10-15-2008 12:26 PM — School board member Karen Johnson has been asked by the local chapter of 100 Black Women Inc. to discuss at an Oct. 28 meeting her recent board decisions — including Johnson’s stance on school district rezoning, and her vote for David Fox as chair of the school board.
Johnson, a member of 100 Black Women, has attracted notice from some in the community for being the only black member of the board to vote in favor of a new rezoning plan this summer, to cast a vote for Fox as board chair.
Fox was narrowly elected board chair over Gracie Porter, and with the exception of Johnson, that vote was split along racial lines.
“Our membership has some concerns about the direction of Metro Nashville public schools, and I invite you to share with us your thoughts,” wrote chapter president K. Dawn Rutledge Jones in her letter inviting Johnson to speak. “We further believe it is important that you understand our stance on various issues as it relates to one of our primary platforms — education.”
In a letter Johnson distributed widely this morning, Johnson said she is “pleased” to explain her votes to the local members of 100 Black Women. But she asked that Porter attend the meeting as well, and that the meeting be made open to the public due to the presence of more than one board member.
“It is because I am a strong advocate for our community and a strong advocate for those who often go unheard that I joined the [100 Black Women] and why I ran to become an elected member of the [school board],” Johnson wrote in her response.
K. Dawn Rutledge Jones | 
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