A scrappy group of moms and their grade school kids in Chicago have shown the nation what determined activism powered by love can do.

Families in a largely Mexican-American, working class community are fighting to defend an old building on the grounds of Whittier Elementary School from a planned demolition. 

Instead, they want the city to use the building to add a library there for the school students, who have none currently.

The moms have occupied the building for 37 days, and begun a lending library on their own, using 1,000 books donated from around the city.

They won concessions already and are meeting with the Chicago school officials on Wednesday to see if an agreement can be reached.

(READ the story in ColorLines blog)