“In the face of an alarming trend toward discrediting scientific consensus and restricting scientific discovery, we might ask: Can we afford not to speak out in its defense? We face a possible future where people not only ignore scientific evidence but also seek to eliminate it entirely,” says the national March for Science organization. “This weakens the authority of science and everything science stands for, including environmental conservation. Staying silent is a luxury that we can no longer afford. We must stand together and support science,” the site continues.
The march will take place in Shreveport at the Caddo Parish Courthouse (400 Texas Street) on Saturday, April 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m.. Tentatively, speeches will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the march will begin at 10:00 a.m..
“We need volunteers,” says Anna Lep, “to come to the Caddo Courthouse at 7:30 a.m..” Volunteer sign up here.
“During the March,” continues Lep, “the volunteer ‘street directors’ will stop at their designated intersection (will be assigned the day of) and make sure that all march participants continue on the correct route and use sidewalks and traffic lights. Then, after the last marchers pass by, the volunteers will continue to march at the end of the pack. We will have 5 Shreveport Police Officers throughout the route, so you don’t have to worry about any safety issues.”
Katie Vanchiere will be your volunteer coordinator and she will have some of you will pass out rules (the most important is that all participants Stay On The Sidewalk and obey traffic signals) and flyers as participants are arriving. Before march participants arrive, we will have you walk the route (it is less than 1 mile) to make sure everything is okay. There should not be much of a clean-up after the march, but we will potentially need some help with that! We will have bandanas to designate you as volunteers.”
The organization of a March for Science Shreveport has been initiated by a new generation of leaders: young medical school students Youmna Moufarrej, Katie Moreaux and Anna Lep – and classmates. They have been joined by a throng of helpful people. See more on their Facebook event page.
Learn about the march and prepare for it at March for Science: Know Your Rights and Stand Up for Science
“The March for Science is non-partisan and promotes the importance of science and evidence-based policies. We both value and support inclusion and diversity and respect individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life,” adds Anna Lep.
