Facing Termination(Fast 4 Education Special Report)

When balancing the budget, the state sees “under-performing” inner-city schools suffering from decreasing enrollment and shuts them down to cut costs. What will become of families that cannot send their children to the public school in their very own neighborhood? They will be expected to send their child on a foreign bus line across town to a school in a foreign neighborhood. Either that, or they starve. Literally.
Beginning at 12am early Monday morning on the 10th of May, nine devoted Community members began a water-only Fast for Education to draw attention to the “gross inequities in public education spending” in California. The particular target of the protest, West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), is threatening to close five elementary schools. Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) which, under the direction of state-appointed administrator Dr. Randolph Ward also proposes the closure of five schools, also faces the wrath of these under-nourished, weathered community agitators.

No sooner had these rabble-rousers returned from a seventy-mile march from San Pablo to Sacramento, accompanying a group of elementary students, teachers, college students and elderly community activists, than they descended upon Frank Ogawa plaza in downtown Oakland to raise a fuss about what? The trivial issue of the literally-segregated and unequal nature of public education in California? The shutting down of a mere 10 east bay elementary schools?

So what if the seventy-mile effort made by a dedicated group of children, parents, teachers and elders during the children’s “spring break” was met at the state capitol by no other than an aide of the esteemed Governator? Should Oakland’s government officials be forced to tolerate the stress of viewing teachers and community members starve for their children’s right to a valid education? Should Oakland’s business community be forced to recognize that Inner-City WCCUSD and OUSD neighborhoods need more adequately funded schools and not more crumbling once-something buildings between liquor stores and store-front churches? The Oakland Police Department and city officials do not think so.

After initial dialogues with city officials did not establish a permit to sit on the grass, the Fast organizers were never allowed to set up a “Port-o-Potty” in a remote corner of the plaza and were forced by police officers to remove a chicken wire fence that would shelter the famished protestors and their few possessions.

“Even though they took our fence, you all provide a much better surrounding and your warmth nourishes our spirits”, 60 year-old hunger-striker Fred Jackson, a Richmond resident since 1954, said to those who came to support the Fast for Education. The organizers were initially allowed to erect two small canopies to protect the fasters from exposure and dehydration. After a small candlelight vigil, the fasters and the twenty-five supporters who joined them, packed their things and left peacefully at 10:30PM Monday evening.

On day two of the fast, the space was again created at 6:30AM but by 7AM, before anyone could witness it, the canopies were broken down and confiscated by the Chief of Police. The fasters spent day two under the bright sun and drank their water patiently waiting for supporters to return from work and attend the second vigil. By early evening David Jackson, a Contra Costa College student and one of the fasters from Richmond, fell ill and required medical attention but later appeared stable.

By the end of the second day, over 75 supporters circled their growling-bellied leaders and took turns speaking on their reasons for showing support and their commitment to bringing more supporters in the following days. Alfredo, one of the young organizers of the event spoke passionately to the group shouting, “We see whats happening to our schools and to our younger brothers and sisters, We cannot wait for another Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X or Cesar Chavez. We have the power within us to make change and it is our responsibility.”
After 54 hours of sipping water, the Fasters returned to the site only to find that the grass where they had sat the day before was soaked. Seeking dry ground, the organizers set up the fasters’ chairs underneath the protection of the mighty oak tree in Frank Ogawa plaza. As the third vigil approached, the Fasters received the blessings of a local Danzante Azteca group in addition to the growing presence of families, students of all ages, and local community members. The exhausted community leaders and their supporters left early to avoid the cold and travel to their new shelter.

Even though city officials warned them that they could expect a barricade with “no trespassing” signs preventing them from sitting under the large Oak tree, the fasters have pledged to return this Thursday the 13th of May.

The fasters have made their commitment and accept that the fate of California Schools may cost them their health and quite possibly their lives. As their demands state (available at march4education.org), “drastic circumstances call for drastic action”.

Will the community rally behind public education and come out to support these brave women and men? Will Arnold Swarzenegger allow these peoples’ lives to face the same threat as the elementary schools and equal education they are so valiantly trying to protect? Will he allow these leaders to face termination?

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, ex-teacher, long time civil rights activist, and mother of eleven, is scheduled to stop by the Fast’s Ogawa plaza (14th and Broadway in down town Oakland) headquarters and give her support for the Fast for Education at 1:30pm on Thursday.

72 Hours without food and Fasters still smile with gratitude at their supporters. With obviously growing support and increasing publicity, organizers do not foresee failure at any level.