Students of Compton Rally for ‘Care, Not Cops’ in Schools

"Why am I being treated like a criminal if you don't want me to be a criminal?"

In June, as high school students around the country were just winding down from a school quarter unlike any other—one built out of a perfect storm of pandemic fallout and racial reckoning—the Students of Compton were just getting started. Brought together in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, this group of young activists, a mix of current students and recent graduates within the Compton Unified School District, bonded over their shared desire to enact change in their schools, namely removing armed police from campuses and reallocating funds into resources that put students first.

Though strangers when they were initially introduced by teachers—and despite having largely never met in person (thanks, COVID!)—the Students of Compton have become fast friends. These young activists range in grade and school from Demetrius Ramirez, a sophomore at Dominguez High School; Bryan Caracmo, the ASB President at Compton Early College; and Daniela Perez, a fellow senior; to Emily Sánchez; Anilu Banos; Tanya Orla; and De Anna Pitmann—recent graduates of CUSD schools and new college students. Some are undocumented, others are the first in their families to go to college. Virtually all have grown up in Compton and share a vision for a better, safer space to learn. As Banos explains it: “We were like, ‘Hey, let’s dismantle this from the inside.’” Read the full story over on Our House right here.