ONE People’s Campaign (OPC) announces their endorsement of Ebony DeBerry for Elected School Board in Chicago’s 2nd District, which encompasses a huge swath of the city’s far North Side. The grassroots organization is one of the first to make an endorsement in this historic election, as Chicagoans take to the polls for the first time to elect representatives for the governing body that oversees the city’s public schools.
“As parents, we know what is at stake in this election,” said Nellie Moreno, a member of ONE People’s Campaign’s political committee. “Our schools are the backbone of our communities. We must elect board members who want to invest in public schools. Ebony has already been putting in the work for decades to build stronger public schools, so we know she will be a champion for public education on the board.”
Ms. DeBerry is a lifelong resident of Rogers Park, who both attended and sent her son to CPS schools. She has decades of experience with the North Side’s public schools, working as a teacher for several years, serving as a Local School Council Member, and now serving as the Manager of Educational Initiatives at ONE Northside, a 501c3 community organizing nonprofit. In this role, she oversees the Parent Mentor program at eight elementary schools across Edgewater, Rogers Park, Uptown and Ravenswood. The Parent Mentor program places parents from the community in schools for ten hours a week to assist students and support the teachers.
“I am the product of our public school system and I want future generations of CPS students to receive the same investment and opportunity I had,” Ms. DeBerry said. “I am the only candidate in the race who has been a student, a parent, a teacher, and an LSC member. Now I work to bring more resources into our schools to support students and teachers. I want every student and every school to have the resources they need to thrive. When we have healthy schools, we have healthy communities.”
With ONE People’s Campaign’s endorsement comes a commitment to support Ms. DeBerry’s campaign as she moves forward toward the November election. “It’s important to us to have someone on the School Board who will fight for investment, and against cuts, closures, and privatization,” said OPC volunteer member and 2nd district resident, Shamim Zafar. “Ebony’s track record and lived experience with our public schools made her stand out in a crowded race of people all claiming to be progressive. We’re ready to get on the doors and talk to our neighbors to help Ebony win. She is the champion our public schools deserve. ”
OPC has a proven track record of early and effective grassroots mobilization for progressive candidates. In June of 2022, ONE People’s Campaign was an early endorser of State Representative Hoan Huynh (13th District), who they helped carry to victory through a robust volunteer voter contact program. They have also mobilized volunteers to support Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward), Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward), Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward), Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward), and 10 north side police district councilors, among many other recent elections.