On August 8, G.A.R.D. (Gorham Anti-Racism Development) hosted an Anti-Racism Teach-In on the sports fields at Gorham Middle School. As stated on their website, G.A.R.D is a “local social justice movement, created by the Gorham Black Lives Matter Organizers.” It is made up of community members, Gorham students and alumni, and Gorham educators.
Member and GHS senior Katy Morin stated that G.A.R.D was formed “because we know Gorham is not a racism-free community. In an effort to combat this, we feel an organized, diverse group specifically dedicated towards eradicating racism is necessary in order to achieve a town where everyone is free from discrimination and bias based on their skin color.”
Organizers included GHS alumni and leading organizers at G.A.R.D. Mariam Beshir, and Kyle Ouillette, GHS senior Tatianna Jonk, GHS counselor and Civil Rights Team advisor Trisha Cherry, and Gorham community member Kristi Grand.
Photo credit Sierra CummingsG.A.R.D. organizers Tatianna Jonk, Kyle Ouillette, and Mariam Beshir speak at a Teach-In event on August 8.
The Teach-In was open to any interested community members. It aimed to “provide anti-racism information, information on the movement ‘Black Lives Matter,’ a voter’s registration table as well as information on the topic of ‘defund the police’ and what exactly that may look like in our community,” said Morin.
The event also included a slate of speakers, some of whom volunteered in the form of an Open Mic. Informational tents were set up around the basketball court. Each tent provided specific information on educational resources and actions to take at the event itself. This included an informational tent on Gorham High School’s Civil Rights Team as well as an educational tent which provided Anti-Racism pledges for adults and kids, free books donated by Baxter Memorial Library, and a scavenger hunt for kids to take with questions such as “What is the definition of legislation?” and “How old do you have to be to vote?”
The event also included a wall of Gorham community members’ personal experiences with racism in Gorham and surrounding communities.
The Teach-In closed with a “Privilege Walk” which had attendees line up along the length of the soccer field, and an organizer posed privilege-related statements such as “If you studied the culture or history of your ancestors in elementary school, take a step forward.” The goal of the activity was to display different levels of privilege that exist within the community.
The Anti-Racism Teach-In is intended to be the first of multiple events organized by G.A.R.D as the organization continues its outreach in the community.