Roosevelt High School Walkouts
The walkouts at Roosevelt occurred on March 6, 1968, however they were preceded by other walkouts at Wilson and Garfield High Schools just days before (Mejía-Rentas). This provided the school’s administrations some time to prepare, restricting students’ access to the outside and calling the police. Members of the Brown Beret, a prominent militant Chicanx group, came to defend students against police intimidation. Overall, the walkout demonstrations endured for several days, despite significant resistance from police and school administration. The Los Angeles Board of Education met with community members and students in the days following the demonstration, and refused all of their requests, citing that there was no room in the budget (Mejía-Rentas). While no immediate changes were made to the structure of the school system, many have maintained that this event was largely significant in the fight for Mexican American liberties in the country. It represented the determination and willingness on the part of Chicanx activists to directly clash with authorities to fight for what they believed in. It was also a demonstration of the power that the community held, mobilizing thousands in just a few short days.
In reviewing images from the 1968 demonstration at Roosevelt High School, what stuck out to me the most were protestors’ signs, most especially those that portrayed messages of solidarity. While many of them feature criticisms of the school district and educational demands, there were also a striking number of them that referenced other fights in the Chicanx political movement. Written on many of the signs was the phrase, ‘Boycott Grapes’ or ‘Boycott Lettuce’. These phrases come from the fight to establish protections and rights for farm workers, a movement pushed forth by Chicano activists such as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
Mejías-Rentas, Antonio. “How 1968 East L.A. Student Walkouts Ignited the Chicano Movement.” History.Com, www.history.com/news/east-los-angeles-chicano-student-walkouts-1968. Accessed 30 May 2023.
Sahagún, Louis. “East L.A., 1968: ‘walkout!’ the Day High School Students Helped Ignite the Chicano Power Movement.” Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2018, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-1968-east-la-walkouts-20180301 htmlstory.html#:~:text=It%20was%20just%20past%20noon%20on%20a%20sunny,teachers%20who%20were%20poorly%20trained%2C%20indifferent%20or%20racist.