The May 12 Orange, NJ school board meeting concerning the suspension of teacher
Marylin Zuniga drew an estimated 250 people. The entire block in front of the
school was blocked off by the police. About 8-10 cops were assigned.
The protest was led by the Peoples Organization for Progress from Newark and
according to a leaflet, co-sponsored by the Maroon Project whom I don't know.
Pam Africa was there with a few supporters. Also a few Black Panthers in
military garb. A CUNY teacher (Jay Arena) who knows San, Bree Conover, a prof
from Montclair State and convenor of the annual NYCore conference who taught
Zuniga at Montclair State, 2 or 3 white union activists from Brick (southern)
NJ wearing CWA shirts and assorted others from Orange, Newark and nearby
suburbs. We circled on the sidewalk in front of the school board with no
problem from the cops.
The chants were exclusively about Ms. Zuniga with no mention of Mumia, though
the POP leaflet does discuss Mumia's case and health.
The raucous chanting continued inside until the board finally convened the
meeting. It started with the pledge of allegiance for which appx. a third of
the body didn't stand. It's not the fifties.
There was an interminable report, with video, of activities etc. at Orange HS
followed by Student of the Month presentations for each school, each student's
qualifications, family photos. This is undoubtedly standard procedure and some
of the crowd were parents who came to see their kids honored. Some of the POP
started complaining which wasn't too smart since it set them against the
parents. Others realized this and called out "we support the kids" etc.
The board adjourned to private session to consider the Zuniga issue and
promised to return in 20 minutes. This stretched to fifty minutes and the crowd
became restive. POP led chants, marched around inside the auditorium etc. They
played music over the PA to entertain us. Actually the music annoyed many
people, as did the plastic chain that was strung across the auditorium to keep
the crowd back from the front rows and the stage where the board sat.
Eventually we learned from people who (surprisingly, to me) were in the
behind-closed-doors meeting (Johanna Fernandez, evident POP leader Lawrence
Hamm) that Zuninga and her attorney were negotiating with the board.
Reportedly, the board had offered to let Zuniga resign and they wanted her to
do it immediately or be fired. Zuniga wanted 48 hours to consider and somehow
wanted the public to be involved.
It must have been close to 11 by that time so I took Marjorie to the station.
When I got back the board had returned and people were lined up and already
speaking at two microphones.
There was plenty of genuine anger and a lot of feeling of race betrayal
directed at the board composed of all blacks save for one Hispanic women.
Many of the speakers talked about Mumia and accused the board of taking orders
from the Philly FOP.
My remarks were roughly as follows.
I don't think Ms. Zuniga was was suspended because her students sent cards to a
prisoner.
I think the reason that the head of the Philadelphia FOP went after Ms.
Zuniga's 3rd grade class is because that prisoner is Mumia Abu Jamal.
It's part of a 30-year vendetta to kill an innocent man who's guilty only of
being the voice of the voiceless for thousands of black and colored and poor
people in Philadelphia and across the country.
I'm old enough to remember when kids sent letters to Nelson Mandela when the
U.S. government said he was a terrorist.
Who was right? The government or the kids?.
The kids.
It's the same thing today.
Marylin Zuniga is innocent!
Mumia is innocent!
Let Marylin teach!
Free Mumia!
I got a lot of applause and even a handshake and "that was great" from Johanna
Fernandez, though I did forget to say I was from CSEW.
One speaker, apropos of black traitors, mentioned Wilson Goode and the Philly
bombing.
Jay Arena, from CUNY, gave a good speech, mentioning mass murderers in the
White House (including the current one) "but they come after Marylin" and
referred to building a new system. Also well received.
Fernandez and Hamm spoke near the end. Fernandez mentioned that we all remember
"that teacher" who changed our lives and said that Zuniga is "that teacher.
Also that a rich, white district would not be dictated to by the FOP. Hamm said
"please" don't terminate her, re-instate her. He cited how it was once against
the law to teach blacks to read, that Rosa parks broke the law, that "this is
your Selma moment."
Zuniga's brother spoke and I gave him a leaflet, asking him to give it to
marylin. He said he would.
When the speakers were finished, I thought i heard the supe say that we will
now consider this matter. They then passed some motion and adjourned. Everyone
was mystified. No one know what the motion was. Did they fire her? Nobody knows.
I checked Google for orange NJ but there's no mention of the meeting.
On the way out, two women thanked me. They turned out to be Zuniga's mother and
sister. I gave them a leaflet. They live in Florham Park.
treslances@xxxxxxx
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