UpdatedThu, Apr 8, 2021 at 8:51 am ET
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Framingham school resource officer Jay Ball attending a June protest with students. (Neal McNamara/Patch)
FRAMINGHAM, MA A forum held Wednesday on police in Framingham schools drew dozens of attendees, including local elected officials, experts and students who say the presence of officers in schools is harmful to their education.
The forum was a collaboration between the group Framingham Families for Racial Equity in Education (FFREE) and Framingham State University. FFREE has since last summer advocated for the removal school resource officers (SROs) from Framingham High School and Keefe Tech. The group collected hundreds of signatures on a petition for the removal effort last year.
Breanna Grow / WGLT
Harper Joyner is 6 1/2 years old. Her mom, Tameka Thompson, is co-chair of Bloomington-Normal ACT-SO, an NAACP youth enrichment program for high school students.
Both joined a virtual Bloomington-Normal NAACP meeting Thursday night where Harper wanted to know: “What can little kids do to be a part of what’s going on?”
Starting in 2021, kids like Harper will have a new way to get involved in the fight for equality, when the Bloomington-Normal NAACP launches a youth council.
All children age 18 and younger will be able to join, said First Vice President Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson.
“If there is a protest, Harper, how powerful would that be to have you.out there on the frontlines as opposed to us, for the media to see you young folks out there saying, ‘Something’s not right about that, and we’re starting at an early age to make a change,’” she said.
Breanna Grow / WGLT
Harper Joyner is 6 1/2 years old. Her mom, Tameka Thompson, is co-chair of Bloomington-Normal ACT-SO, an NAACP youth enrichment program for high school students.
Both joined a virtual Bloomington-Normal NAACP meeting Thursday night where Harper wanted to know: “What can little kids do to be a part of what’s going on?”
Starting in 2021, kids like Harper will have a new way to get involved in the fight for equality, when the Bloomington-Normal NAACP launches a youth council.
All children age 18 and younger will be able to join, said First Vice President Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson.
“If there is a protest, Harper, how powerful would that be to have you.out there on the frontlines as opposed to us, for the media to see you young folks out there saying, ‘Something’s not right about that, and we’re starting at an early age to make a change,’” she said.