MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Days after a heated Memphis-Shelby County School board meeting, a state representative is responding to a problematic comment made after he expressed his views on the session.
On Tuesday, MSCS called a meeting to discuss whether they should terminate Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins’ contract.
However, the school board meeting quickly became unruly, with some attendees being escorted out by security.
State Representative Antonio Parkinson took to Facebook to express his concerns about Representative Mark White’s presence at the meeting.
“Just so I’m clear, you have an internal family disagreement (Black folks) about the direction of MSCS. And you go and get the white Republican who is leading the complete decimation of MSCS? Am I the only one confused about this,” Parkinson said.
Parkinson is calling for the board to handle their issues internally without relying on state representatives.
“The board is predominantly African-American. The people that were disrupting the meeting are predominantly Black and brown people. So those are the people that I’m talking to, and let me be clear, because I have a great relationship with State Representative Mark White. It’s no slight against him. There’s nothing against him at all,” Parkinson said. ” I know he was called because Mark White, who is from Germantown, does not routinely just hang out in Hyde Park. But he was there, and it’s nothing against him. He is not the issue. This is an issue within the Black family. You got a disagreement with another Black person. You don’t go out there and get the law to put on that Black person. Solve it. Fix it internally.”
However, Parkinson’s post sparked a disturbing comment from someone who suggested that Parkinson should be “put down like a dog.”
“Antonio Parkinson is the epitome of a lost soul of a human being that has never accomplished ANYTHING in his life. He has NEVER EARNED an honest dollar a day in his sad life. He should be put down like a dog… but then again a dog has more redeeming qualities than this leech that has lived off the tax payer tit.” the post said.
While speaking with WREG about the post. Rep. Parkinson said it was clear that the commenter did not know anything about his background.
“To me, it doesn’t get any more vile than that,” Parkinson said. “I’m an individual that came from being homeless three times before the age of 17. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. I became a firefighter, retired after 25 years, and was a lieutenant in the fire department for half of my time that I was in the fire department. I became a state legislator. I’m one of the highest output state representatives – Democratic state representatives in the Tennessee legislature. Those are my accomplishments.”
Rep. Parkinson added that the comment could also inspire someone to do something dangerous.
“I’m a father. I got I have two girls and I know that he has children and a wife,” Parkinson said. “And I would, but I would never, ever, ever say that somebody needs to kill him like a dog. He has a wife and children. Now, what if some crazy individual decides to take him up on that act? That’s irresponsible.”
Rep. Parkinson said the individual has been reported to the police and district attorney. He’s also calling for the school board to handle their internal issues without relying on state representatives.
