Nationwide Librotraficante Celebration Friday

by David Safier

Last March, the Librotraficante Caravan reached Tucson with boxes full of "wetbooks." It was the end of an information and awarness tour which started in Houston to spotlight the injustice of banning books used in TUSD's Mexican American Studies courses. (Yes, contrary to the spin by some Board members and TUSD PR people, the books were selectively banned from use by certain teachers and classrooms. That is a classic example of a book banning. No other word better describes the situation.)

Friday, according to Librotraficante's Media release, will be "the largest observation of Hispanic Heritage Month ever seen."

Friday, September 21, 2012 the Librotraficante Movement will unite the states of the United States of America for the largest observation of Hispanic Heritage Month ever seen.

Festivities will span from Coast to Coast, including key swing states such as Greensboro, North Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; Milwaukee, WI.

Other major cities participating include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Houston.

“Arizona banned Mexican American History,” said Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante.  “We decided to make more. Arizona officials confiscated books near and dear to our hearts from class rooms-we’re spreading them across the country.”

Also joining in will be Chicago educators and writers in the city where the teachers strike which received national attention is either resolved or nearly so.

"Chicago, in this instance could be considered a close sister city with Tucson, Arizona," said Jonah Bondurant, a teacher at [Chicago's] Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy and member of Teachers for Social Justice. "In both cities, the idea that young people and their communities, made up mostly of people of color and low-income, do not deserve to have a strong voice in their education is being promoted by representatives and servants of the upper classes that have a vested stake in the disinvestment of those communities. Also, in both cities, young people have been resilient and creative as they move to the front of this movement, showing TUSD that Raza Studies provides the education they need, showing Emmanuel and the board that Social Justice High School will not be sacrificed to their caprice and by picketing and marching with their teachers, showing the world they understand that their education and their freedom are indivisible."