Russell Simmons
& The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network are calling for students, parents and
teachers in NY to boycott public schools June 4th. The protest is a result of
Mayor Bloomberg’s education cuts, which will cut over a half billion dollars
from the school systems budget. Bloomberg is seeking a way to ease the city’s
$5 billion dollar deficit.
School officials said that in addition to losing
teaching aides and assistant principals, the cuts could result in the loss of
guidance counselors and crisis prevention units. The could also effect after-school
programs, weekend programs and other extracurricular activities. "Bloomberg
has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the educational system and yet
they are spending more money on building prisons," Simmons told AllHipHop.com.
Simmons was referring to a $64.6 million dollar
package Bloomberg authorized to build 200 new jail cells at youth prisons in
the state of New York. According to the Correctional Association of New York,
the construction of the new cells is based on the Department of Juvenile Justice
studies. The studies project youth crime will rise in the coming years, despite
the fact that youth crime has dropped over 30 percent since the mid 90’s. In
addition to the drop, the youth prisons were not at capacity as of December
of last year.
The plight of the schools caught Simmons attention
when "Sex In The City" star Cynthia Nixon was continuously arrested,
protesting the budget cuts. Her daughter Samantha attends New York public schools.
"When I read of the budget cuts, I made it The Hip-Hop Summit Action’s
number one cause," Simmons continued. "I am serious. We want to shut
down the city. Students, parents, teachers, do not go to school June 4th, go
to City Hall."
Simmons and The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
are planning a rally on City Hall June 4th. Former head of NAACP and one of
the organizers of the Million Man March Minister Benjamin Muhammad will help
organize the protest. Muhummad is also head of Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action
Network. "We want to show the city we will not stand for this b#######.
They need to prioritize education," said Simmons.