Led by C-6 (Conscious Concerned Citizens Controlling Community Change), various local groups including representatives from Safe Streets and Strong Communities, V.O.T.E. (Voice of the Ex-Offender), the taxi cab industry workers and others have been staging weekly protests in front of the home of Leslie Jacobs, a former member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and a supporter of the local education reform move.
“We’re all standing here today united to fight our different fights,” said ‘Coach’ Frank, an organizer of C-6. Frank calls the RSD structure a conduit which leads Black youth from school into the prison system.
Frank also voiced concern over the alleged wasteful spending practices on part of RSD officials.
“I come here today to fully support C-6 because without stronger communities we won’t have safe streets and at the rate our education system is going it will reflect that our children are on the prison to pipeline track,” said Yvette Theirry, executive director of Safe Streets. A representative from the taxi cab industry spoke of his concerns regarding an “unjust hardship on the working man.
“They (city officials) seem to make rules without even considering the impact it will have on individuals, to me this seems disrespectful and disingenuous,” he said.
The group plans to protest every Monday at the same time and place until changes are made.