I have been in Howard County for about a year. My family and I moved from VA. When we came house hunting, we loved our neighborhood because it was vey cosmopolitan. I understand that not all neighborhoods in HC are like this. However, the equity and racial justice training facilitated by HCLS gives me hopeContinue reading “Impression of Howard County by a new resident”
Category Archives: All Stories
No follow-up
Our school staff were assigned to read The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education last year. Unfortunately, there were no students physically in school, so there were no opportunities to practice the lessons. There has been no follow-up this year. This lack of follow-up feels all too familiar. Our School Improvement Plan has AfricanContinue reading “No follow-up”
School redistricting changes home value
A coworker was discussing how the value of their home would likely go down because of the projected redistricting of schools. The new schools their home was districted to were deemed of less value because of the demographics of students and families going there. They did not have any students in school and were notContinue reading “School redistricting changes home value”
Neighbors
I witnessed a White neighbor being friendly and kind to Black neighbor, but when that White neighbor interacted with me, they said things about the Black neighbor that were negative. This made me sad, because my White neighbor knows how they should be acting and thinking, but they aren’t doing so with feeling. I wasContinue reading “Neighbors”
Let’s actually go there
I was meeting someone for first time and asking about her work in the community. A long time resident came up and started talking about how he knew her. He said that she was one of the only Hispanic leaders in Columbia and she was such an asset. She said graciously I am not oneContinue reading “Let’s actually go there”
Distrust of the Medical System
At work, we have recently implement a COVID vaccine mandate for the team with medical and religious exemptions. This has sparked several conversations with team members, but the most impactful were those with team members of color and their expressed historical and systemic distrust of the medical community. This distrust is preventing them from feelingContinue reading “Distrust of the Medical System”
Redistricting Plan
Howard County recently implemented a new redistricting plan where children from lower income neighborhoods would be bused to schools in higher income neighborhoods (and vice versa). Here are a few of the comments from Howard County residents that resulted: “Blacks destroy school systems and schools,” read one letter to county officials about the busing plan.Continue reading “Redistricting Plan”
Heartwarming return
I had the pleasure of welcoming back a customer to the library that I haven’t seen for years because this black gentleman moved away for other opportunities. He was surprised that I remembered him even though he remembered me as a HCLS Instructor. I said to him that I remembered his kind eyes. Politely andContinue reading “Heartwarming return”
Virus for Profit
When discussing the covid-19 vaccine, my boss said look how “they” ( Chinese ) gave us this virus, and they are making a killing off of selling their products (gloves, masks, ventilators.
Columbia Speaks!
I speak to people. I don’t always expect people to speak back, but it doesn’t change my character. I just believe in seeing people and acknowledging them. Columbia itself is multi-racial and multi-cultural. The language and culture barrier lends to my understanding that, sometimes people don’t speak back. Often, I am the first to speakContinue reading “Columbia Speaks!”