"Building Our Own Power": The Resurgence of Black Militancy in the Chicago Black Caucus of Teachers

• In Event: 31.061 - The Struggle for Social Justice Continues

Abstract

Just as Chicago has been at the epicenter of corporate education “reform,” it has also been the center of resistance and opposition to this regime. Even before the strike of 2012, Black teachers within the Chicago Teachers Union began organizing themselves in an effort to fight back against the machine that threatens their communities, their jobs, and their schools. This paper analyzes the work of the revitalized American Federation of Teachers Black Caucus Chicago Chapter as we attempt to ‘build our own power.’ The paper details the struggles and triumphs of the Black Caucus as it fights to defend and protect the well-being of public education.

Author

• Monique Rise Redeaux, University of Illinois at Chicago