What could be Oak Park’s final Ethnic Fest and Parade took place last Saturday. The decision by the District 97 school board to dismantle the district’s historic Multicultural Resources Department in a money-saving effort can be debated. These are hard times, even with the recent referendum passage, and difficult cutbacks are necessary. At the same time, the department was a bold and provocative declaration of the schools’ determination to achieve and celebrate racial diversity when it was created nearly 40 years ago.
Regardless of the department’s future — and there are serious issues over where its remarkable collection ought to be housed — preserving Ethnic Fest and the parade would be a worthy endeavor for a group of public-spirited citizens.