CPS students demand change for inclusive education and social justice
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Updated: 5:54 PM EST Mar 3, 2021
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Updated: 5:54 PM EST Mar 3, 2021
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FORMED A GROUP CALLED SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT. AND THEY’RE DOING JUST THAT. CALLING FOR AN EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION. >> ACTING LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS HELPING THE PROCESS OF BECOMING UNITED AS A NATIO ASHLEY: CPS STUDENTS STARTED THE GROUP SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT AFTER THE RACIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT REACHED A BOILING POINT IN 2020 . THEY SAY IT WAS A WAKE-UP CALL. >> WE STARTED IT THEN TO TRY TO BRING LIGHT TO MORE BLACK HISTORY, AND DECIDED WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BRING LIGHT TO BLACK HISTORY THAN TO TALK TO OUR YOUNGER GENERATION. ASHLEY: WEEKLY LISTENING SESSIONS LED TO A RETREAT AND A ONE ON ONE TALK WITH CINCINNATI POLICE CHIEF ELIOT ISAAC ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND STUDENTS. SO WE WANT CPD TO BE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF SCHOOL EVENTS, UNARMED AND OUT OF UNIFORM, BECAUSE WHEN WE SEE THE UNIFORM, WE INSTANTLY THINK OF JUST A POLICE OFFICER, NOT THE PERSON IN THE UNIFORM. ASHLEY: SUPERINTENDENT LAURA MITCHELL ASKED TO STUDENTS TO CREATE A LIST OF CHANGES THEY WANT TO SEE. THEY RESPONDED THEY WANT PEER GROUPS AT EACH SCHOOLS FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT THINGS IMPACTING THEIR LIVES. THEY ASKED TO BE ABLE TO FORM A RALLY WHICH THEY DID VIRTUALLY LAST WEEK. THEY WANT BLACK HISTORY EMBEDDED IN EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR EDUCATION, NOT JUST IN FEBRUARY. THEY WANT MORE CIVIC EDUCATION TO TEACH THEM ABOUT LIFE SKILLS LASTLY THEY WANT A WORKING , RELATIONSHIP AND BOND BETWEEN CPS AND CPD. THEY SAY THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. >> EVERYBODY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT NOBODY HAD THE GUTS TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT, UNTIL WE SAID SOMETHING. ASHLEY: THIS GROUP IS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SHAUNA MURPHY. THE STUDENTS SAY THEY DO PLAN TO HAVE AN IN PERSON RALLY ONCE THINGS ARE SAFER IN REGARDS TO THE PAND