Dear 2UrbanGirls,
Recently the Warren Lane school library was redesigned by former Rams Quarterback Jared Goff. Inglewood Unified School District marketed and promoted the event with all the fanfare it could muster including videos on its website, and T.V media coverage as well. The only thing is that Russel Westbrook had already donated a reading room with books at the same school and IUSD administration was fully aware of it. What’s the difference?
Superstar athlete Russell Westbrook, the former NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA all-time triple double record holder, and local UCLA and Leuzinger High school basketball standout, donated one of his 4 reading rooms at IUSD elementary schools to Warren Lane in 2019. However, despite this, Dr. Erika Torres chose to close the school at the end of 2020 school year with full knowledge of the recent investment by Mr. Westbrook’s Why Not Foundation’s early literacy program which is in 26 schools nationwide each stocked with 1200 books. Apparently Jared Goff’s contribution is more valued than Russell Westbrook’s by Dr. Erika Torres. What is the difference between the two athletes? Both contributed to the school, however, Mr. Goff who has been treated with reverence for his contribution by Dr. Erika Torres is white, and Mr. Westbrook who was unceremoniously dismissed after his contribution a year earlier and has been treated with disrespect by Dr. Erika Torres is African-American.
Not only has Dr. Erika Torres demonstrated a lack of appreciation for Mr. Westbrook’s contribution, the school principal confirmed in a faculty meeting that Dr. Torres directed the kindergarten class be moved to the reading room built by Mr. Westbrook at the Warren Lane site the Friday before the campus reopened. This is totally disrespectful of his investment, and offensive to African-American athletes such as Mr. Westbrook who want to give back to their community. Dr. Erika Torres is Inglewood Unified School District’s example of Cancel Culture. I guess we can call her “Erika the Eraser”, at least as far as African Americans are concerned.
Observant Inglewood resident
2 Comments
The Westbrook family has no say in this? So many resources and money donated. IUSD has no concept of legacy.
Why is this a surprise! Torres and Perez are both racist. Neither of them gives 0 fu$&s about African American people. She sits back and allows Perez to do the dirty work. Destroying every black person he can. He closed down a whole department that was predominately African American.(Transportation) He disrespected the Custodial Supervisor Byron Miller,(a black man) telling him to “get his ASS over here”. And if you even dare speak or stand up for yourself…he puts you on LOA. Let’s not forget the gardeners who are also all black males. It’s so unfortunate for Westbrook that his good deed went unnoticed because it wasn’t a “Perez idea”. God doesn’t like ugly…