Rev. Jesse Jackson salutes Decatur graduates on two-year anniversary of school controversy

Jet, Dec 17, 2001

The Rev. Jesse Jackson recently presented college scholarships to four of the seven Decatur, IL, students who were expelled from high school two years ago for taking part in a fight during a football game (JET, Dec. 9, 1999).

The ceremony, held at Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago, marked the two-year anniversary of his successful mission to help the students in Decatur.

Two years ago, Jackson went to Decatur to help seven students at Eisenhower High School return to school after they had been expelled under the school system's "Zero Tolerance" policy because of a fight at a football game. Jackson was arrested and jailed during a protest at the school in November 1999.

Jackson's involvement drew the attention of Illinois Governor George Ryan and State Superintendent of Schools Glenn McGee, who helped work out a solution enabling the students to return to school. The event was principally responsible for bringing Zero Tolerance policies to the national forefront. Zero Tolerance policies impose harsh and inflexible penalties on students and deprive them of educational opportunities, Jackson said.

"Zero Tolerance policies have had a devastating impact, most often on poor children and Black children," Jackson said. "We cannot give up on our children. These young men will rise to extraordinary heights; and Decatur was ready to push them aside."

The three students--Errol Bond, 18, Roosevelt Fuller, 20, and Courtney Carson, 19, are all enrolled in Richland Community College in Decatur, and were each awarded a $1,000 Ora Lee Saunders scholarship, named after the late longtime Rainbow/PUSH volunteer. A fourth student, Greg Howell, who was unable to attend the Rainbow/PUSH tribute, is enrolled at Parkland Community College in Champaign, IL. Carson will attend Blackhawk College in Moline next year on a basketball scholarship.

Jackson said, "Our mission was to enable these kids to return to school, and let their own potential determine their opportunities, not a Zero Tolerance policy."

Jackson pointed out, "These kids had misbehaved, but it was not premeditated: There were no guns, no drugs, no chains, no knives, no bloodshed, and no injuries. It was a silly, 17-second fight. And when it was over, they wanted to get back in school, but were roundly rejected. Their due process rights were violated, and these kids were going to be tossed out on the street for two years, virtually guaranteeing they would end up in jail, or worse."

Jackson noted, "All along, this was not about Black vs. White, it was wrong vs. right. And the right side won out."

Carson said, "Without Rev. Jackson, I wouldn't be here today. I thank him so much for believing in us and never giving up on us."

Also during the Rainbow/PUSH gathering, University of Chicago President Don Randle delivered the keynote address and discussed the newly established partnership with Rainbow/PUSH, designed to foster minority business and educational opportunities.