A successful fundraiser will allow the KHS Civil Rights Team to distribute a book about racism to every high school student this year. Daniel King Photo
KENNEBUNK – When Kennebunk High School history teacher and Civil Rights Team Advisor Gregory Smith sought and won permission to fundraise to provide a book on racism to every high school student, he had no way of knowing how successful that drive would be.
We asked him about the effort and the reasons for it as students prepare for classes to begin next month.
“I have actually closed the GoFundMe page because we have surpassed our fundraising goal. In addition to the $8,100 donated through that site, I received almost $1,000 in checks through the mail from folks who had difficulty using the site. This means that we should be able to purchase approximately 750 books,” he said in an email.
The book “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” will be purchased through the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, that Smith said has agreed to provide at a discount and use the proceeds to fund research and programming.
“The objective is to simultaneously promote literacy and antiracist education,” said Smith. “The books will be a gift to each student, allowing them to access the material in their own method rather than requiring it as part of a class.”
He said the goal is to hand the books out on the first day that students physically return to school.
Students returning to classes at Kennebunk High School next month will receive this book, after a successful fundraiseer organized by Civil Rights Team Advisor Gregory Smith. Courtesy Image
“I believe that many of our students are simply unaware of the reality of bias in this country,” Smith told the RSU 21 School Board, in part, when asking permission to raise funds for the book distribution. “They have seen the snippets on social media, they have seen the flags, the stickers, the anger and the arguments. However, they have not studied the history systematically, and many of them have been sheltered from the negative experiences of race in this country.”
By soliciting donations from the community, we are giving people an opportunity to make positive change and feel involved in the district, he said. “I believe that this is another powerful opportunity to show that the schools are part of the community and vice versa.”
He said four young women – two sophomores, a junior and a senior – will be leading be leading the initiatives connected to the book donation.
“They are working on plans, but are currently developing a hype video to recruit potential brainstormers and/or reading circle leaders,” said Smith. He said that video is expected to be up in a week or so.
He said the Civil Rights Team had about 15 members in the last school year.
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