Skip to content
December 8, 2023
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas

Primary Menu
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About us
    • About us
    • Who we are – Becoming a Volunteer
    • Editorial guidelines for contributors
    • Our Sources
      • Venezuelan Sources
      • International Sources
    • Contact us
  • Categories
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Security and Defense
    • International
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Oceania
      • US/Canada
    • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
      • South America
      • Central America and the Caribbean (+Mexico)
    • Ideology-Commune-Labor
    • Health-Education-Sport-Culture-Technology
    • Solidarity and Social Movements
    • OT Specials
  • Support Us
Light/Dark Button
YouTube Channel
  • Home
  • News
  • ‘Karen did not Just Lead Our Movement. Karen was Our Movement.’
  • International
  • News
  • US/Canada

‘Karen did not Just Lead Our Movement. Karen was Our Movement.’

February 9, 2021

The Chicago Teachers Union released the following statement today regarding the passing of President Emerita Karen GJ Lewis:

February 8, 2021.-  Our union is in deep mourning today at the passing of our sister, our leader and our friend, President Emerita Karen GJ Lewis. We are sending heartfelt condolences to her husband, John Lewis, and her surviving family and friends. She will be dearly missed.

Karen taught us how to fight, and she taught us how to love. She was a direct descendant of the legendary Jackie Vaughn, the first Black, female president of our local. Both were fierce advocates for educators and children, but where Jackie was stately elegance, Karen was a brawler with sharp wit and an Ivy League education. She spoke three languages, loved her opera and her show tunes, and dazzled you with her smile, yet could stare down the most powerful enemies of public education and defend our institution with a force rarely seen in organized labor.

RELATED CONTENT: Corporate Media Bash Teachers Unions for Resisting School Reopenings Amid Rising Death Toll

She bowed to no one, and gave strength to tens of thousands of Chicago Teachers Union educators who followed her lead, and who live by her principles to this day.

Karen had three questions that guided her leadership: ‘Does it unite us, does it build our power and does it make us stronger?’ Before her, there was no sea of red — a sea that now stretches across our nation. She was the voice of the teacher, the paraprofessional, the clinician, the counselor, the librarian and every rank-and-file educator who worked tirelessly to provide care and nurture for students; the single parent who fought tremendous odds to raise a family; and the laborer whose rights commanded honor and respect. She was a rose that grew out of South Side Chicago concrete — filled with love for her Kenwood Broncos alumni — to not only reach great heights, but to elevate everyone she led to those same heights.

RELATED CONTENT: Chicago Teachers are Voting on Whether to Defy Monday’s Reopening Order

But Karen did not just lead our movement. Karen was our movement. In 2013, she said that in order to change public education in Chicago, we had to change Chicago, and change the political landscape of our city. Chicago has changed because of her. We have more fighters for justice and equity because of Karen, and because she was a champion — the people’s champion.

Our hearts are heavy today, but it brings us joy to know that Karen has joined Jackie Vaughn, Marion Stamps, Addie Wyatt and Willie Barrow as the vanguard of Black women who have forged a heroic path of labor, justice and civil rights in our city. Karen now sits among them, still guiding our every move, and still guiding our vision for the schools our students and their families deserve.

 

Featured image: File Photo

(Chicago Teachers Union)

Don't want to be a victim of the Algorithm?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY DIGEST WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA AND BEYOND

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Orinoco Tribune 2
+ posts
  • Orinoco Tribune 2
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/yullma/
    Members of the Tampa 5 speaking outside the courthouse. Photo: Fight Back! News/staff.
    December 8, 2023
    Charges Dropped on the Tampa 5, Students for a Democratic Society Protesters Walk Free
  • Orinoco Tribune 2
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/yullma/
    David and Varda Goldstein pose for a picture while holding photos of their 3 grandchildren, Nov. 22, 2023. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images.
    December 8, 2023
    ‘We Feared Our Govt Would Kill Us and Blame Hamas’: Released Israeli Captive
  • Orinoco Tribune 2
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/yullma/
    In Gaza, dozens of half naked men kneeling on the street while others can be seen on the back of a military truck, kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces. Photo: X/@TheCradleMedia.
    December 7, 2023
    Israeli Forces Strip, Abduct Dozens of Palestinian Men
  • Orinoco Tribune 2
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/yullma/
    Israeli military officer giving statement to the press. Photo: Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel.
    December 7, 2023
    Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Khan Yunis
Tags: Chicago Chicago Teachers Union US

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Continue Reading

Previous Previous post:

Why India’s Farmers’ Protests have Sikhs Fearing Violent Attacks

Next Next post:

Washington Openly Spent about $250 Million in Subversive Actions Against Cuba Since 2000

Subscribe to Weekly Digest

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

NEWS: MOST POPULAR

Calendar

December 2023
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Nov    

Categories

OPINION: MOST POPULAR

We are on Telegram


Receive our news directly in your cell phone or PC, join us on our TELEGRAM channel.

 

We are on Discord


Join our Discord server to check our content without algorithms and to interact directly with our team.

The original content by Orinoco Tribune is free to share and it is licensed under CC BY 4.0

We are on Reddit

If you are more into REDDIT, join our Orinoco Tribune subreddit.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Copyleft, No rights reserved.

Orinoco Tribune celebrates its 5th anniversary. We are not funded by ads, governments, think tanks, or large institutions. Our operations are entirely funded by readers like you.

We are urging our readers and supporters, especially those not currently doing so, to help us with small donations (such as US $5 or $10/month) via Patreon, via Paypal/Credit-Card/crypto or via paper checks.

Let us reach our anniversary goal of $750 in monthly Patreon donations. We are counting on you as our only source of financial support! You can also help us by volunteering with us or by helping us get much necessary equipment.