9-year-old Asean Johnson says it all, very clearly, very directly and very poignantly, at a meeting of the Chicago Board of Education. Defiant, clear-headed and with the voice of a natural and principled leader, he declared to the board:
You are slashing our education; you are pulling it down; you are taking our education, our potential away. Let the community talk, let the students talk, let the parents talk, let the teachers talk. Let them control this board. Don’t let the banks control this board.
He continued:
You are saying it’s all about the kids, but you are not thinking about the kids. I am a student myself, and I am pleading and begging that you help these parents in their low income, and give them what they need. Please, help them.
Then, pointing out what many in the community perceive to be the indifference of public officials to the real-life ramifications of education budget cuts and school closings, he added: “You need to go to that mayor and just tell him to quit his job.”
Almost immediately after making this statement, Asean is interrupted and told to please conclude. There is then an awkward, heavy pause, after which tears can be seen rolling down his cheeks. Young Mr. Johnson has become one of the most prominent voices in the fight over Chicago’s school budget overhaul, demanding not just rights, but leadership and decision-making authority for stakeholders.
As he stared through his tears, in disbelief, at the callousness of the process, he added, simply, “Something is wrong with this board. Something is wrong. Thank you.”
Asean Johnson lifts up his voice to protect the rights and liberties of all people. He is nine years old, but he is an example to the world.