Brooks: Baltimore County Minorities Distrust 'Majority Vote'

, the former president of the Baltimore County school board, said calls to change the board to a mix of elected and appointed members proves there is a belief that minorities can't get elected on their own.

"Yes, we're a democracy, but we're a democracy that elected a president and they call him tar baby," Brooks said.

Brooks made his comments Friday morning during a work session of a charged with examining how the county's 12-member school board is selected. Currently, the members are appointed by the governor.

The appointment recommendations currently come from the county executive, though in the past, state legislators and a school board nominating committee have also made recommendations on appointments.

Some members of a task force looking at how school board members are selected are calling for a so-called hybrid board, the majority of which would be elected.

Two members of the task force—Brooks and Sen. Delores Kelley—and some members of the public raised concerns during three public hearings in July and August that an elected school board would diminish minority representation on the board.

Supporters of the hybrid board proposal, in response, have said the appointed positions could be used to protect racial diversity on the board.

"African-Americans have the right to participate but it's interesting that they almost always have to vote for majority candidates, though sometimes they vote for minority candidates, who ultimately get elected," Brooks said. "You're telling me you already know from the beginning that minorities can't get elected."

During the hearings in July and August, some testified that they believed the public would elect the best person to be on the board regardless of race or political affiliation.

Brooks, in his comments Friday morning, appeared to reject those comments.

"The minority voters in this county do not trust the majority voters in this county, and the majority voters in this county have not given the minority population any reason to trust that they will do the right thing," Brooks said.

The task force continues to discuss the makeup of its report at its Friday morning meeting. It is required to produce a report by Oct. 1.