Latina/o Literature and
Literature of the Americas at the
University of Northern Colorado

Luis Rodriguez -- Always Running

the Rockford, Illinois public school libraries. Letters of protest can be written to the address provided below. List member Rosa Catacalos writes: "This from Bob Chatelle, of the National Writers Union (address at end of posting, should anyone want to be directly in touch with Bob). The Borders [Books] issue is bad enough, pero esto ya es el colmo. Let's unleash a flood of support for our estimado companero Luis!" The text of Bob's letter to the public follows.

Roberto R. Calderon: <beto@ucrac1.ucr.edu>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Luis J. Rodriguez, a member of the Chicago Local of the National Writers Union, is a distinguished poet and author who works as a peacemaker among Chicago's inner city gangs.

Rodriguez is well qualified to do this, and is someone who understands these kids and who can reach them in their own language. Luis, the son of Mexican immigrants, was at 12 a veteran of East Los Angeles gang warfare. When Luis became concerned that his son was becoming involved in gang culture, he set out to tell his son his own story, and this story

evolved into a beautifully written and powerful book called _Always Running_. The book was written because its author

didn't "want to see children killed anymore." _Always Running_ won the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award and also was

lavishly praised by Jonathan Kozol, the _New York Times_, the _Washington Post_, and the _National Catholic Reporter_.

_Always Running_ contains honest descriptions of

poverty in America, racism, police brutality, and the failure of our educational system to serve children in need. Not

surprisingly, it has become a target of the theocratic right who want the book banned. On June 11, 1996, in Rockford,

Illinois, partly as a result of a campaign by a local columnist named Judy Howard (affiliated with a far right organization called Citizens for Excellence in Education) the Rockford

School Board voted to pull the book off library shelves in the Rockford School District.

The vote was 4-3. During the discussion, board-member David Strommer callled _Always Running_ "irreligious, anti- family left-wing, anti-American and radical...What's in the book is harmful, ungodly and wrong." Fellow board member

Ed Sharp said, "I challenge anyone who knows how the mind

works, after reading this book, not to be more likely to

assume the lifestyle of a gang person and not to be more

likely to have sex in the back of a car." Strommer and

Sharp were joined in the vote to ban the book by Carol Bell and Bill Neblock. Voting to retain the book were Linda

Griffin, Jim Wagner and Judy Picus.

Nationwide, people who care about education were

horrified at the disgraceful and unconstitutional action of the Rockford School Board. Letters of protest were sent to Rockford School Superintendent Ronald Epps by the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, PEN American Center,

The National Writers Union and the Chicago Local of The

National Writers Union.

Superintendent Epps has turned a deaf ear to the

protests and has maintained a shameful silence. Let him know that he can run, but he can't hide. Write to him. His address is:

Dr. Ronald Epps, Superintendent

Rockford School District

201 South Madison Street

Rockford, IL 61104

I have just created a web page (still under construction) that contains some of the letters that have been sent, plus some alarming replies on the part of the people behind the banning. The url is http://world.std.com/~kip/rockbann.html.

Please help us in this important campaign!

Bob Chatelle, Co-Chair, Political Issues Committee