Shukri Abdirahman - September 2022

GEAR (Growing Employment Access for Refugees) Project Manager

She may be just 22 years old, but Lewiston resident Shukri Abdirahman has a lot of ideas for addressing issues of racial justice and equity in Maine, beginning with the greatest challenge she faced: learning English. “I wanted to be challenged in elementary school, middle school, and high school. I wanted my English language to improve. I really wanted to master English. I loved writing, I loved reading, but I didn’t have teachers who supported me and who advocated for me to reach higher.” Today Shukri is an articulate and impassioned advocate for those she sees struggling around her. “We need to study poverty in Maine. Why Black people, immigrants, and poor whites are all struggling. I live in Lewiston, I walk around Lewiston, I see the people. There’s a disconnect between the police and the community. We need to invest in our youth. We need to make sure they are being educated about programs, they need to know their state political systems, they need to understand the laws around them, they need to understand the policies being signed. People need to be engaged more.”

Shukri’s advice is simple: “Learn about history. Go on Google. Any questions that you have about race, you have to search. You have to educate yourself.”