School Friends

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”

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”

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”

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?”