by Saeed Shabazz
Staff Writer

NEW YORK (FinalCall.com)�Education or Homeland Security? Education or prisons? Education or Medicare? These are the battles advocates of the nation�s children are fighting as they seek to avoid education cuts on the federal and state levels, even as local revenues decline and other federal agencies line up for increased funding.

In New York, education advocates�led by hip hop mogul Russell Simmons�converged June 4 on City Hall in a boisterous demonstration against proposed budget cuts by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. An estimated 100,000 students, parents, teachers, community activists and a number of hip hop stars participated.

The coalition included Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HHSAN) director Min. Benjamin Muhammad, United Federation of Teachers� leader Randi Weingarten and actress Cynthia Nixon, representing the Alliance for Quality Education. Mr. Simmons said he formed the coalition after seeing Ms. Nixon on television being arrested at a demonstration protesting the budget cuts.

"I think many of us have been asleep for too long and I feel this march was a wake-up call," said Mr. Simmons, warning, "This is the beginning of a long, sustained effort on the part of the HHSAN in making education a priority in our cities."

Mayor Bloomberg has said a $356 million cut from the education budget is necessary because the city faces a $5 billion shortfall, even though teachers have been working without a contract for 18 months. Mr. Simmons said the rally was necessary to tell Mayor Bloomberg that no cuts are acceptable and that teachers need a contract.

But the city is facing a problem occurring across the country.

The nation�s governors recently told Congress that "rainy day" funds and other revenue-shifting methods no longer will enable them to fend off cuts to basic services like education.

"We�re reaching the end of the period where we can continue to absorb these reduced revenues without having significant impact on services, especially education," said Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton (D), vice chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA).

A new survey of state income taxes shows a drop of 15 percent in the first four months of 2002, a statistic that no doubt was impacted by the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. States already were grappling with a slowing economy when the attacks occurred.

"It�s a double whammy: not only did you not have the money you thought you had for last fiscal year, but you now have to revise dramatically downward your revenues for the coming year," said Ray Scheppach, the NGA�s executive director, adding that governors "have been able to protect elementary and secondary education from cuts, but as you move forward that�s going to be on the block."

Another poll by the Public Education Network and Education Week released at the beginning of the year showed that while warnings of more terrorism emerge daily, education was second only to the economy as a primary concern�not terrorism or security.

"The public really understands how much a core issue education is, and they have gotten very smart about what it takes to improve schools," said Wendy D. Puriefoy, president of PEN, a Washington, D.C.-based network of local education funds.

Actress Cynthia Nixon said the New York demonstration was "monumental" because of the excitement generated by seeing hip hop stars like Alicia Keys and Jay-Z "on the same podium with teachers and students telling the mayor he must put kids and schools first."

Also appearing on stage were Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, Erykah Badu, Foxy Brown, RZA, Raekwon, Rah Digga, Common, Damon Dash, Big Tigger, Sway, Dead Prez and Noriega.

Hip hop stars told the students to stay in school and they told city officials to pay the teachers. RZA of the Wu Tang Clan said, "Mayor Bloomberg can say no one cares, but 100,000 people showed up today." RZA has provided computers to schools in urban communities.

"It appears the mayor heard the show of strength," said Ms. Weingarten, adding that she received a call from the mayor�s negotiator asking for a two-day sit down on June 6 and 7. "This is a first," she said.

The mayor and the City Council were due to wrap up negotiations on June 5, however, the vote on the mayor�s budget by Council was postponed a week. Rally organizers are claiming a moral victory because Mr. Bloomberg played golf instead of finalizing his version of the budget.

"The mayor will fill holes on the golf course now, but he has some bigger holes to fill back at City Hall," commented Harlem Councilman Bill Perkins, who is a lead negotiator for the Council with the mayor on the budget.

Equally important to the late budget, some in the Council say, is that Mayor Bloomberg�s aides have been distracted by their fight with the State Legislature over control of the school system, and have only recently begun to pay full attention to budget negotiations. An ally of the mayor told reporters that the biggest issue in budget negotiations was how much money to restore to classroom spending and whether or not the mayor will be in charge of the schools.

At Final Call press time, the State Assembly and Senate were debating provisions that would give Mayor Bloomberg the power to appoint the school chancellor and eight of the 13 members of the Board of Education.

While the students were excited about seeing their favorite rap stars, they made it clear that they were at the rally to say their schools were in trouble and that change is needed. One high school student said they often have teachers that are not qualified to teach.

"We had a Spanish language teacher teaching us math last year," said Selis Vasquez, 15, from Tottenville High School in Staten Island. "We want to get our education, but most of the time we do not have the resources."

"It�s important that we�re here for each other and make support for public education our priority," Alicia Keys said. She added that her younger brother�s school discontinued several programs due to budget cuts.

"Four of my own children attend public schools," said Minister Kevin Muhammad, New York Representative of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, "and I am concerned about the quality of education they receive. As Minister Farrakhan has said, �Education is the life of civilization.� We must fight to retain it."

However, not everyone was glad that Russell Simmons and the hip hop community held the rally. Dr. Lenora Fulani, Ph.D. and a long-time political activist, told The Final Call that students were being "used" and that the rally was a one-day affair with no follow-up planned. She also questioned the alliance with the teachers� union, which some Black activists claim to be part of the problem.

Activists such as Min. Benjamin Muhammad and Professor James Blake of the Queens Million Man/Million Family March Coalition quickly answered Dr. Fulani�s concerns. "This is not a one-day affair. This is an awakening, a resurrection of our young people," said Prof. Blake.

"It is important to understand that this is more than a one day protest. We will keep this coalition together and we will work hard to make the city and the country a better place," Min. Muhammad said.

Sean "P-Diddy" Combs said, "We�re united with the teachers. We need our books, we need our teachers and we need our education. We are here to tell the mayor we will not settle for less."

Observers stressed that the police department and press attempted to throw a negative spin on the rally. The official police department head count is 20,000. There were 13 people arrested, mostly for disorderly conduct. Among the people arrested was rapper Wyclef Jean.

One local paper used his arrest as its headline and lead on its coverage of the rally. Many of the students arrested were pepper sprayed by the police for attempting to stand on the barriers and light poles to see the stage area. There were two jumbo-tron screens in the area, however, one did not work.

"I am impressed with the students, they are focused," said Ernest Clayton, president of the United Parents Association. "Maybe now parents will become more involved after seeing how interested young people are in getting their education."

"I have no beef with the NYPD," said Mr. Jean, after being issued a summons. There is only one important issue, he added.

"It is important that the mayor understands that we (rappers) came out today to speak for the kids," he said.