Sal Castro's Funeral Set for Thursday
Funeral services will be held tomorrow for former LAUSD teacher Sal Castro, who joined his students in East Los Angeles school walkouts in 1968 to protest inequities in educational opportunities for Latinos and whose efforts were documented in the HBO film "Walkout."
Castro died April 15 at age 79. The educator and activist died peacefully of natural causes, according to his family.
A 9:30 a.m. funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will be led by the Rev. James Mott, pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel Church.
Castro worked at various inner-city schools before landing a teaching job at Belmont High School, where he taught social studies. But his activism with Spanish-speaking students led to his transfer to Lincoln High School in East Los Angeles.
He was part of a committee that made recommendations to the county about ways of improving education for Latino students, and began working with students whose meetings became the Chicano Youth Leadership Conferences, which trained Latino student activists and leaders.
Castro became increasingly active in his criticism of inequalities between East Los Angeles schools and other campuses. Unrest among activists and students led to walkouts -- which were later dubbed "Blowouts" -- that began in March 1968 with one school, then grew to include five campuses, including Lincoln, and Latino college students. The demonstrations eventually led to clashes between students and police.
Castro was arrested and charged with disrupting schools and disturbing the peace, although the charges were later dropped.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina compared Castro with Cesar Chavez.
"For Latinos in Los Angeles, Sal Castro was as influential and inspirational as United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez was nationally -- an example of the power of organizing who personified the possibility of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds," Molina said.
LAUSD board President Monica Garcia said Castro "will be remembered as a teacher, counselor, leader and courageous adult who stood with students in the 1968 walkouts and ever since dedicated his life to learning and leadership. Sal Castro's courage and dedication will continue to be inspirational to future generations of students and educators."
A middle school on the campus of Belmont High School was named Sal Castro Middle School in his honor in 2009.
Castro's work on behalf of inner-city schools and participation in the student marches was documented in the HBO film "Walkout," directed by Edward James Olmos.
Read More: East L.A. Blowouts: Walking Out for Justice in the Classrooms