Black Lives Matter demonstrators call out Dist. 211

Carrying signs with such messages as “Eyes Wide Open,” “Color is Not a Crime” and “Defund the Police,” about 75 people participated in a Black Lives Matter rally Thursday near the grounds of Hoffman Estates High School.

As police watched from the steps of the school, Palatine resident Tim McGowan explained what the group District 211 Community for Justice hoped to achieve.

“We've been going back and forth with the school board for maybe the last month and a half in regards to diversifying the hiring practices, diversifying the curriculum and (requiring) anti-bias and anti-racist training for all District 211 staff,” he said.

“That essentially has been our list of demands, or things that need to be implemented to better the quality of life for all students inside the schools.”