A mental health group that focuses on healing young Black boys and men has made a home in Rockford.
God. Restoring. Order. Community started in Chicago but has a presence in Cincinnati, Detroit and now Rockford. The nonprofit goes by the name GRO Community. Last week on July 25 it held a “Summer Night of Poetry” at Churchill Park.
Kweisi Gharreau, the chief marketing officer of the organization, said Rockford caught the group’s attention because of crime in the city. Gharreau references the recent killing of 24-year-old Myles Seward who was slain on July 16. Data from the FBI shows Rockford’s crime rates – including those for violent crime – are much higher than the national average.
Gharreau is a poet. He said he started writing poetry after a traumatic experience. He lost his brother to gun violence.
“The Gun Violence Prevention Initiative is in line with our social initiative, ‘A Summer Night of Poetry,” he said. “Because one who has been affected by gun violence and dealing with trauma, poetry has been a way for me to personally deal with the pain, the hurt, the hate and the anger and process that.”
Gharreau shared a poem that recounts the events that led up to his brother’s death.
“On Saturday, January 11, 1992,” he started, “My younger brother Lamont, he was at the mall doing what teenagers do. Buying some gear, babysitting my nephew and you know checking out some girls, I'm sure. Back on the block, Riverdale on 136th and Lowe, Lemont's friends noticed two guys walking up and down the block. Their names were Eric and Jonathan.”
Gharreau said he had to forgive the killers for him to continue to grow. He showed the crowd a picture of his slain brother, a photograph that was taken a few hours after the homicide.
Jeremy Powell is a therapist at GRO Community. He said most Black men and boys act out from a place of trauma. He said the group's mission is to mold young boys, five and up, and heal broken men.
“Black men, they don't necessarily have the outlet to get mental health resources and we're taught not to talk about it. So, we heal them by -- we use an approach called positive cognitive behavioral therapy and pretty much that changes a negative mindset to a positive mindset,” he said.
Powell said most men don’t recognize when they are depressed or have anxiety.
Poet Laureate Jenna Goldsmith was the night’s featured poet.
“Events like this are great because they're organic, they bring people together. They're informal,” she added. “There are ways for folks to encounter poetry and the arts in just an informal way. I mean, this is a park, right? It's hot out and it's smoky, but it's still a free space for people to come together.”
The next GRO poetry event in Rockford is “Gro Rock Full Moon Poetry.” This free event takes place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 30. The location will be updated on Instagram. The focus will be on children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Gharreau said poetry not only heals the poet, but it allows one to get to know him or herself - - all while building community.
