When Mitt Romney came to an inner-city charter school here Thursday to promote his new education agenda, he received something of a history lecture about the persecution of blacks in America and the struggles of African American children to meet the academic achievements of their white counterparts.

Seeking to broaden his appeal heading into the general election, Romney was venturing for his first time in this campaign into an impoverished black neighborhood to hear the concerns of local educators and community leaders. But here in the streets of West Philadelphia, the emotion surrounding his contest with the nation's first black president was raw, as dozens of neighborhood residents shouted, "Get out, Romney, get out!"

Romney arrived at Universal Bluford Charter School aboard his logo-emblazoned campaign bus and began his morning visit by meeting school and civic leaders at a formal roundtable session. "I come to learn, obviously, from people who are having experiences that are unique and instructive," he said.

Kenny Gamble, who founded the West Philadelphia school last year, told Romney that his school's top priority is improving the education of African Americans and closing the achievement gap between blacks and whites. Gamble, a legendary songwriter and founder of Philadelphia International Records, created and runs Universal Companies, a not-for-profit community development organization involved in education, real estate and social services.

"Where there was a time when it was against the law of the country for people of African-American descent to even read or write, it is even more important today that we discuss education for the African-American community," Gamble told Romney.

Romney highlighted his record of education as governor of Massachusetts, when the state's schools were among the best in the nation in some areas. But Gamble interjected, "Governor, you've got to go back and remember how the whole concept of education has failed. You go back a few years, even in Boston, when they were trying to integrate schools and they had young black children going to white neighborhoods and they were throwing eggs at the little black children, spitting on them, calling them all kinds of names."

Outside, meanwhile, some brick row houses across from the school were boarded up. Police had cordoned off a full city block to protect Romney and his entourage. Residents, some of them organized by Obama's campaign, stood on their porches and gathered at a sidewalk corner to shout angrily at Romney. Some held signs saying, "We are the 99%." One man's placard trumpeted an often-referenced Romney gaffe: "I am not concerned about the very poor."

SOURCE: The Washington Post

Philip Rucker