A Racially Charged Text

A racially charged text message between sitting Councilman Shamar Mahon and former Councilman Rickford Kirton has recently surfaced where the two lament the idea that Bloomfield schools Superintendent, Tracy Youngberg, who is white, ‘don’t look like us’. 

The text message was exchanged at a March 12, 2025 Council meeting where the superintendent presented the board of education’s budget that eliminated summer school. Former Councilor Kirton texted to Mahon that ‘a lot of families look forward to summer school’. Kirton went on to say ‘when kids are left at home with no oversight that will become a problem’. Mahon responded ‘yes but they don’t give a damn’. Kirton went on to say, ‘yes let’s get a bunch of people that don’t look like us but telling us how”.

Wow! Kirton’s inference that because the superintendent is white, she cannot make decisions on behalf of minority children in the Bloomfield school district is shocking.

About three minutes after this text exchange, Councilor Mahon pressed Superintendent Youngberg about the plan to eliminate summer school.  Dr. Youngberg explained why the District was taking the course it was.  She noted that lack of childcare is not a problem to be solved by offering summer school, but one that would be better addressed through Social Services.  The exchange starts at the 2:10:30 mark on the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrfgsw0IsdQ&list=PLQNFv-zI18mY8dAv-bURm-SuWPGaPnjm-&index=26&t=7830s

This obviously cozy relationship between Mahon and Kirton is not surprising; however for a sitting Councilor, who was elected to represent ALL the people, to not call out racist behavior by a town resident towards a high-level town official is racist in itself. Mahon should be condemned for participation in this racist dialogue and every town resident, despite your demographic, should be outraged and demand an immediate explanation from Mahon and Kirton, who is once again asking to be your representative on Town Council.