The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

The Truth In This Art is an interview series featuring artists, entrepreneurs and tastemakers in & around Baltimore.

Gab is an abolitionist educator and restorative justice practitioner with ten years of classroom teaching experience across early childhood, elementary, and middle school settings. In 2015, they were trained as a SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) leader by The National SEED Project, a pivotal experience that deepened their understanding of identity, power, and equity in education. Since then, they have facilitated over eighty workshops and seminars exploring the intersections of education, identity, and justice, while partnering with individuals and groups to build leadership and accountability in school communities. Deeply committed to Baltimore, Gab serves as a Commissioner on the city’s Women’s Commission through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights. They hold a BA in Elementary Education from Loyola University Maryland and an MSEd in Administration and Supervision from Fordham University. Gab lives near Patterson Park with their spouse, dog, and rabbit, and enjoys volunteering at BARCS, watching Hulu, and making the occasional Costco run.

Victoria is an abolitionist educator and writer with over a decade of experience in elementary classrooms and nearly twenty years of tutoring students in elementary and middle school. Since 2006, she has written grants for educational and health programs, using storytelling as a tool for equity. Her participation in the 2018 National Diversity Practitioners Institute deepened her commitment to antiracism and abolition in education, while helping her explore her identity as a white Latiné and proud neurodivergent person. Victoria is passionate about labor rights and community organizing, and in 2020, she led colleagues in a groundbreaking campaign to unionize an independent school. She holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Inclusive Education from Teachers College and integrates her values of justice, creativity, and collaboration into her work and life. Based in Mount Washington with her spouse, two children, and mini dachshund, Blueberry, Victoria enjoys cooking, puzzling, and learning Spanish alongside her kids. She proudly celebrates her Puerto Rican heritage and draws inspiration from her vibrant, resourceful communities.