I grew up in Howard County, and I’ve always been involved in diverse social groups and relationships. I’ve taught classes, played sports, attended school, coached teams, worked, and been a part of the community in Howard County for a long time. My outlook on race relations was strongly influenced by my interactions in Columbia schools.Continue reading “School Friends”
Category Archives: diversity
Proud to be in Howard County
I see people regularly in and around Howard County of all ethnic backgrounds sharing meals, events and life challenges. I see them hugging each other during a bad day. I feel Howard County is a center for kindness and inclusion for all ethnic backgrounds. I am proud to be a part of a county soContinue reading “Proud to be in Howard County”
Sweet treat
I went into a bakery run by Asian-American women in Howard County. I found a dessert that I had tasted in Asia and I was so happy to find it in Ellicott City. It was mochi — a powdered dumpling with red bean filling. I smiled and thanked the woman behind the counter. I likeContinue reading “Sweet treat”
Plant a Seed
As a children’s instructor I have the opportunity to teach a very diverse population. This opportunity provides me with a way to bridge commonalities between these populations through the content I share. It allows me to plant a seed of understanding and friendship in my classroom.
Representation challenges
There are community-based organizations that struggle constantly to hear from new people and compel/motivate/provide avenues for all people of all backgrounds to be involved. We are in a constant circle of hearing that our elected board is not diverse enough (which is true and very apparent) and simultaneously seeing minimal turnout to vote for someoneContinue reading “Representation challenges”
I Maintain Hope
I live in a very racial and culturally diverse Ellicott City neighborhood. I have lived there for ten years now. I see children of different races and cultures play together, families meet together for lawn picnics. Neighbors stop and chat with each other at our cars as we come and go. In my small buildingContinue reading “I Maintain Hope”
Working
I don’t really have a story. However, I have taken notice that there is a slow change happening at work and my coworkers are becoming more diverse. I’m glad to see this because they are roll models for kids.
Homecoming
My story is from a few years ago. My son was going to his Homecoming dance at high school. He didn’t have a date, but was going with 3 of his best friends. After taking all the required pictures, and looking back on them, I saw that they were 4 boys, 4 different races, 4Continue reading “Homecoming”
What would Vivian C. Bailey Say?
My story is about something that I witnessed that seems typical of race relations in Howard county. My grandkids (from Georgia) came to visit for the summer. we visited parks, pools, libraries, and playgrounds in Howard county. They loved playing at the Vivian C. Bailey park so much that they always cried when it wasContinue reading “What would Vivian C. Bailey Say?”
Melting Pot
As a child and young teen, I was regularly acclimated with classmates / neighbors who had very diverse ethnic / cultural backgrounds. During this time, we all were able to find common interests and have quality time with one another. This included school activities, neighborhood games, as well as extracurricular school events (dances).