Wednesday, May 19, 2010

What Happened on Education/Earth Day?

As mentioned previously, the Education Rally had to conflict with Earth Day. Last year a big education rally was on April 22nd because it was the anniversary of that very successful action in 1969. Two years ago was the first Earth Day at CCNY, April 22nd also being Earth Day, but Earth Day at CCNY last year was really done on the 23rd so it worked out. This year it wasn't going to work out because the real Earth Day fell on a Thursday, when there are club hours.

The rally also conflicted with the Caribbean Students Association's Festival. There were other disorders too such as permit situations. The action on March 4 might be looked at as taking organizing time or energy from April 22nd, but I think mostly it helped establish the presence of the struggle this semester when the annual Walk Out was going to be limited for several other reasons.

For me, there was a feeling of complete mystery because I didn't know what was going to happen but I think the SER more or less knew because unlike last year, I didn't see posters all over the wall, exceeding the bulletin board limits, and on doors, et cetera, preceding April 22nd.

There wasn't exactly a rally, but in the first hour of club hours, as Salsa Mambo had the stage, Cort of SER's band performed allowing speeches to interlude each song. Hundreds of people witnessed this and that is a good thing. It was something. Also, allies from the Maribol Sisters Community Center took to the mike and spoke as well. None of this was disruptive of CCNY Green or the various other tables and awareness raising going on.
So that's how it went on April 22nd.