Abstract

This paper emphasizes the pedagogical contributions that drove the political awareness and action of Black and Brown youth in Chicago from 1966-1975. The critical education of the Communiversity on the Southside and the Chicago Young Lords Organization (ChYLO) on the Northside addressed deficiencies in educational institutions and aided urban youth in combating the post-industrial, socio-political, and economic challenges of Chicago communities. Through a critical analysis of interview and archival data of ChYLO and Communiversity, we highlight their significant contributions to the field of education. In this article, we frame these formations as the work of critical pedagogy. Our analysis of these youth/student organizations uncovers frameworks that contribute to the work of educators and youth via: 1) examination of educational topics rooted in community concerns, 2) the study of texts that promote critical understandings and analysis of unjust structures and systems at local, national and global levels, and 3) pedagogical practices that account and adjust for the living and learning conditions of poor Black and Brown communities.

Keywords: Communiversity, Chicago Young Lords Organization, Critical Pedagogical Development, Youth Social Movements

How to Cite:

Aviles, A., Dávila, E. & Benson II, R. D., (2019) “City of Wind, City of Fire: Education and Activism in Chicago 1966-1975”, International Journal of Critical Pedagogy 10(2).