Students at Chicago’s Urban Prep Shout “16 Shots!” During Rahm Emanuel Visit

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) – There was a very dramatic moment Wednesday morning during what was supposed to be a routine event for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

During the launch of a new program called “Chicago’s My Brother’s Keeper Cabinet,” which is aimed at helping teens in need, students at Urban Prep began chanting “16 shots!”

The chant was in reference to the number of shots fired by a Chicago Police officer when Laquan McDonald was gunned The chant broke out twice during the event, but Mayor Emanuel had no visible reaction to it. The Mayor’s Office released the following statement regarding the incident Wednesday afternoon:
The Mayor recognizes that Chicagoans are understandably frustrated. He has called for systemic reform to bring safety to every community and rebuild trust where it has been lost. As part of that process he will continue to engage with residents, police, and community leaders to address their specific concerns.

Be Part of and learn from the Chicago Education Movement. Attend the Chicago Teachers for Social Justice Curriculum Fair.

Meet the Dyett hunger strikers. Meet community activists. Meet teachers. Meet the movement fighting Rahm Emanuel.

For more information go to: http://www.teachersforjustice.org/

The 14th Annual TSJ Curriculum Fair is on November 21, 2015 at Kenwood HS, 5015 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago

 

Chicago communities organizing to win an elected school board

by Larry Miller

Last night Wendell Harris and I had the honor and privilege to address over 100 activists on Chicago’s South-side. The town hall meeting was called by The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Action Now and the Hope Center. The array of speakers was highlighted by community participants in the recent victorious hunger strike demanding that the south side Dyett High School not be closed.

This was a meeting of south-side grassroots organizers with one goal in mind; an elected school board representing the communities of Chicago. They spoke of the failures, the corruption, the elitism and the refusal of Chicago’s leaders to educate the city’s Black children. It was noted by one of the speakers that Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emmanuel sends his children to the exclusive University of Chicago Lab School, while attempting to close school after school in black and brown communities.

They are fighting for proposed legislation HB-4268. It would create 13 election districts that would vote to constitute a 13 member school board for the City of Chicago. This event was the first of many town hall meetings that will be held to discuss this proposed legislation. The growth of this movement, focusing on the creation of a democratically elected school board, follows two nonbinding Chicago referendums that showed voters overwhelmingly support the replacement of the present mayoral appointed school board with an elected board.

It was reported at the meeting that their efforts have already won 50 supporters in the Illinois State Assembly. They need 71 to secure veto-proof passage.

They had invited Wendell and me to speak about our experience in a city with an elected school board. At the same time it was clear that they are not under any illusion that a victory in this effort will mean the battle is over. They see it as just another step in the fight to educate all of Chicago’s children.