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UPDATE: Young Malachi Suarez Convinced Fresno Sch Bd to Change Polk Sch Name, Honored in Sacto [1]

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Date: 2023-08-16

"There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom."—Paulo Freire

At a time when America’s sordid history of slavery and race relations, are being revised, rewritten and removed from school districts across the country, it is worth revisiting the story of Malachi Suarez, who, as a fourth grader put his studies into practice (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/23/2053977/-Fourth-Grader-at-Fresno-s-Polk-Elementary-Educates-School-District-Calls-for-Name-Change).

On July 27, 2021, Suarez, a fourth grader at James K. Polk Elementary School, stepped up to the microphone and schooled board members of Fresno, California’s Central Unified School District about the history of the nation’s 11th President.

“I believe in freedom, justice, quality and community. These are some of the main principles of America and our school district. I believe that community is when we try to do what is best or better for everyone or most people. I am asking that you rename Polk Elementary because Polk was against these principles.

“Polk believed that one group of people was superior to every other and more deserving. That is called Manifest Destiny. It is the idea that non-European Americans are inferior and do not belong here. Many people like me were killed because of this. Eighty-five percent of our student population would be considered inferior.

“Polk owned slaves and was against ending slavery at the White House. This goes against the American ideal that all people are created equal. Some might say that slavery was acceptable at the time, and we should not judge people based on the principles of someone today. But would you say that to a slave?”

“We can accomplish great things when we see people like ourselves being honored, celebrated. That is why Central Unified should name more schools after people of color.

“I recommend that you rename my school after Maria Moreno. She was the first woman farm laborer to be hired as a union organizer. She was a role model who fought for fair working conditions for diverse groups of people.”

“We should not stop at changing the name and mascot at my school. We should also change the Native American mascot at Madison Elementary because being a mascot does not honor Native Americans. Instead, it reinforces the old ideas about Native Americans being savages. We did not even learn about Native American history and the great accomplishments and current contributions to society.”

“At my school, you are choosing to continue honoring Polk and the pioneers and contradicting the principles of America and our school district. Why would you choose that?

“I call on you to do what is right. I call on you to do it now because there’s no reason to wait any longer for the positive change that I’m asking you to make.

“I’ve gathered over a thousand signatures and am supportive of the name change because many people understand that changing the name is the right thing to do. If you do not change the name, you are saying that you celebrate slavery, Native American genocide, killing, stealing land and racist ideas of people like me being inferior and unwelcome. That is why you should vote ‘yes.’”

In a June 29, 2022 story headlined “It’s Polk No More. Trustees Vote to Strip Slave-Owning President’s Name from School” (https://gvwire.com/2022/06/29/its-polk-no-more-trustees-vote-to-strip-slave-owning-presidents-name-from-school/)

Nancy Price reported that the Central Unified School Board voted to strip Polk’s name from the school. The school is now named Central Elementary School. At the time, Malachi said: “I am disgusted, but not surprised by their decision. The name Maria Moreno had overwhelming support while Central only had six votes, which was just five more than Malachi Suarez Elementary. Polk Elementary was not even an option, and the district should have informed the community of that.”

Honoring Malachi Suarez

On August 17, at the California State Capitol, Assembly member Dr. Joaquin Arambula, will honor Malachi Suarez during the floor session (https://www.renamepolkelementary.com/home).

Malachi’s father, Gabriel, who has been with his son every step of the way, recently sent along this message:

“Last year, Malachi finished his GATE community service project that he started in the fourth grade. His project was to educate his peers and community about the history of his school's (former) namesake to gather support to change the name. In the summer before sixth grade the school district voted to change the name of his school and the Native American mascot of another school in the district.”

The battle over the name change may not be over. Albertina Zarazua Padilla, who co-founded MiHistoria.net (along with Laurie Coyle) and was an elementary school teacher for 21 years, maintains “that it's not too late to change the name from Central Elementary. If I were Malachi, I would not be satisfied with the recognition. It's still unfinished school board business!

(For more on the organizing work of Maria Moreno, see “A Profile in Courage: Maria Moreno, The First Farm Worker Woman Union Organizer in America” -- https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/10/1/2055480/-A-Profile-in-Courage-Maria-Moreno-The-First-Farm-Worker-Woman-Union-Organizer-in-America, and check out Laurie Coyle’s brilliant documentary, Adios Amor: The Search for Maria Moreno -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7175878/).

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/16/2187629/-UPDATE-Young-Malachi-Suarez-Convinced-Fresno-Sch-Bd-to-Change-Polk-Sch-Name-Honored-in-Sacto

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