On March 18, the students of Hamilton High School made history in the streets of Los Angeles. Outraged by the receipt of 22 RIF (reduction in force) notices for teachers and counselors, the students of and the rest of the school cohesively and strategically organized a walkout in attempt to save members of the Hamilton staff and magnets.
As the clock struck 8:50 a.m., more than 2,000 students began to assemble in the quad wielding their “No Music, No Humanities, No Future” signs and chanting the slogan, “Hey hey, ho ho, the budget cuts have got to go!” Many students seized this opportunity to voice their opinions to the public, including Portia Amofa, the president of the Associated Student Body and Christine Dawson, the junior class president of ASB.
Amofa told Liberation News, “When I found out about the pink-slips … I immediately felt as though something needed to be done. We formed a ‘Walkout Committee’ and got to work. I feel as though we showed the world that we care about our school and our education. Even though it took a lot of hard work to put together a walk-out on this scale, it was all worth it. I hope our voices are heard. As a matter of fact, we won’t stop until they are.”
Dawson told Liberation News, “I was outraged; the thought of taking away the two main magnets that Hamilton was built upon is ridiculous. It would be a shame to see the people that had an avid part in our education and future terminated.”
The outcome of the walkout was successful, gaining plenty of media attention, and receiving both positive feedback. Although the future of members of Hamilton High School staff and popular magnets is still unknown, the concerned students remain hopeful and continue to show their undying pride and love for their school by organizing to fight back each and every time the teachers are threatened.
