WC_111518

winnetkacurrent.com NEWS
the winnetka current | November 15, 2018 | 9
New Trier-based group fights racism on North Shore
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
The topic of race can
strike a nerve, making the
often emotional and controversial
matter, one that
many avoid altogether.
But, a group of well-meaning
District 203 educators,
parents, students and even
New Trier alumni, are taking
the bold step to examine
what they believe
are both blatant and silent
facts of discrimination that
are prevalent within New
Trier Township and across
the North Shore.
The group Heros, an
acronym for Healing Everyday
Racism in Our
Schools, was conceived
after offensive graffiti
was found on New Trier’s
campus last winter. Naturally,
many were shocked,
but as Heros members began
to take a closer look,
they learned from students
that such instances are not
all that uncommon.
“After the third act of
racism fueled graffiti,
many of us sprung into
action to see just how big
of a problem racism really
is within the school.
It is then that we learned,
mainly from students,
that racial slurs are pretty
common, prompting many
concerned individuals to
get to the root of the problem,”
said Heros member
Alan Hatchett.
The group began interviewing
students and
researching the situation,
finding many shocking
revelations along the way,
such as: black students
at NT and their middle
school counterparts noted
the casual and almost
daily use of the n-word;
black students at New
Trier reported being called
the n-word by their white
New Trier classmates at
a football game and told
to sit with the other, more
culturally-diverse, rival
team; Jewish students and
their allies described multiple
cases of anti-Semitic
jokes, several of which directly
targeted Jewish students
themselves.
These alarming findings
prompted the group
to create and present an
eight-point proposal to the
School Board, hoping for
changes such as: 1. Meet
regularly with students and
parents of color, concerned
parents and alumni; 2. Hiring
a diverse workforce; 3.
Developing an anti-racist,
pro-justice curriculum;
4. Funding and training a
student-led bias response
team; 5. Implementing a
restorative justice program
with full-time, licensed
practitioners 6. Fostering
interracial insight and understanding
through a revitalized
Seminar Day; 7.
Opening access to North
Shore resources to underfunded
CPS schools and
Members of the Healing Everyday Racism in Our Schools group (left to right) Tonya
Schreder, New Trier Township resident, Alan Hatchett, of Wilmette, Doug Schreder,
of Evanston, Remi Schreder, New Trier graduate, and Perron Thurston, New Trier
Township resident, meet up at the Baha’ House of Worship in Wilmette. Photo
submitted
students; 8. Building affordable
housing on the
North Shore to increase
neighborhood diversity.
These suggestions are
currently being reviewed
by the School Board, with
hopes that some or all will
be implemented into New
Trier’s long-term 2030
strategic planning.
“We know that many
of these changes, such as
Please see Heros, 12
police reports
Unknown men steal $900 worth of alcohol from Mariano’s
Two unknown male subjects
stole $900 worth of
liquor at 4:15 p.m. Nov. 1
from Mariano’s 1822 Willow
Road, Northfield. The
subjects were seen on the
store’s surveillance video
after an employee found
empty boxes in the liquor
aisle. The case is under investigation.
In other police news:
Winnetka
Nov. 5
• An unknown offender
used spray paint to deface
a staircase structure between
Oct. 31-Nov. 5 at
the parking garage at 1101
Merrill St. Repair costs are
$375.
Nov. 2
• An unknown offender
damaged two freshly
poured sidewalk blocks
and a driveway between
7 p.m. Nov. 1-8 a.m. Nov.
2 in 1000 block of Oak
Street. Repairs are $5,000.
Oct. 31
• Akeyla B. Gibson, 25, of
Waukegan, was arrested
for identity theft at 8 a.m.
at the Winnetka Police station
after an investigation
of a previous incident on
March 20. Her court date
was Oct. 31.
Oct. 29
• An unknown offender
contacted Walgreens, 925
Green Bay Road, and attempted
to fill a fraudulent
prescription between
noon-12:15 p.m.
Northfield
Nov. 2
• Przemyslaw M. Gorecki,
30, of Chicago, was
arrested for driving under
the influence of alcohol
and speeding at 6:31 p.m.
at the intersection of Willow
Road and Three Lakes
Drive. His court date is
Nov. 21.
Nov. 1
• Bernadette T. Roche, 65,
of Chicago, was arrested
for driving under the influence
of alcohol; leaving
the scene of a property
damage accident; failure
to give information after
striking unattended property;
failure to report an
accident to police; failure
to reduce speed to avoid an
accident; improper lane usage
and improper passing
at 9:46 p.m. at the intersection
of West Frontage and
Tower roads. A witness
reported seeing Roche’s
vehicle strike a light pole
in the 300 block of South
Happ Road and leave the
scene northbound on Central
Avenue toward West
Frontage Road. Her court
date is Nov. 21.
Oct. 31
• A homeowner reported a
tree service trimming trees
adjacent to their property.
Officers spoke with representatives
from the tree
service and determined the
tree service was contracted
by ComEd to trim trees
along the utility easement.
Oct. 30
• A suspicious male subject
called Temple Jeremiah
asking questions
about religious books and
scriptures, and asking for
a priest at 9:08 a.m. There
were no threatening statements
made by the caller,
but police advised staff to
not answer any additional
calls.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Winnetka
Current Police Reports
are compiled by the Winnetka
Police Department and the
Northfield Police Department.
Individuals named in
these reports are considered
innocent of all charges until
proven guilty in a court of
law.