SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Report from Chicago: Dyett Hunger Strike Ends
Sep 20, 2015
The hunger strike for Dyett High School ended Saturday morning on day 34.
Once again I headed to the south side to be with my friends and fellow education fighters known as the Dyett Twelve. Education activists had been told that the hunger strikers would have an announcement this morning, and many of us converged at the Rainbow Push Coalition broadcast to be there in support.
I sit in the pews behind Cathy Dale and Jeanette Taylor-Ramann - two women who I have come to love and respect through this struggle. After 34 days of fasting the hunger strikers have an other-worldly presence. They seem so strong and focused, yet vulnerable at the same time.
The Dyett hunger strikers make their decisions collectively, and I have seen this process first-hand. There is always a careful and respectful debate, an analysis of strategical plan, and a strong focus on the mission: A neighborhood high school open to all children governed by the community and focused on a curriculum that the community wants.
It was difficult to bring this strike to a righteous close and a real win.
Here are the remarkable accomplishments made through this struggle. First, we know of no closed neighborhood school in the country that has be re-opened as a neighborhood school. Second, the school will not be opened as a charter or a contract school.
The planning for curriculum and governance of the school has not yet been decided, and this is where national allies and supporters need to take notice. To continue this fight, we cannot turn away and let the appointed school board of the Chicago Public Schools think we are no longer watching. Our continued insistence on a school FOR the community, FROM the community will bring the hunger strike to its full resolution.
A hunger strike is an action of last resort, a stance taken by those who no longer agree to be victims of a system that does not have their community's best interest in mind. In the words of Jeanette Taylor-Ramann, "You have to quit talking to people when you realize that the other side is not listening." The hunger strikers are people who decided to fight outside of the rules of those who would rule them.
As Jitu Brown, one of the hunger strikers, said at Saturday's announcement, "We made the decision not to bow down to people who do not love our children."
Throughout this struggle, many of us have been reflecting on our own commitments to public education. I hear from people daily who are in awe of the sacrifice that the hunger strikers made, and those of us who spent time with them under the trees at Dyett cannot help but be forever changed.
As we continue this fight forward, we need to develop a heightened vigilance in making sure that as many schools as possible remain in the hands of the public. We also need to ask ourselves - what are our organizations doing to promote education justice? How do we put ourselves on the line? We all need to make a commitment to hold fast to what belongs to us. Refuse to be complicit in the privatization of our schools and our children as profit centers.
At the end of his remarks today at Rainbow Push, Jonathan Jackson said, "There has to be some evidence of your living - some evidence of your doing good."
The Dyett Twelve gave us evidence and witness of lives well-lived, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to them. The fight goes on.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
© 2023 Living In Dialogue
The hunger strike for Dyett High School ended Saturday morning on day 34.
Once again I headed to the south side to be with my friends and fellow education fighters known as the Dyett Twelve. Education activists had been told that the hunger strikers would have an announcement this morning, and many of us converged at the Rainbow Push Coalition broadcast to be there in support.
I sit in the pews behind Cathy Dale and Jeanette Taylor-Ramann - two women who I have come to love and respect through this struggle. After 34 days of fasting the hunger strikers have an other-worldly presence. They seem so strong and focused, yet vulnerable at the same time.
The Dyett hunger strikers make their decisions collectively, and I have seen this process first-hand. There is always a careful and respectful debate, an analysis of strategical plan, and a strong focus on the mission: A neighborhood high school open to all children governed by the community and focused on a curriculum that the community wants.
It was difficult to bring this strike to a righteous close and a real win.
Here are the remarkable accomplishments made through this struggle. First, we know of no closed neighborhood school in the country that has be re-opened as a neighborhood school. Second, the school will not be opened as a charter or a contract school.
The planning for curriculum and governance of the school has not yet been decided, and this is where national allies and supporters need to take notice. To continue this fight, we cannot turn away and let the appointed school board of the Chicago Public Schools think we are no longer watching. Our continued insistence on a school FOR the community, FROM the community will bring the hunger strike to its full resolution.
A hunger strike is an action of last resort, a stance taken by those who no longer agree to be victims of a system that does not have their community's best interest in mind. In the words of Jeanette Taylor-Ramann, "You have to quit talking to people when you realize that the other side is not listening." The hunger strikers are people who decided to fight outside of the rules of those who would rule them.
As Jitu Brown, one of the hunger strikers, said at Saturday's announcement, "We made the decision not to bow down to people who do not love our children."
Throughout this struggle, many of us have been reflecting on our own commitments to public education. I hear from people daily who are in awe of the sacrifice that the hunger strikers made, and those of us who spent time with them under the trees at Dyett cannot help but be forever changed.
As we continue this fight forward, we need to develop a heightened vigilance in making sure that as many schools as possible remain in the hands of the public. We also need to ask ourselves - what are our organizations doing to promote education justice? How do we put ourselves on the line? We all need to make a commitment to hold fast to what belongs to us. Refuse to be complicit in the privatization of our schools and our children as profit centers.
At the end of his remarks today at Rainbow Push, Jonathan Jackson said, "There has to be some evidence of your living - some evidence of your doing good."
The Dyett Twelve gave us evidence and witness of lives well-lived, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to them. The fight goes on.
The hunger strike for Dyett High School ended Saturday morning on day 34.
Once again I headed to the south side to be with my friends and fellow education fighters known as the Dyett Twelve. Education activists had been told that the hunger strikers would have an announcement this morning, and many of us converged at the Rainbow Push Coalition broadcast to be there in support.
I sit in the pews behind Cathy Dale and Jeanette Taylor-Ramann - two women who I have come to love and respect through this struggle. After 34 days of fasting the hunger strikers have an other-worldly presence. They seem so strong and focused, yet vulnerable at the same time.
The Dyett hunger strikers make their decisions collectively, and I have seen this process first-hand. There is always a careful and respectful debate, an analysis of strategical plan, and a strong focus on the mission: A neighborhood high school open to all children governed by the community and focused on a curriculum that the community wants.
It was difficult to bring this strike to a righteous close and a real win.
Here are the remarkable accomplishments made through this struggle. First, we know of no closed neighborhood school in the country that has be re-opened as a neighborhood school. Second, the school will not be opened as a charter or a contract school.
The planning for curriculum and governance of the school has not yet been decided, and this is where national allies and supporters need to take notice. To continue this fight, we cannot turn away and let the appointed school board of the Chicago Public Schools think we are no longer watching. Our continued insistence on a school FOR the community, FROM the community will bring the hunger strike to its full resolution.
A hunger strike is an action of last resort, a stance taken by those who no longer agree to be victims of a system that does not have their community's best interest in mind. In the words of Jeanette Taylor-Ramann, "You have to quit talking to people when you realize that the other side is not listening." The hunger strikers are people who decided to fight outside of the rules of those who would rule them.
As Jitu Brown, one of the hunger strikers, said at Saturday's announcement, "We made the decision not to bow down to people who do not love our children."
Throughout this struggle, many of us have been reflecting on our own commitments to public education. I hear from people daily who are in awe of the sacrifice that the hunger strikers made, and those of us who spent time with them under the trees at Dyett cannot help but be forever changed.
As we continue this fight forward, we need to develop a heightened vigilance in making sure that as many schools as possible remain in the hands of the public. We also need to ask ourselves - what are our organizations doing to promote education justice? How do we put ourselves on the line? We all need to make a commitment to hold fast to what belongs to us. Refuse to be complicit in the privatization of our schools and our children as profit centers.
At the end of his remarks today at Rainbow Push, Jonathan Jackson said, "There has to be some evidence of your living - some evidence of your doing good."
The Dyett Twelve gave us evidence and witness of lives well-lived, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to them. The fight goes on.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy