Destined Conflict!

On April 22nd, 1969, City College students participated in the latter part of the perhaps 15-20 year Civil Rights movement by fighting for an affirmative action policy that would open the school to students from all sorts of neighborhoods, that grew up in all sorts of conditions, people of color. I think this says something about the people that were able to get in with closed admissions but still wanted to open it, about their world view, and this story should be told to children.

Exactly one revolution around the sun later, April 22nd, 1970 was the first nationwide Earth Day. 20 million Americans participated in rallies from coast to coast. They were protesting all sorts of pollution, commercial development and loss of wildlife. Over the years Earth Day became more soft core but what with Ozone loss, in 1990, 200 million people globally participated in events on Earth Day. Now it's about Climate Change and this is where it gets messed up with City College.

The first CCNY Earth Day was 2008, during club hours. CCNY Green was brand new and I went to one meeting of the Student Engagement Committee with Jason Self and Nkem Stanley. I had a NYPIRG table at our Earth Day and so did Green Planet Society. In 2009, the committee tripled, and we made Earth Week (WE ACT @ CCNY was around too). April 22nd was a Wednesday so we did it on Thursday instead. We made Wednesday Green Political Action Day or something and left that time open for the first Walk Out commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Strike for Open Admissions.

This year is the most deadly, destined year, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day because it falls on a Thursday and therefore CCNY Earth Day and the Education Rally are same time, same place!

For a while I knew about this but it was resolved because ED wasn't starting until 2 and the concert/speak-out/rally was at 12. But CCNY Green, being out of the loop even though I tried to keep everyone in the loop, pushed it back into club hours. I went to SER about this and they said that that actually, their concert is 12-2 and they are walking out at 2. So it's a huge mess.

My agenda is to go to the rally, whenever it is and then do some action with the Amp Up Environmental Student Network in the subways during rush hour. Then Sunday go to the Earth Day Climate Rally. BTW, the bus is free on April 25th to DC but you have to register this week. Please register right away, http://action.earthday.org/campaigns/drive-campus-action.