An honestly good question. (And a story I haven't heard here in NYC.)
The black Oberlin parents are not entirely wrong - only if you've lived in America as a black person can you truly understand what the experience has been like. You definitely bring personal experience to the class and that cannot be underestimated.

However, how many science teachers teach about outerspace yet have never gone up in a rocket? Do history teachers discussed the Holocaust have to be Jewish to teach it properly? Do history teachers discussing wartime activities have to be veterans? No. Could it add something to the course? Absolutely. Will it do a disservice to the topic? No. Because you're saying that no matter how hard one tries, they'll never be able to appreciate a topic unless they've lived it first hand. That's true to an extent, but not the extent that is makes them a lesser teacher on the topic.

Most important, there was no reason given as to why Kurt Russell was being replaced. All things being absolutely equal on all levels, I might say yes, having lived in American as a black man, Kurt Russell can bring someething extra to the job that a white teacher can't. However, we don't know that they're equal. We don't know the background. We don't know what the reasoning is for why they're replacing Mr. Russell. This is a GREY area. Ironic, eh?

Kurt Russell is black. Wow. Does Goldie Hawn know?