Cops Invade Schools - La Raza, March 31, 1968

Note: La Raza was a bilingual newspaper created as a community-based organizing tool in the early days of the Chicano Movement in Los Angeles. Conceived of by an all-volunteer staff, this newspaper, and later magazine, was published from 1967–1977.

Cops Invade Schools, La Raza, Vol. 1, Number 11, p. 6

For several years now, community organizations in ELA have complained about poor education. The only answer they received was... ATOLE CON EL DEDO. During 1967 the self-centered pride of the administrators was shattered as even their own establishment press publicized the well-known fact that on a dollar per dollar basis, WE HAVE AN INFERIOR EDUCATION. Their only reaction was to dutifully suck their thumbs and attempt to color the facts with words. Then it happened. Chicano Students (CON SAFOS) decided to walk out and tell the entire nation that either we get good educational programs (and fast) going NOW, or the CHANGOS DE LAS LOMAS (monkeys from the Hill) will have no salaries.

Chief of Police Reddin and Superintendent of Schools Crowthers joined forces to demonstrate (just in case any one else had any different ideas that the only difference between Los Angeles and a Police State is the willingness of the “natives to keep quiet”. The myth of Mexican-American “fatalism”, “lack of imagination”, “passivity” and “apathy” exploded in those first historic days of March. The only response they (the Police State) could muster up was that of brute force.

The L.A. School System is so Bankrupt, educationally and morally, that kids were willing to challenge the locked doors, the armed security guards, intimidation by the administrators and teachers. There is a proverb that says HACER ES EL MEJOR MODO DE ESPRESCION (action is the best means of expression). The young Chicano Students expressed with their bodies what others have been vocalizing through their mouths alone. Principals and administrators reacted to this by calling in uniformed, badge heavy goons and then standing idly by twiddling their thumbs while their students were being carted off to jail like common delinquents and in some cases subjected to beatings. Each and every administrator who called the police to keep unwilling students in “armed camps” referred to as high schools, have waived his right to be called an educator. THEY MUST GO.!!!