We go to Oakland, where a group of teachers is on a hunger strike to protest a plan to close and merge over a dozen schools due to under-enrollment. This comes ahead of a critical school board vote Tuesday that will decide whether to proceed with the plan. Activists argue the move threatens to divert resources to charter schools and displace hundreds of Black and Brown children from their neighborhood schools.

The hunger strike across multiple different schools has empowered many to speak up against longtime systemic racism, says Moses Omolade, one of the striking workers and a community schools manager at Westlake Middle School. “The school board is attempting to close predominantly Black and Brown schools without engaging with us at all.”

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#democracynow Amy Goodman Black and Brown children community schools manager Hunger Strike hunger strike to protest Juan Gonzalez Moses Omolade Oakland Systemic Racism Westlake Middle School