Saying that St. Cloud, Minnesota (best known and ridiculed as “White Cloud”) suffers from its history of incompetence and racism is a gross understatement. Since 1853, St. Cloud’s majority residents have desperately tried to boost low esteem through racism. Articles in the St. Cloud Times show that organized and spontaneous anti-Black and anti-Muslim hostilities have been counterproductive, escalating and psychotic.
News reports in both the St. Cloud Times and WJON show that St. Cloud State University (SCSU) enrollment has declined. Since 2014, SCSU has lost 5,266 students, mostly of color. In 2013, undergraduate enrollment fell from 18,319 in 2010 to 16,245 — a drop of 11.3 percent. recent enrollment plummeted to 13,236.
Despite SCSU’s counterclaims, however, regional high school graduation rates are up. The Star Tribune reported in February 2018 that, “… a record 83 percent of students graduated high school on time in 2017, a gain of nearly 5 percentage points since the 2011-2012 school year.”
Instead, St. Cloud leaders blame “national and state media types” — i.e., investigative reporters — for “trying to portray St. Cloud as a powder keg of racial strife.”
For those curious about “White Cloud’s” costs for compensatory self inferiority-driven racism, multiply $8,500 (money spent locally, beyond books, fees and tuition) by the more than 5,000 students avoiding SCSU.
In addition, at least 1,660 students were transferred to neighboring school districts by parents trying to avoid racial diversity integration. An estimated 20-30 public school teachers quit. Each child leaving St. Cloud’s District 742, took $5,831 based on Open Enrollment provisions. Calculate the cost of 1,660 students taking away $5,831 each.
Community pride-filled racism has been devastating. A recent local news headline in the St. Cloud Times admitted that major economic and unemployment problems further punish St. Cloud, citing “recent layoffs could test St. Cloud’s economy, spirit.”
Major employers began leaving in 2002. Fingerhut’s closure cost 2,700 jobs, according to MPR. Despite SCSU’s brand new football facility, the Minnesota Vikings again snubbed St. Cloud as Mankato’s successor for preseason training camps.
Even Remington’s DPMS Panther Arms AR-15 assault rifle plant closure in 2014 left local White supremacists in a lurch with a loss of 68 jobs, reported the Star Tribune. More jobs lost included Capital One, Electrolux, Herberger’s and Gap.
Racism demands costly punishment.
Buster Cooper welcomes reader responses at coopermb1976@gmail.com.