Young Activists Coalition

⚠️Emergency Protest⚠️

On this coming Monday, September 12, the CPS Board of Education will be voting on a resolution to continue its SRO program with the Cincinnati Police Department, perpetuating the daily childhood criminalization that it allows in its schools every day, allowed by a Memorandum of Understanding where cops have no accountability.

Show the school board that the community won’t take this violation of our students’ safety lying down, and join YAC’s rally at the CPS School Board (2651 Burnet Avenue at 4:30) to get CPD out of CPS!

Last week, YAC organizers partnered with the ACLU-OH and other local organizations to screen and discuss On These Grounds. Community members gathered to watch the documentary and hear us talk about the importance of removing Student Resource Officers (SRO’s) from Cincinnati Public Schools and replacing them with Restorative Justice.

On These Grounds is a powerful documentary about the violence, and ensuing impact, of one SRO’s actions against a Black student in South Carolina. It brings the realities of police presence in schools to light and calls for conversation.

We shared the heartbreaking facts that punitive discipline, often involving SRO’s, disproportionately harms Black and brown students. Leading the group in discussion, we created a space for people to learn new information, ask questions, and challenge previously held ideas about SRO’s.

Everyone who attended was encouraged to get involved in the fight to remove SRO’s from our schools in whatever way they could. Reach out to us if you’d like to get involved or learn more!

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING!

Come watch On These Grounds in Hoffner Park (4101 Hamilton Ave) on Wednesday, June 29th at 8:30pm!! You’ll be able to learn more about police in schools and how to get involved with the Fix Our Schools campaign!

Food, drinks, and chairs are provided!

All are welcome!

RALLY FOR COPS OUT OF SCHOOLS!!

Come and show community support for removing SRO’s from our schools! Students deserve to thrive in a school environment with a completely new discipline system that uses restorative justice to center victims and build community. A key part of this is involves removing SRO's and punitive discipline.

Meet outside the CPS Board Building (2651 Burnet Ave, 45219) on Monday, June 13th at 5pm!!

COMMUNITY ART EVENT!!

Join YAC organizers outside the CPS Board Building (2651 Burnet Ave, 45219) at 5:30pm on May 9th!! We’ll be making signs, decorating t-shirts, and painting a banner before heading inside to make public comments at the CPS Board meeting!

We want to show the Board widespread community support for removing SRO’s and implementing Restorative Justice.

SRO’s cannot coexist with Restorative Justice.

SRO’s are an extension of the punitive carceral system. They punish students for minor mistakes and enter students into the criminal justice system. Restorative Justice aims to heal both parties after a conflict and prevent future harm. Allowing SRO’s in our schools will disrupt Restorative Justice and prevent healthy community-building.

HOW TO speak on CPS Board Meetings!

The next CPS Board meeting is this Monday (April 11th) at 6:30. We’d love for you to join and voice your support. Showing up to Board meetings (online or in-person) and voicing your support for YAC and the removal of SRO’s from CPS is an easy and effective way to show community support!

How to speak on board meetings online:
1. Go to cps-k12.org/about-cps/board-of-education and click the header at the top of the page
2. Join at 6:30 (or whenever it starts)
3. Click the “raise hand” icon within the first 10 minutes of the meeting and wait to be contacted by a moderator
4. When the moderator chats you, respond with your name, school association, and relation to CPS
5. Wait for public comments to start 6. Pay attention for when you are called on to speak
7. When you’re called on, unmute, turn on your camera, and restate your name, CPS affiliation, and school. Use the talking points linked in our bio.

How to speak in-person
1. Arrive at 2651 Burnet Ave 45219 around 6:20pm (or 10 minutes before the meeting starts)
2. Within the first 15 minutes, approach the Board Administrator and let them know your name, address, school affiliation, and topic
3. Wait for public comments to start, and walk up to the podium when you’re called on
4. Restate your name and use the talking points linked in our bio!

Don’t stress about being perfect; just showing up and voicing your support is important!

"My name is Bella Gordo. I am a high school junior, and the president of Cincinnati's Young Activists Coalition. Our mission is to put an end to policing and punitive discipline in Cincinnati Public Schools. And we need your help."

Check out our latest blog on the ACLU-OH website (acluohio.org).

The direct link to the blog is:
acluohio.org/en/news/young-activists-coalition

Join Young Activists Coalition for an in-person meeting!! We’ll be in Ault Park at 2pm on Sunday, March 20th. For the specific location in the park, check our story the day of!

Any student interested in fighting for anti-racist schools is welcome to come!! We’d love to see you!

DM us with any questions!

Dear BREAK UP WITH SRO's!! Love, your students

Dear BREAK UP WITH SRO's!! Love, your students

YAC organizers and Cincinnati community members continue to show up and demand Restorative Justice in Cincinnati Public Schools. Five weeks ago, we held a rally at the CPS Board of Education to remind them that students want the removal of SRO’s and the implementation of Restorative Justice. SRO presence in CPS criminalizes students, disproportionately harming Black students.. We won’t stop showing up until our demands are met.