West Cook News

Oak Park Village Trustee Arti Walker is again fanning flames of division in the community.

“Oak Park you sure do love to show your white supremacy in a myriad of ways,” Walker posted on Facebook. “Every week in this village feels like we're living in the game show Jeopardy, where you never know what the question will be, but the answer is always "What is White Supremacy?"

That was Walker’s response to a petition from local parents who are asking Oak Park Elementary School District 97 to reopen for in-person education. 

Walker argued the affluent white population in Oak Park now knows what it feels like to be impoverished after losing access to “daycare, schools, GTD programs, after school programs” for which many of them moved to the area.

“190 days since the landing of the pandemic here in Oak Park, now most people want that access to wealth and privilege back,” Walker wrote. 

Walker's outburst comes as New York City just announced they are reopening all of the city's schools for in-person education. NYC's district serves 1.1 million students in comparison to District 97's 4,923 students 

Education and public policy experts have also said students should be back in school. Meanwhile, school districts that remain shuttered are being told to prepare for lawsuits. 

The petition, “Back To School Oak Park District 97”, was created by a group of concerned parents who pointed to in-person options at at least five nearby school districts whereas District 97 apparently has no plans to reopen soon.

“To be clear, we are not pushing for remote learning to stop for families who decide that this mode of learning works best for their children,” the petition reads. 

Along with publicizing other CDC findings, the group cites that mortality rates have improved dramatically for those 50 and under who are expected to have a 99.98 percent recovery rate and the disease only rarely affects elementary school age children.

The petition takes aim at District 97 Superintendent Dr. Carol Kelley.

“Dr. Kelley and our School Board have had many meetings and conversations, but developed no actual plans,” the petition reads. 

Further, the petition provides a timeline by when parents would like to see efforts on behalf of District 97.

“Dr. Carol Kelley and the District 97 School Board to deliver a re-opening plan prioritizing young learners (K-2) by October 16th with a return to school by October 26th,” the petition reads. 

The group said they are merely seeking the opportunity to discuss having children back in classrooms, not make in-person attendance mandatory. 

That did not stop Walker from politicizing the topic.

“[T]he issue du jour, which is a poorly thought out petition and ‘organizing’ effort led by the white parents of D97 against all manner of things, but the main two are the lack of a plan to move back to in-person learning, and the leadership of Dr. Kelly,” Walker said in her post. 

Walker has a history of using dog whistle terms when it comes to opponents. 

Earlier this year Oak Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb apologized to an appointee to the Police Oversight Commission after Walker-Peddakotla called him “racist” and “misogynist” during a board meeting.

Walker is leading a slate of progressive candidates who are aiming to seize the Oak Park Village Board in 2021. 

Activate Oak Park, a political action committee co-founded by Walker, is taking aim at the three openings on the board and is hopeful to stack the board in favor of so-called “progressives.” The group’s platform focuses on climate change and racial "equity" among other issues.

Between Walker and fellow trustee Susan Buchanan, who subjected fellow board members to a notable outburst last year, the board and long-suffering mayor already have their hands full. 

While sitting on the board Walker has been a de facto leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Oak Park. Last month during a board meeting Abu-Taleb’s home was vandalized when while his wife was inside. A group of 100, mostly teens, flooded the streets and trespassed onto the mayor’s property where vandals damaged a sidewalk and smashed potted plants. 

Walker denied involvement in planning the protest but refused to denounce it and was the lone board member to decline to sign a non-partisan statement from the board condemning the attack.

Some from the community have voiced their concerns about Walker’s influence and her encouragement of mob behavior. 

“Your actions are putting these children into situations that they should not be in,” Oak Park resident Tom McMillan posted on Facebook. “They are kids, stop using them. And stop pretending that you are not.”