To WhomIt May Concem: June19,2008

My name is Melinda Mann Rivera and I am socialjustice educatorin Los Angeles.I do

not know Karen Salazar,but she is one among many ofus who have dedicatedour lives
to making changein our communitiesby teachingand empoweringstudents.I havea BA
ffom ucLA in African Amencan Studies and a MA from New york university in
critical Pedagogy and the Arts-Ms, Salazar's teaching is in line witir a stiong
theoretical, intellectual, and historical framework of schoiars,educators,and activists.
she is just one educator rn a long historicai struggle to educateand liberate the most
disenfranchisedpeople in this country. we are the teachersthat change the world. that
changelives, that fight for what is right.. The Autobiograph),of Malcotnt X and other
culturaliy relevant books are the one's that studentsremember,the one's thet,ouote in
college essays,the one's that teachthem life lessons.

If you ask an adult to tell you about a teacherthat changedtireir iife, that real1ytaught
them something, there is usually only one-if any. We as a district, a city, a
community-must support and encouragethose t)?es of teachers.How can we, as a
distnct, say we are doing what is best for our studentswhen we blatantlv ienore their
requests?

LAUSD MUST svpport Salazar,and other teacherslike her, with the understandingthat
there are thousandsof us standrngwith her in solidarity who will not srt by aad be idle
rvhile our civrl rights and thoseof our studentsa.redenied.

The sttuggiewill always continue;.

Mehnda Maln fuvera