The revolutionary spirit among young people has begun to rage in the secondary schools and one may be seeing a multitude of mini-Columbias as high school students begin to demand their rights.
A recent example occurred at Mumford High on the Northwest side the week of Oct. 1. Because of student grievances, a protest walk-out was being planned, but relatively few students knew about it.
On October 3 the principal got wind of it and came on the air. (The school has a Big Brother two-way, talk-listen inter-com set up throughout the school.) The principal said to “cool down,” and “not walk out,” and have a “dialogue,” etc. The principal started to lose his cool, repeating over and over again, “This is not a fire drill. I repeat, this is not a fire drill.”
He even got a few students from the student council to speak over the intercom, telling the students that “We can work things out with the administration and let’s talk things over,” etc. Then with all the talk of “no fires,” people began to smell smoke. A trash basket was on fire.
In fact, more than one trash basket was on fire. And as they put one out, another one would start some place else.
Kids started running around in the halls, as the authorities began to lose control. Several blacks with “Cleaver for President” buttons in groups chanting “black power” began blocking entrances.
Eventually, the school officials cleared the halls and students returned to their classrooms, but protest leaders at the school see this as only the first round it a widening battle. STUDENT POWER!