Protesting for Persepolis

Over the weekend, I picked up the Chicago Tribune (a rarity considering I usually access news online) and on the front page a found an article about some Chicago Public Schools banning a book. The book that they are banning is called "Persepolis". It is a graphic novel that details what it was like for a woman to grow up during the Iranian Revolution. The book is usually read in the seventh grade. It is a terrible thing that the school wants to ban a book but what is even more intriguing is how the students are reacting. After hearing the news that the school was planning on banning a book that was a vital part of their middle school years, students began to vent on social media sites. Furthermore, they checked out all of the copies of this book in the library in order to "preserve" the book.

The students organized a protest on Friday afternoon to show their frustration with the district officials who are planning on banning Persepolis. Something interesting in the article was the detail that "many of the student's signs were made from old posters used by teachers during their strike last year".  (Chicago Tribune). To me this is very symbolic of the will in everyone to stand up for what they believe in, both teacher and student alike. The students were taking direct action, which is something I feel is very rare for this generation. In response to the protest, a Social Studies teacher at the school said,"I tell my students all the time, this is what education is all about. You don't learn just so you can take a test. You learn so you can change the world. They are actually doing that now". This teacher is highlighting important values in American education that often get lost in the weekly tasks that students have to accomplish. In the moment, students feel like their main goal is to ace the test and sometimes that is what teachers are best prepared to teach. But the true enlightening lessons stem from experiences that can impact the world. The students are not only learning how to speak up for what they believe in but making an impact through their leadership.