Nine-year-old Asean Johnson, who made a splash earlier this summer when he criticized the Chicago Board of Education for massive school closures, returned on Wednesday to appeal to officials to save teachers, the Huffington Post reports. The emotional plea came after the board announced thousands of teacher layoffs last week.
The Marcus Garvey Elementary student first roused school closing protesters during three days of rallies in May when he gave a blistering speech that decried the school closings as racist while imploring school officials to invest in and support schools rather than close them.
Johnson spoke during the public comments portion of the Board of Education's monthly meeting, part of day-long protests by Teachers Union members, parents and students.
With tears sliding down his cheeks Johnson told the school board, "You are slashing our education. You're pulling me down. You're taking our educational opportunities away."
Watch the video here:
Read more at the Huffington Post.