Longtime activist for Chicano equality Paula Crisostomo will present a convocation titled “Walkout: The True Story of A Defining Moment in Chicano History” at 10:50 am on Friday, September 22, at the Skinner Memorial Chapel at Carleton College. The event is free and open to the public.
Crisostomo is a leader in the struggle for Chicano equality and against racism. She currently serves as the Director of Government and Community Relations for Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she provides leadership for the college’s community outreach strategies, including neighborhood relations, local and federally sponsored services programs in education and local and state government relations.
In early March 1968, Crisostomo stepped into the spotlight when she led the largest high school student protest in American history. Appalled by the deplorable quality of education she was receiving, Crisostomo led students in five East Los Angeles high schools in walking out of classes. A week and a half later, more than 20,000 students had participated in East Los Angeles and in sympathy walkouts at other high schools across the city. Not only was this the first time Chicano students walked out; it was also the first mass protest against racism even undertaken by Mexican-Americans.
Crisostomo will present the story of the groundbreaking protest, which has been made into the HBO movie “Walkout,” at the convocation. She will talk about the racism that she and her classmates struggled against, and the decision they made to stand up for their rights and take action. She will present the struggle for equal rights from the Chicano perspective, and highlight a forgotten but important moment when a community found their voice.
For more information and disability accommodations, call the Carleton college relations office at (507) 646-4308.
