AARM Newsletter, May Edition: OUT NOW

The latest edition of the AARM Newsletter is out and waiting to be read! This issue discusses mayoral control of the city schools, the so-called "race riots" of the 60's, police brutality, and more.

Read below for the editor's introduction, or just read the entire newsletter. You can also print out the newletter and distribute it using the printer-friendly PDF.

From The Editors:

Greetings! Thank you for checking out the latest issue of the Activists Against Racism Movement (AARM) Newsletter. We are committed to keeping the Rochester community informed of anti-racist activity in the city and surrounding areas on a regular basis. Look for this newsletter each month.

Our mayor is still at it, tirelessly working to convince city residents that only he and his friends (see cover image) can save our schools, and that those most affected—students, parents, teachers, and the broader (read: non-business) community—should be grateful for such a benevolent savior, willing to choose our leaders for us and serve the interests of those who matter most (again, see cover image). Note: at least ten students and countless other community members were denied entry to Duffy’s State of the City address on May 3 and forced off the property by Rochester Police under the guise of “having met maximum occupancy”—a claim that has since been verified false. Surprised? Neither are we. For those interested in joining the struggle to stop Duffy’s plan to further disenfranchise city residents, please see the ad for the Community Education Task Force on page 1 or visit http://stopmayoralcontrol.rocus.org/

THIS ISSUE of the AARM Newsletter works to establish an accurate local context for our struggles against individual and institutional racism here in Rochester, focusing most closely on education reform that is both democratic and equitable, but also attuned to the conditions that exist within the community. Nancy Cuminale starts us off with a piece highlighting the daily realities of inner-city youth, both in and out of the classroom (p. 3), while Terasa Harris bravely shares her account of the brutality and sexual assault carried out by Gates police officers and her continued struggle for justice (p. 5).

Speaking directly to the organizing efforts against mayoral control, Howard Eagle points to some of the politicking that’s been running rampant within certain circles, driven not by the immediate needs of students and parents (nor the need to defend their voices and interests), but instead by—you guessed it—money and self-interest (p. 8).

Urban education reform, if it is to be effective, cannot exist within a vacuum while ignoring the realities of those most directly involved. Similarly, our understanding of the conditions facing mostly poor black and brown city residents must be viewed within an historical con- text. In July of 1964 some of the very conditions facing city residents today, such as high unemployment, housing discrimination and segregation, and police brutality culminated in three nights of rage, commonly known as the 1964 Race Riots. To assist our readers in understanding this history (and its undeniable relevance today), we are including a July ’64 statement written by Robert G. Cunningham, in which he declares to the mayor of the city, “WE DO NOT APOLOGIZE…” (p. 9).

As an action-oriented anti-racist organization, we are consistently spreading ourselves thin; however, we believe that one of the most important aspects of our work is keeping the Rochester community informed, for history has demonstrated time and again the “power of the pen” in liberation struggle. So please look for new editions of this newsletter in the same place you found this one—we will have them available and distributed every month. If you can't find a copy, just let us know, and we will get one to you. And of course, if you experience racism and want support, or if you want to get involved in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The struggle continues…

Leadership Team

Activists Against Racism Movement

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