Rally in Harlem as Parents, Educators Stage Counter Rally to Mostly White Parent Demands to Open Schools and disregard safety issues - Today, 10 AM -

61% of Harlem families have made the choice to keep their children in remote schooling (D4 = 60%, D3 = 64%, D5 = 61%) for the remainder of the school year. The KSO movement is led by privileged white caregivers who have repeatedly used the experiences of Black and Brown families as props for their agenda to rush fully reopening of school buildings. This group has spent the past year demonizing and blaming New York City teachers for the broken response by Mayor de Blasio, and the former Trump administration. They have also allied with known segregationists and right-wing racist groups who oppose Critical Race Theory and anti-racism. Now they’ve enlisted the support of problematic Mayoral candidates Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia.  ..... Parents for Responsive Equitable Safe Schools (PRESS NYC) 

I'm venturing out to Harlem for my first public event since March, 2020. 

There are two rallies occurring at the same time and place today at Wagner Park in Harlem (120th St between 1st and 2nd ave)

 

• A "Keep schools open no matter what and fuck those lazy teachers and who cares if kids get sick since they are more likely not to be white" rally of mostly white wealthy parents

• A counter rally in support of teachers and parents who still feel it unsafe to go back into schools at the same location is being led by Kaliris Salas Ramirez, parent activist supreme who we worked with in the successful battles to get rid of an abusive principal at Central Park East a few years ago. Kaliris and parents at the school backed teachers who were rubber roomed and pretty much saved their jobs. (Parents at Central Park East 1 Issue Press Release Calling for Removal of Principal Monika Garg).

Mostly Upper west side parents, led by people who have been linked to anti-vax and anti-mask groups, are holding the rally in Harlem - an in your face move, given that parents of color have been more unwilling to go back into schools than higher income white parents. This group has also engaged in attacks on the UFT and on teachers in general. But despite that, they are advertising that mayoral candidates Garcia and Yang will be speakers.

Here is the press release of the group pushing back:

CONTACTS: Kaliris Salas Ramirez , Liz Rosenberg 

MEDIA ADVISORY

For immediate release

Public school families & educators of Harlem, along with allies, demand school planning be rooted in community concerns and priorities for safety & equity; Denounce Keep Schools Open mayoral candidate rally (happening simultaneously) as cynical exploitation, unrepresentative of the community

WHEN: Saturday, May 1 beginning at @ 10 AM ● Gathering

• ●  Rally With Speakers

• ●  Community Conversations/Teach-ins

  WHERE:
  Gathering and rally -- outside Wagner Playground, E. 120th St (between 1st & 2nd Aves), Manhattan Community conversations/teach-in -- The Harlem Art Park E. 120th between 3rd and Lexington

  WHAT & WHY:

  61% of Harlem families have made the choice to keep their children in remote schooling (D4 = 60%, D3 = 64%, D5 = 61%) for the remainder of the school year. The KSO movement is led by privileged white caregivers who have repeatedly used the experiences of Black and Brown families as props for their agenda to rush fully reopening of school buildings. This group has spent the past year demonizing and blaming New York City teachers for the broken response by Mayor de Blasio, and the former Trump administration. They have also allied with known segregationists and right-wing racist groups who oppose Critical Race Theory and anti-racism. Now they’ve enlisted the support of problematic Mayoral candidates Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia.

  On May Day, a day that we are supposed to honor labor activism, for mayoral candidates to stand with those who have actively demonized teachers for their own private interests speaks volumes. We are not your props!

  We say NO to the racist KSO movement We say NO to Andrew Yang
  We say NO to Kathryn Garcia
  We say NO to Ray McGuire

  We say NO to Maud Maron

  WHO WILL SPEAK:

• ●  City Councilmember Diana Ayala

• ●  City Council candidate Cordell Cleare

• ●  Community Education Councilmembers from Harlem

• ●  Harlem community students, parents, educators

● Citywide ed-equity advocates

Representatives from the organizations listed below will also be available to speak to the press.

VISUALS: sidewalk chalking, music, banners & signs

EVENT ORGANIZED BY:

Racially Just Public Schools (RJPS) @ny4rjps
Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) @AQE_NY
Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) @MOREcaucusUFT
Parents for Responsive Equitable Safe Schools (PRESS NYC) @safeschoolsny Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) @cacfnyc
Teens Take Charge @TeensTakeCharge
BLM at Schools NYC @Blm_edu_nyc
NYC Opt Out @NYCOptOut
IntegrateNYC @integratenyc
East Harlem Preservation @virtualbarrio
Justice Center en el Barrio @JusticeCenterNY
Friends of Art Park Alliance (FAPA120 on FB)
Young Buck Sports (YoungBucksSports on FB)