FIRE IN WATTS: Jordan Students Rise for Ms. Salazar

[missus2cents]

i live in watts but did not go to jordan and this has me in tears.. i feel so inspired

[Gulfporter]

01:26 Student no doubt gainfully employed by now.

[Irishcookies2009]

Karen Salazar is a fat ass mexican bitch. Seriously go back to fucking mexico if you want to learn your shit..i mean your "culture" and "NOSTORY" hahaha

[molinmusic]

Profound! More love! PEACE Please Educate All Children Everywhere FOCUS For Our Children United Strong

[rvd99]

rise of the students.

[blaqwidoe]

Our very souls...

[mbcking]

daisy always gotta be in the picture.. and ana u ma girl!

[elNENEdeLA20]

jordan #1 class of 2001!!!!

aka el buky

[TimothyUnderwoodland]

its like freedom writers

[prettylady673]

I never knew Ms. Salazar but she sounds like a good teacher....Like she cares about the students! I'm class of 2000 and I graduated from here. Based off of what is being said mre teachers like her are needed! Shout out to Mr. Mack!

[Da8BallKing]

danm mr mack was up in jordan too danm he be in every school around watts he was cool ass person i kind miss him

[prettylady673]

Yes! He was there. He still better be! I went back home for a visit in February and I had a chance to see him.  He is still Papa Mack!

[Da8BallKing]

man da other day i was lookin through da homies myspace i saw mr mack i added him

[imaawesum]

It's so sad that the universities constantly ask student teachers to go beyond, be innovative and teach higher learning but the the districts and local school bureaucracy only care about systemic expediency - In other words don't rock the boat. Good luck Ms. Salazar!

[HackerMastar]

they don't like critical thinking, they want you to believe everything you are told

[310inglewood]

i didnt watch the video all i wanna say is VIVA LA RAZA and my girlfriend goes to jordan and she told me bout it

[scottbfoster]

As an employee of the LA School Dist., we believe Latinos are terrorists so we meet regularly to discuss how best to keep them uneducated and to violate their rights. We focus on removing Latino culture from the curriculum and create activities that minimize critical thinking skills. Our mission is to brainwash every minority into believing in the superiority of western ideals, so we encourage all schools to deny freedoms and to develop an atmosphere that resembles Attica in every way.

[HackerMastar]

yes and one nation under god hahahaha give me a brek you christian hahahaha

[yabasta824]

Day after day, children are denied the right to be children. The world treats rich kids as if they were money, teaching them to act the way money acts. The world treats poor kids as if they were garbage, to turn them into garbage. And those in the middle, neither rich nor poor, are chained to televisions and trained to live the life of prisoners.

The few children who manage to be children must have a lot of magic and a lot of luck.

-Eduardo Galeano, Upside Down

[LRangel09]

What Ms. Salazar should have done is waited out her 3 years until she was tenured in order for the district to not be able to fire her. Then she tells the distrct to kiss her ass... this lady is better than the "Freedom Writer" teacher. She inspires, encourages, educates and allows her students to express what they already know... the truth. She is my hero! -Santa Ana High Educator!

[TyeDent]

Organize, organize, organize! Youth voice is the most powerful tool that can be utilized for change. I applaud Mr. Salazar for thinking creatively to provide the students of Jordan High with the tools they need to be caring and contributing adults. Stay steadfast in your struggles.

[currymel]

This proves more than anything else that we need a change and quick! WAKE UP AMERIKKKA!

[malletdiva02]

I cant understand how a Black principle would not want Malcolm X taught consider how important he is to us today...fight the fight!

As a Black woman, I fight it everyday

[currymel]

It really has nothing to do with the principal, the school system is run by racist whites that only want their propaganda spread!

Now if she had been telling them to go straight to the service, and die for their country, she'd have no problems. But who does she think she is, teaching them to think! The Nerve! NOT!!!

[LahgikLyfe]

She reminds of the lady from one of my favorite movies "Freedom Writers"...good job Ms. Salazar

[heres22]

Salazar keep your job they can fire you knowing your students love and respect you.

[mswickit]

Are you serious! Have you listened to what the students are saying!? "We learn from HER words" Actually listen to the videos..all of the ones that include students..and you hear the indoctrination that this teacher is so focused on fighting against. When do the students get a chance to challenge her views? Are any of them able to challenge how she sees the world and feel they were not intimidated into submission by anti white rhetoric? Where are the students who feel she validates THEIR views?

[ARELosAngeles]

Agitate LAUSD adminstrators:

"Ray" Cortines, Senior Deputy Superintendent (213) 241-0800

Richard Vladovic, Dist. 7 Board Rep. (213) 241-6385

Stephen Strachan , Principal (MAIN OFFICE) (323) 568-4100

[Presstitute]

Remind older generation they fn blew it.Dylan moved to France, took jobs in gov,SDS gave up,Black panthers, Symb Lib Army, Freemen, Weathermen, got killed, not one behind the scene politco lost job or jailed.Are todays teachers so dumb or just lazy they do not know diff of indoctrination instead of teaching?. Yes it is same battle today as then, and as then it is only a few, Ms Salazar is one of those, who teach and do not indoctrinate.Where are her fellow teachers? Kisn' butt, drones for hire.

[bigbadbutch88]

This is an awesome video. I am long out of high school and I don't live in CA but I absolutely respect what you students are doing and what Ms. Salazar is teaching. Watching this has given me a little more hope for can happen in the coming years. Don't lose that fire!

[toocoolotool218]

I like the use of Bob Dylan because it reminds the older generation that this is the same fight that has been going on for ages. We are still fighting it and we still have the dream to make it real.

[smilemymia62]

Karen,

By teaching the future of America to think out of the box, many situations will become very challenging. When you are being pushed out or knocked down by the system, then you know you are doing the right thing!

Keep it up! Do not settle for less and remember you are not alone! Many people battled before you and many will battle the same cause after you, Thank you for not keeping silent!

[erubeylopez]

Karen, we never expected any less from you. We ARE PROUD!

[Bludgeonhead]

Important protest. Good filmmaking.

[rushaybooysen]

viva revolucion from sur africa to Watts our oppression is one  a unified people will cause mass hysteria

[hypostatic8]

From the Immigrant Rights Marches to the Walkouts and now the struggle to reinstate Salazar, we need to unite these movements not only with each other, but with Katrina and Sean Bell. Raza consciousness! Thank you Mr. Gonzalez. Thank you Ms. Salazar. VIVA SALAZAR!

[queenblue22]

i agree with everything!!!

[lyliaargo]

"You are defending your education, you are using your education as a practice of freedom" Karen Salazar

[lyliaargo]

Standardized testing has allowed teachers to beleive they are doing their job if their students do well on irrelevant tests (irrelevant to future success). I wish I had Ms. Salazar in high school and I hope all students are so lucky to have a teacher that goes beyond the testing cirriculum and teaches culturally relevant material from which we can understand the long struggle which we are only a part of, we are resisting this Eurocentric and disconnected bs that is being forced on us. RESIST!!!

[skindog323]

I don't get it, why is it when a White person teaches the youth skills like writing, like in the movie Freedom Writers they get a feature film on the silver screen, but once a person of color teaches the youth to question the basic foundations of Eurocentric thought they get demonized. There is something wrong in this picture. I am upset in the way Ms. Salazar is being marginalized and mistreated by the administration at Jordan High School. This is a classical extension of colonization.

[QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

@skindog323 Actually, a white teacher would get fired if he or she was an English teacher and focusing on political ideas while teaching English such as talking about white or black socialists. You can argue freedom of speech, but why couldn't she just focus on teaching them English? If it was a political science university class, I might understand. I wouldn't have fired the woman. She should have been told to teach English. Promoting your political views to teach English is off-base.