINST IT B/CWE KNOW WE'REPUTTING OBSTACLES INFRONT OF THEMINSTEAD OFOPPORTUNITY.EVERYBODY WANTSTHEIR CHILDREN TOSUCCEED WE JUSTWANT AN EQUAL ANDLEVEL PLAYING FIELDFOR OURS.THE 90 MINUTEDISCUSSION COVEREDCONCERNS INCLUDINGDISCRIMINATION,FINANCIAL BURDENS,CLASS GAPS, SAFETYCONCERNS ANDCOLLEGESCHOLARSHIPS.AS WELL AS NEXTSTEPS -- THATINCLUDE VOICINGCONCERNS TOSECTION VI MEMBERSAND SPREADING THEWORD ABOUT THEISSUE AT HAND.WE DON'T WANT THEMTO HAVE A PATH OFADVERSITY, WE WANTTHEM TO HAVE A PATHOF OPPORTUNITY ANDFOOTBALL IS PAVINGTHE WAY TO THAT SOWE WANT TO MAKESURE THAT REMAINSON THEIR PLATE.THE GROUP WANTS TOCOME TO THE TABLEWITH SECTION SIXMEMBERS TOFORMALLY VOICETHEIR FRUSTRATION.THEY HAVE THESUPPORT OF BOTHBUFFALO'S BOARD OFEDUCATION AND THETEACHER'SFEDERATION.YOU CAN MAKE ALLSORTS OF EXCUSESTHAT YOU WANT, BUT ITIS, IN MY OPINION,BLATENTDISCRIMINATION,BLATENT RACISM ANDIT'S UNEXCEPTABLE."THIS HAS GOT TO BEOVERTURNEDBECAUSE OF ITSIMPACT ONOPPORTUNITY, ONEQUITYALL GROUPS SAY THEYHOPE IT DOESN'TCOME TO LEGALACTION -- BUT THEY'REPREPARED FOR AFIGHT.BUFFALO SCHOOLBOARD MEMBERTERRANCE HEARDTOLD ME A MEETINGSCHEDULED FORTODAY BETWEENSCHOOLADMINISTRATORS ANDSECTION VI WASCANCELED BECAUSEOF LEGAL CONCERNS.THE COALITION ISPLANNING ONANOTHER COMMUNITYMEETING WITHIN THENEXT TWO WEEKS.LIVE IN STUDIO, NIKK