Firing Justified??

This past week, several Latino/a leaders gathered to discuss the next steps in questioning the firing of Community College president Christine Johnson.

The real issue for me is whether or not Ms Johnson was set up for the fall. If so, the back room decision makers need to make their reasons public. We should not allow Johnson to be pushed to the edge and have her tenure as president end this way. This is not a way to treat a well respected leader and mentor in our Latino/a community.

It is heartening to see some in the Latino/a community coming together to stand up for one of own. Usually, it seems most just sit on the sidelines and think to themselves...."um...wonder what happened to bring about this decision?" And then go back to watching television as if nothing has happened.

The next big step we as a community need to take is to find an answer to the fatal attraction we seem to have in bringing down our own leaders in the mainstream community. There are some people in the community who would rather attack a Latino/a leader than condemn the sins of other leaders.

For other judgmental individuals, it is almost a missionary zeal that drives these people to attack and attack. In doing so, we end up detroying careers, reputations, and people. Sometimes we are too passionate and blinded by own jealously or station in our community.

So as we gather to demand answers to the firing of Christine Johnson, it is my expectation that we can also mature as a community and continue to stand up for other Latino/a leaders when the situation demands similiar action.

I think if we try it often enough, we may actually find it is a positive way to endorse community leadership. It might also encourage younger people to seek positions of leadership without fear that some of our own so called leaders will attack or destroy them.