MARKS 60 YEARS TO THE DAY, NEARLY 250,000 CPS STUDENTS SKIPPED SCHOOL WASN'T A SKIP DAY, THOUGH IT WAS A BOYCOTT STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS FLOODED THE STREETS OF CHICAGO IN WHAT'S KNOWN AS FREEDOM DAY.

A MASSIVE PROTEST OF THE SEGREGATION IN CHICAGO.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE TIME.

BENJAMIN WILLIS JOINING US NOW TO REFLECT ON THIS HISTORIC DEMONSTRATION AND ITS IMPACT 60 YEARS LATER, OUR CHARLES SMITH, A FORMER ORGANIZER AND LEADER WITH THE CONGRESS, KROGER US OF RACIAL EQUALITY.

NOTICE CORE.

HE WAS A PART OF THE 1963, CPS BOYCOTT.

AND ELIZABETH GRIER, CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD MEMBER OF CHICAGO UNITED FOR EQUITY.

SHE'S ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF RAISE YOUR HAND.

THANKS TO THE FOOD, THE 2 OF YOU FOR JOINING US CHARLES SMITH.

LET'S START WITH YOU.

PLEASE TAKE US BACK TO 1963, TELL US ABOUT THE TRAILERS THAT WERE IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOTS KNOWN AS WILLIS WAGONS AT THE TIME.

TIME.

I WAS ABOUT 22 YEARS OF AGE.

THIS ADDED, WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE.

AGAINST THAT WHOLE ISSUE CALLED EDUCATION.

CHICAGO.

>> ALSO SO WE HAD A BOYCOTT.

BOARD OF EDUCATION ON THE SOUTH.

ALL RIGHT.

CLARK STREET.

45 DAYS.

WE ALSO KNEW THAT MS ROSE THE SIMPSONS AND TO PARTICIPATE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 71ST AND LOW.

WHAT WILL THE WHICH WERE LOCATED NEXT?

LITTLE TRACTION BUT THE KEY IS RESPONSE AND BUSED TO SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THAT WHOLE IN THE WAGONS THEY EXISTED BECAUSE THE DISTRICT WANT TO INTEGRATE THE SCHOOLS.

THE BLACK CHILDREN WERE SENT TO THE SO-CALLED WAGONS.

WHITE CHILDREN SAT IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT WEREN'T ALWAYS FULL.

>> AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PRESS THE KEYS, DEAL THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT INSTEAD THEY CREATED BAG.

WE CALL THE BLACK >> SO WE ALSO HAD 2 THINGS GOING ON.

WE'RE SITTING IN A CITY CPS.

AS WELL OTHER GROUPS OUT SIDE WON.

IF YOU SAY WAS ONE JUST TRAP AT THE THEY WOULD LET OUT.

SO WE'RE LOCKED FOR ALMOST A WEEK.

AND THAT WOW, THE CORPS MEMBERS WERE ALSO AT 70 FOR UP VERY TENSE TIME.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF TENSION.

I WAS.

22 LISTEN.

TENSION THAT TAKE TO MAYBE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

IT SAID THE YOUNG PERSON.

SO YOU'RE READY FOR THE FIGHT.

AND READY FOR THE 5 YEARS SINCE MY DROPPING CAN'T STOP FREEDOM DAY WAS OCTOBER 22ND 1963.

>> YOU'RE GETTING THERE.

CHARLES HAD OF THAT PLAN COME TOGETHER TO MAKE FREEDOM DAY WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THERE WERE SET IN SOME PROTESTS LEADING UP TO IT.

YES.

BUT REALLY?

THE SO-CALLED YOUNG STEAK STUDENT, NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE COLE BLACK PANTHERS.

ALL OF US YOUNGER PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OLDER LEADERS KIND OF SITTING BACK FOR A MOMENT THAT ALL GOT INVOLVED IN IT THAT ROSIE CAN'T THAT.

SHE WENT OUT AND ORGANIZE ALL THE PARENTS, ALL THE KEYS SO KEY IS PARTICIPATE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE AND SO IT WAS COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE MAKING IT HAPPEN.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ONE OTHER GROUPS.

YOU DID NOT HAVE OPERATE BREAD BASKET BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THAT TIME WE CAME.

SO BUT YOU HIT COMMUNITY GROUPS IN CHICAGO THAT BROWNIE, HE HAD A WHOLE PHILOSOPHY AND THAT'S HOW IT REALLY CARED.

SHE'S WERE HELPED OUT.

THEY DID NOT GO.

AND REASON WE THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PAINT.

BUT COUNT.

SO THE KEY IS THAT NOT GO TO SCHOOL.

IT WOULD PENALIZE AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

AND I WANT TO WANT TO COME BACK TO THAT AS BECAUSE ELIZABETH EUROPE, YOU KNOW, A PRESENT-DAY EDUCATION ORGANIZER AND ADVOCATE >> WHAT DID YOU TAKE FROM THIS MOVEMENT?

WHAT IT WHAT DID IT TEACH I MEAN, IT'S INSPIRING IT TEACHES IT TAUGHT THAT THAT BOYCOTTING AND FIGHTING GETS THIS SYSTEM IS WE WERE ABLE TO ORGANIZE TO SAVE NATIONAL TEACHERS ACADEMY BACK IN 2018 AND IT WAS LARGELY A RESULT OF US BUILDING A OF UPON WHAT HAD COME BEFORE US IN 1963, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH ROSIE AND GET TO KNOW HER AND SHE'S AN AMAZING PERSON AND AMAZING ORGANIZER.

>> AND IT WAS JUST SO INSPIRATIONAL TO KNOW THAT SINCE THEY DID IT WAY BACK THEN WHEN IT SEEMS REALLY INTO MARVEL.

I MEAN, THE THE SITUATION WAS SO OPPRESSIVE IN THE 60'S THAT IF THEY COULD DO WITH HIM, WE COULD DO IT AS IN THE 20 CENTURY, YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE THROUGH LINE OF ORGANIZING AROUND EDUCATION IN CHICAGO FROM TO NOW.

CHARLES, WHAT WAS THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IN THE AFTERMATH LIKE YOU'RE JUST ABOUT TO GO INTO THE FINANCIAL THAT HURT CPS AS A RESULT OF THAT.

>> FROM WHAT I GATHER THAT CAN SPEAK TO THE WHOLE EDUCATIONAL ASPECT WHAT REALLY WAS.

THE ISSUES.

I FEEL.

THIS ISSUE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS START TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.

AND IT WAS STARTING TO GROW.

IT WASN'T QUITE IT WASN'T THERE AT THAT POINT.

BUT THEIR EMPHASIS WHAT EVER WE LEARN, WE GET OUT OF HOW SCHOOL CLASS FAKE.

WE SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT EVER HAPPENED.

AND WHAT DID THEY LEARN WITH THAT THEY SHARE WITH THE PUMPS I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

I THINK NOTHING CAME OUT.

RIGHT NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS.

IS THE 5TH.

PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO BE A CERTIFIED TEACHERS.

YOU DON'T HAVE CERTAIN YOUNG PEOPLE THAT GO INTO CHARTER SCHOOLS IF THEY DO NOT MEASURE UP TO WHATEVER RULES AND RAKES ARE THOSE BLACK THEY DROP HIM OUT.

>> THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN IN CHICAGO, CERTAINLY BEEN A LOT SOME CONTROVERSY, SOME DEBATE OVER OVER THE IMPACT OF CHARTER SCHOOL.

SOME FAMILIES CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THEY SERVE THEIR FAMILY AS WELL.

AND WE KNOW AT THE TIME MISTER SMITH CPS, SUFFERED FINANCIAL LOSS OF $470,000 BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, SCHOOLS ARE PAID BY THE STUDENT.

STUDENTS AREN'T THERE ALMOST HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE DISTRICTING DISTRICT ALSO HAD TO GIVE A RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THAT, I'M ELIZABETH, WE'VE CONTINUED TO SEE THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL EQUITY AND EQUALITY IN CPS PLAY OUT AND OTHER MOVEMENTS.

YOU MENTIONED THE NATIONAL TEACHERS ACADEMY FIGHT THAT YOU ALL HAVE REMIND WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT, WHAT YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR.

YEAH.

SO BACK IN ABOUT RAHM WAS THE MAYOR AT THE TIME.

AND JANET JACKSON WAS THE CEO.

>> PUT FORTH A PROPOSAL TO CLOSE NATIONAL TEACHERS ACADEMY.

WE'RE LEVEL ONE PLUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE TIME IT CONVERTED INTO A HIGH SCHOOL TO SERVE.

THE MUCH MORE WELL TO DO.

RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH AND SO WE FOUGHT FOR OUR EXISTENCE AND IT SEEMED AS THOUGH IT WAS A FIGHT THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BECAUSE WE'RE JUST ONE SCHOOL THAT'S CAME 5 YEARS AFTER THE MORATORIUM ON CLOSINGS FROM 2013.

SO CPS HAD SORT OF THE RIGHT TO CLOSE ANOTHER SCHOOL.

NOW SINCE THE MORATORIUM HAD PAST AND THEY SET THEIR EYES ON A AND FOR THIS CONVERSION.

AND WE DID FIGHT IT.

AND WE WERE WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO WIN OUR FIGHT THROUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM.

AND SO WE FILED A LAWSUIT AND WE WON AND WE'RE STILL OPEN AND DRIVING TO THIS AS WE'RE DISCUSSING.

OF COURSE, WE'RE SEEING CLIPS FROM 2 DIFFERENT DOCUMENTARIES.

ONE IS 63 BOYCOTT THE OTHERS.

WE ARE IN SO AGAIN, ANOTHER PARALLEL CHARLES, WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT ARE WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THIS NEXT GENERATION GIVEN ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT FOLKS LIKE YOU AND ELIZABETH PUTIN?

>> BNA.

>> MY HOPE JUST LIKE GRANDMOTHER CAME GREAT MIGRATION.

16 RAISED IN ONE BUILDING.

NO ONE EVER GRADUATED ANY COLLEGE WHATSOEVER.

FOR GRADUATE OF MY WHOLE FAMILY WENT ON TO BECOME ARCHITECT.

WENT ON BECOME AN AND THEN CALLED THE MILITANTS FROM THE MOMENT MY MOUTH FROM I'M JUST CHARLES SMITH.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

GENTLEMEN BEEN IN CHICAGO.

YEARS.

HAVE SEEN IT ALL BEEN THROUGH IT.

THAT'S MY BACK.

HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE.

TO GO ALONG, GET THEIR DEGREES, BECOME WHATEVER THEY WANT TO ME LIFE AND THAT MEANT ANYTHING.

HOLD HIM BACK.

>> ALL RIGHT.

ADVICE FROM TRIAL SMITH, THE MILITANTS, ELIZABETH GRIER, THANKS TO YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

AND JOIN US AGAIN ON MONDAY.

OCTOBER THIRTIETH AT NOON FOR A VIRTUAL VOICES COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON THIS SAME TOPIC YOU'LL GET TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE THAT CHARLES SMITH WAS MENTIONING WILL BE DIVING IN MUCH DEEPER ON THE 1963, CPS BOYCOTT HEARING FROM SOME