About 250 parents, students and supporters marched from the Whittier school field house in Pilsen to Alderman Daniel Solis’s public service office on Sept. 23. The field house, “La Casita,” has been occupied by parents since Sept. 15 to stop a planned demolition of the building.
 PSL Photo: Ana Santoyo |
Parents, students and teachers are demanding that the Chicago Public Schools turn the field house into a badly needed library for the students. They have been fighting for a library for years.
Aldermen Solis promised to schedule a meeting with Ron Huberman, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, for the parents and teachers. That promise was not kept, which resulted in the militant march for the childrens’ educational right to have a library for their school.
When Protesters arrived at the Aldermen’s office, the doors were locked and the window blinds were closed, despite their open hours. Chants like, “Biblioteca Si, Demolicion No”, knocks on the doors, and cell phone calls from the crowd persisted so that they could be heard by at least the workers of Daniel Solis in the office.
The parents are proceeding in their sit-in for the field house and are transforming the building into a library intended for their children. Many in the Chicago area stand with those involved in the action.
The location of the school is in a Latino area of Chicago. This field house sit-in is a powerful symbol of the struggle for education rights for all in working communities, especially for people of color.
We call for all to bring attention to the barriers that need to be torn down for the children and parents involved in this important fight for education.
To get involved with the struggle for the Whittier School library go to http://www.saveourcenter.com
