On Friday, May 25th, the President of UNE, James Herbert, PhD, encouraged the UNE community to join him in a rally spurred from a racially-motivated assault in Biddeford the month prior. The “Standing Together For Racial Justice” rally and march began at 5:30 pm outside the Biddeford City Hall.
Representatives from the University of New England, including President Herbert, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Jeanne Hey, PhD, the VP for Strategic Initiatives and Communications, Ellen Beaulieu, EdD, and the Director of Student Engagement, Kerry Keating, and others attended the “Standing Together For Racial Justice” rally and march. The event was organized by the executive director of the Heart of Biddeford, Delilah Poupore, who welcomed the crowd and introduced guest speakers, which included Shay Stewart-Bouley, the writer behind Black Girl in Maine Media and executive director of Community Change Inc. in Boston, and a 12-year-old resident of Biddeford, Achoya Katanga. Miss Katanga spoke of her frustrations that still, in 2018, people with black or brown skin have to live in fear. Ms. Stewart-Bouley piggy backed on that notion, but added that white silence has to end.
It is the responsibility of everyone in the community, no matter the color of their skin, to say something if they see something. Silence makes us just as guilty as delivering the blow. The crowd cheered, shouting, “Black Lives Matter.”
The march started at City Hall and followed the square past the Cumberland Farms where the assault of a black man took place. Marchers continued to chant "Black Lives Matter" along with "No hate! No fear! Everyone is welcome here!" Onlookers cheered or honked their horns in solidarity. If anyone disagreed with the sentiment, for the moment their voices were silenced by the unified voices of the community. The demonstration showed UNE's commitment to diversity and social justice, not just on-campus, but within the greater Biddeford community.
RACIAL JUSTICE RALLY AND MARCH
President Herbert listens as Shay Stewart-Bouley addresses the crowd