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USA Today
19-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
From Galveston to Concord, 5 communities keep Juneteenth stories alive
From Galveston to Concord, 5 communities keep Juneteenth stories alive For Juneteenth, USA TODAY is telling the stories of five different communities across the country where residents are fighting to preserve history. In Galveston, Texas, one man is turning the city's historic district into an outdoor classroom. He's known as 'Professor Juneteenth.' On the banks of the Patuxent River in rural Maryland, a former summer haven for Black residents is pushing to preserve its history and revitalize the town. And in Concord, Massachusetts – a place known far more for its central role in the American Revolution 250 years ago – a small museum is seeking new funding sources to keep alive the story of Black Americans and the nation's founding. Black coastal town celebrate history while fighting to preserve it Officials in Eagle Harbor, a Black coastal town in Maryland, reflects on its rich history and legacy ahead of Juneteenth. Juneteenth may be the nation's youngest federal holiday, but commemorating the death of slavery has celebrations and traditions that predate many others. In communities across the United States, efforts are underway to keep telling those stories for generations to come. As early as 1866, the large jollifications rivaled Independence Day festivities and featured newly freed Black Americans holding rallies pushing for further inclusion as full U.S. citizens. In subsequent years when Black people were barred from using public parks because of segregation laws, for instance, historians note how many pooled their money to buy "emancipation grounds" for Juneteenth gatherings. "When denied entry and denied access, African Americans created their own," said Roger Davidson Jr., associate professor of history at Bowie State University. Amid this year's national observation there are grave worries among historians, activists and other experts that the country is facing a new backlash as the fabrics of Black American history come under attack as part of President Donald Trump's larger war against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. "In light of what's happening, especially today where African Americans or people of African descent are more seen as victims or rolled up into some sort of a stereotype, (it's important to) hold on to these sites and this history to show that we're more than whatever you think we are," Davidson said. "You don't want to give that up. Why just give away your history?" For this Juneteenth, USA TODAY is telling the stories of five different communities across the country where many are continuing to observe these rich traditions. Across the nation: Galveston, Texas | Eagle Harbor, Maryland | Concord, Massachusetts | Hampton, Virginia | Paducah, Kentucky Each day in the heart of downtown Galveston, tourists and residents stroll past restaurants, candy stores and gift shops hawking their wares on the same street where auctioneers once sold enslaved Black bodies. Though the port city is best known for its role in the end of American slavery − when a Union general enforced the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, years after it was issued − it was once home to what is believed to be the largest slave auction house in Texas. It's part of the island's complicated past that Sam Collins III doesn't want the nation to forget. 'Sometimes people say, 'why do you want to live in the past? Tell these stories of the past?' Because we can learn from the mistakes of the past and be inspired by the successes of the past,' Collins said. Collins is a financial adviser by trade, but he has dedicated his life to sharing stories from Galveston he said often aren't taught in schools. He's turned the historic district into an outdoor classroom, pushing for the installation of a historical marker and 5,000-square-foot mural that illustrate the Juneteenth story in the place where the holiday was born. His efforts have earned him the nickname 'Professor Juneteenth.' On June 19, Collins will rise before the sun to virtually share the story of the holiday with a group in Nigeria. He'll lead a tour group along the Freedom Walk before the Juneteenth parade begins in the afternoon. He'll stop by a festival in one of the local parks, but won't linger too long 'because it is summer in Texas and that heat will get you.' Before the sun sets, he'll pop in to a screening of his Juneteenth documentary then head to his favorite event: the march from the courthouse square to the Reedy Chapel Church that reenacts an early freedom celebration. Collins does all this, he said, because he wants people to understand Juneteenth is not just local history or Black history. 'This is American history," he said. "It's world history." − N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY Noah Waters stood a few feet from the Patuxent River where slave ships once traveled. He pointed to bungalows that sit on former tobacco plantations. Today, Eagle Harbor, founded as a summer haven for Black residents near rural Aquasco, Maryland, is home to about 70 people who hold tight to the rich history of the 96-year-old resort town. 'So much has been lost, it is important to preserve history,'' said Waters, 67, the town's mayor. 'Everyone has a right to know their history and to be proud of their history.'' Incorporated in 1929, Eagle Harbor offered Black government workers, politicians and teachers a retreat from the nation's capital. They needed a summer respite at a time when White communities wouldn't let them vacation alongside them. Now, the town is awaiting word from the National Park Service on whether Eagle Harbor will be named to the National Register of Historic Places. The recognition is about 'how far we have come and how far we respect our ancestors that we want to preserve what they have done and what they've left for us,' said Linda Moore-Garoute, a town commissioner and its unofficial historian. Winding roads lead to the town with street names like Maple, Juniper and Sycamore. The community center, a one-story building, serves as the hub for meetings and gatherings like the Eagle Harbor Citizens Association's Juneteenth BBQ celebration. 'We've got to get back to our history,'' said Alton Branson, 70, whose mother was born and raised in Eagle Harbor. "We've got to keep it going.'' In a corner near the center is the Heritage Garden with plants native to Africa like Nigeria clay pea and red burgundy okra. A marker nearby honored Black women who 'devoted tireless hours to make our town, 'The Paradise on the Patuxent.'" Plans are underway for Eagle Harbor Day on Aug. 2. Once advertised as Washington's Coney Island, Waters hopes the town will use 10 acres for a conference center, hotel, restaurant and museum. 'We want Eagle Harbor to be a place of celebration,'' he said, where "you can rejuvenate, you can heal.'' Like other Black communities, integration opened doors to vacation elsewhere. Some of its younger residents left. That came at a cost. Some buildings have faded exteriors, boarded windows. But several bungalows have fresh paint and renovated porches. On one recent afternoon, children raced down the street. Mike Watson, 63, took pork off a giant smoker and shared how he appreciated the Bald eagles, the sunrise and fishing with his grandchildren. 'There's no other place like it ... from Maine to Florida,'' he said. Across the river and within eyesight are grand mansions, but townsfolk said Eagle Harbor's history makes it rich. 'Nothing can touch this history,'' Moore-Garoute said. 'I feel a sense of place, of home.'' − Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY When people visit The Robbins House, they're often struck by two things: that two families managed to squeeze into the 544-square-foot duplex and that a Black community existed at all in a town famous for prominent White residents like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott. The 19th century house was originally located about a mile north of Concord, Massachusetts, in a community historically composed of African Americans and indigenous people that is now the home of a waste treatment plant, according to Jen Turner, the museum's executive director. Twice, it has been lifted off its foundation and moved elsewhere to preserve its history. Inside lived the family of Caesar Robbins, a Black patriot and enslaved man who likely gained his freedom fighting in the Revolutionary War, Turner said. Today, the museum tells the story of an even lesser known figure, Robbins' granddaughter Ellen Garrison. As a child, Garrison helped integrate Concord's public schools. She taught in the South during Reconstruction and challenged segregation laws, Turner said. Her motto was 'educate, educate, educate,' Turner said. In many ways, the museum is carrying on that mission. 'There's a percentage of American society who want to present American history as a White, male history, and obviously that's not true. It's never been true,' Turner said. 'And so we're really proud of the work we do to really share the stories of these Black Americans who fundamentally contributed to the founding of the country.' To continue telling these stories, Nikki Turpin wants to start an endowment for the museum. Turpin, copresident of the museum's board of directors, doesn't want to keep relying on federal grant funding, which was temporarily revoked by the Trump administration. Without that money, she said there would be no Juneteenth celebration, no reading of Frederick Douglass' 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?' and perhaps no museum at all. 'We would not have lasted through the fall,' Turpin said, adding that they're focused on 'really making sure that people understand what's at stake and the whitewashing of history again.' − N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY Hampton, Virginia, has over 400 years of local Black history. The story dates back to 1619 when the first enslaved Africans arrived by ship to the shores of the southern Virginia beach town, and continues through the 1861 Contraband Decision at Hampton's Fort Monroe, which gave those who had escaped slavery crucial protection during the Civil War. The city is also home to Hampton University, a historically Black institution. The community in Hampton is marking Juneteenth with a full slate of events that began the weekend before the holiday and runs through the days after. City officials say this year is 'business as usual.' 'We're not doing anything different than what we've always done,' said Marie St. Clair, a senior recreation professional for Hampton Parks and Recreation. 'We're just doing and honoring our stories, which we've always done.' St. Clair wrote and directed, 'A Juneteenth Pageant – The Play,' which was performed for the third year in a row in Hampton on June 14. The play centers around a fictional local contest and takes inspiration from Juneteenth pageants that occur in many states, including Virginia. An online advertisement ahead of the performance promised audiences they 'will be enlightened to the true meaning of Juneteenth.' 'Juneteenth is a lot of different emotions," St. Clair told USA TODAY. "It's the history, it's the pride, it's the tenacity of enslaved people to take us from there to where we are now, and it's the opportunities that are hopefully available in the future.' Also on the Saturday before Juneteenth, Hampton held its annual Remembrance Day ceremony, which honors the nearly 2 million Africans who died en route to America during the Middle Passage. Anthropologist Chadra Pittman helped bring the international event to Hampton 14 years ago. Though typically held in the same month, Remembrance is not directly affiliated with Juneteenth. But Pittman said the city's honoring of both days is key given that the Trump administration has threatened to revise national historical narratives. 'All of us have played a role in what America is and to stand on the sidelines and watch this erasure happen is not going to happen,' Pittman said. 'There are enough of us that care enough about this history and about the people who died fighting to preserve this history that it would be a disgrace to those ancestors.' 'So, yeah, we're doing the work,' she said. 'And we're going to be very noisy over the next four years to make sure that this legacy is respected.' − Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY When the U.S. Constitution was amended to end slavery in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln's birthplace − Kentucky − was among the handful of states that refused to go along. The Bluegrass State didn't symbolically ratify the 13th Amendment until March 18, 1976 − when Gerald Ford was president. Kentucky's tardiness in embracing emancipation is remarkably fitting given that for many smaller Black communities in the western half of the state, the jubilation of their ancestor's freedom doesn't fall on June 19, the popular and federally recognized holiday. Instead, many cities and towns in the Jackson Purchase region celebrate a 160-year-old pilgrimage almost two months later known as the Eighth of August. "This is the Kentucky's oldest African American event on record," Betty Dobson, a longtime Paducah, Kentucky, resident and historian, told USA TODAY. So why the different date? This particular freedom day's origin story is a bit murky given how few newspapers covered African American celebrations in the late 19th century. Oral histories evolve over time as well, which sparks debates among participants. But many point to the holiday beginning in neighboring Tennessee because future President Andrew Johnson, then a military governor for the Union, freed his slaves on Aug. 8, 1863. Others contend the different date is simply a reflection of how learning about Lincoln's executive order of emancipation reached faraway, rural enclaves at times later than Galveston, Texas. Regardless the events in Paducah and surrounding communities, such as Hopskinsville, Russellville and Allensville, carry a distinct homecoming vibe, Dobson said. Many Black families have celebrated both dates for years, she said, while some feel like Juneteenth becoming a national holiday in 2021 was an attempt to take away from a more local celebration that is a point of pride. "I'm an Eighth of August person," Dobson said. "Folks in our area that's engraved in us. It's like the cliff swallows that go back to Capistrano. The Black folks who have left, the always come back to Paducah for the Eighth." Dobson practices a living Black history, as executive director of the Hotel Metropolitan, an establishment founded in 1908 that was a haven for Black travelers during the height of segregation. She has spearheaded restoring the hotel, which was a hot spot for touring musicians on the Chitlin' Circuit in the early 20th century, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Ike & Tina Turner. The regional celebrations around emancipation have gotten smaller over the decades, but many residents and activists in the region asserted that events like the Eighth of August will remain for decades to come. The Trump administration has said its efforts to root out DEI have led to some unwarranted changes affecting Black history, which it has sought to correct. The scrubbing of federal government websites of references to Harriet Tubman and her abolitionist actions with the Underground Railroad or the removal of Jackie Robinson and his military service before he broke baseball's color barrier, have sparked a renewed interest in protecting that history at the grassroots level, according to Dobson. "People locally are reacting in a manner that that they can't believe that this is happening," Dobson said. "People never thought that Trump would go to the lengths that he actually went to, so I think you will find that more people are determined to celebrate Juneteenth and Eighth of August events." − Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY Photos by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY; the USA TODAY Network; Reuters; Imagn Images; and Provided by the Juneteenth Legacy Project; and Glenn Hall Photography.
Miami Herald
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
HBCU Greek Life celebrated in shoe campaign
Under Armour has launched a new HBCU-focused social media campaign, "Sisterhood in Style," to celebrate the Spring/Summer release of its latest lifestyle sneaker, the UA Echo. The campaign spotlights historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Greek life. Shot on the campuses of Bowie State University and Morgan State University, the series highlights the creative energy and cultural pride found at these Maryland-based institutions. Baltimore photographer Devin Allen led the visual production. His work captures members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.-the first Black Greek-letter sorority for college women-styled in bold and expressive outfits. These looks honor deep traditions while showcasing individual flair. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was founded at Howard University in 1908. The UA Echo sneaker features a striking pink and green colorway, inspired by the signature colors of AKA. It is now available for purchase online at $150. According to a news release from Under Armour, "Sisterhood in Style" goes beyond a product showcase. The campaign underscores the company's broader commitment to innovation, culture, and community. "This campaign empowers the next generation to show up boldly, break boundaries, and define their own style codes," Under Armour stated. Bowie State and Morgan State are long-standing HBCU partners with Under Armour. This initiative continues the brand's focus on inclusive design, cultural storytelling, and authentic campus engagement. Devin Allen is a Baltimore-based photographer and activist known for capturing powerful images that highlight Black life and social justice. He rose to national prominence in 2015 when his photo of the Baltimore protests after Freddie Gray's death appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Allen uses his lens to tell authentic stories of his community, blending art with activism. Committed to youth empowerment, Allen also founded "Through Their Eyes," a program teaching photography to Baltimore's inner-city youth. The post HBCU Greek Life celebrated in shoe campaign appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Political notes: Braveboy wastes no time on hires, Shoemaker makes time for family, more lawsuits
Prince George's County At-Large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins, right, congratulates State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy on her apparent victory in Tuesday's special election for county executive. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Less than 24 hours after Aisha Braveboy declared victory in the special election for Prince George's County executive, the Democrat and current county state's attorney is already making moves. Braveboy announced Wednesday that Maxene Bardwell will serve as chief administrative officer and second-in-command for the county. Bardwell, a Prince George's resident, currently works as an internal audit manager in the Montgomery County Executive's office. 'I consider this offer to be just an example of forward thinking by County Executive-elect Braveboy to make sure that she has best-in-class skill and experience in her administration working for the people of Prince George's County,' Bardwell said in a statement. Braveboy's will not be official until next week, as election officials are still counting and certifying votes. But in election night returns, the latest posted by county officials, she had just over 89% of the vote over Republican challenger Jonathan White. But event before Tuesday's election, after surviving a nine-candidate Democratic primary in March, Braveboy had pulled together a preliminary transition team comprised of some top elected officials and business and community leaders. The team included transition co-chairs include Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) and Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux, Capitol Connections President Michael Arrington and High-Quality Care Nursing CEO Joy Davis. About a dozen people are on an executive committee that includes state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's), Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel) and Erek Barron, former U.S. Attorney for Maryland. Braveboy's transition team also notes various committee co-chairs, including At-Large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D) to serve on a group dealing with Corrections and Returning Citizens Services, and former county executive County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, co-chair of a committee to assess the county's finances, government structure and operational efficiency. Both Hawkins and Baker ran against Braveboy in the March primary. State Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George's) will co-chair a committee focused on education, employment and workforce development. If her victory is confirmed, Braveboy would be sworn in on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday. When Carroll County voters go to elect a state's attorney in 2026, current State's Attorney Haven Shoemaker Jr. will not be an option. Shoemaker, a Republican, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection after serving one term as the county's top prosecutor. In a statement released by his office, Shoemaker said that serving as state's attorney 'has been the honor of a lifetime,' but added that 'at this point in my life, it's time to let someone else have a try.' 'By the time I leave office, I will have been an attorney for 34 years and will have held political office for 30,' his statement said. 'It is time for me to spend some quality time with my wife, Patty, at long last. She has made tremendous sacrifices as I pursued careers in both the law and politics, and without her support, I would not have accomplished anything.' Shoemaker was born in Baltimore but moved with his family to North East where he attended high school before earning a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in 1987. After two years in the Army National Guard, he attended Widener University School of Law, graduating with honors in 1992, and opened his own law practice in Hampstead in 1994. His political career began with election to the Hampstead Town Council 1997, followed by election as major in 2003, a job he held until 2010, when he was elected to the Carroll County Commission. Shoemaker was elected to the House of Delegates in 2014 and served from 2015 to 2023, serving as minority whip in 2022. He was elected to his current position in 2022. 'I still have a year and a half left of my term. I will continue to work diligently for you during this time as I have over the last 30 plus years,' his statement said. 'The people of Carroll County deserve nothing less.' Has Maryland moved from friend of the court to best friend of the court? Attorney General Anthony Brown said Wednesday that Maryland has signed on to friend of the court briefs in two separate federal lawsuits in as many days. Maryland was one of 19 states and the District of Columbia that filed an amicus curiae — friend of the court — brief on Tuesday urging the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold Michigan's ban on 'conversion therapy,' the medically discredited therapy that claims to convert the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ individuals. A federal district court upheld Michigan's law restricting the therapy, but that ruling was appealed by the therapist and the Catholic Charities group in southeastern Michigan that sued to overturn the law. Maryland banned the use of conversion therapy on minors in 2018, one of 25 states with laws on the books — Arizona and Pennsylvania have prohibitions issued through executive orders — restricting such therapy. The Michigan brief said all the states 'have strong interests in regulating the practice of health care, including care relating to mental health, within their boundaries to protect public health and safety. Amici States additionally share compelling interests in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of children and youth, and in affirming the dignity and equal worth and treatment of LGBTQI+ minors.' Maryland, other states, take more legal actions against Trump administration And Maryland was one 18 states and the District that filed an amicus brief Wednesday urging the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling by a three-judge panel of the court in a Voting Rights Act case brought by a tribe in North Dakota. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians sued the state of North Dakota in 2021, claiming that the state's redistricting plan illegally diluted Native American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A federal district judge agreed and ordered the state to redraw its districts, and when it did not, the judge imposed the tribe's recommended redistricting plan. But on appeal, a panel of the circuit court overturned that ruling, finding that Section 2 applies to states and other governments, but does not confer a right on private individuals to bring a legal challenge. The Turtle Mountain brief argues that not only does Section 2 allow private actions in voting rights cases, but participation by private groups is critical to protecting those rights. 'Private parties are instrumental in identifying voting-related issues, and for decades, private actions have been a welcome and necessary supplement to state efforts to ensure legal compliance,' the brief said, supplementing federal prosecutors and state officials who may not have the resources to pursue voting rights cases. 'Private parties are typically best equipped to identify and pursue violations. They have extensive on-the-ground knowledge and develop the necessary connections with stakeholders and community members to build cases.' With Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley term-limited after serving two four-year terms, voters may be starting to think about the next mayor, who will be chosen this fall. Residents have a chance to hear the two announced candidates so far at a mayoral debate next week. The June 10 debate between two Democrats, Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles and former Alderman Jared Littmann, is being hosted by the Caucus of African American Leaders at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center. Carl Snowden, convener of the caucus, wrote in email Monday that topics up for discussion include affordable housing, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs and other matters affecting the city. Another topic could be sanctuary cities: Annapolis was one of 10 municipalities in Maryland identified by the Trump administration last month as sanctuary jurisdictions, along with eight counties and the state itself. The administration has threatened federal funding for the more than 500 jurisdictions it identified nationwide. Snowden said his group will have a monthly meeting one hour before the debate scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CONTACT US 'We contend that an informed electorate is the key to an effective democracy,' Snowden said. 'We commend all candidates who are running for public office. They are willing to be scrutinized, chastised, and criticized in their pursuit of serving the public.' Littman, who served on the city council for five years until his term ended in 2017, declared his candidacy in January 2024. He has also worked as an associate county attorney in Montgomery County and served on the national board of True Value Hardware. Pindell Charles, a retired prosecutor and member of the council since 2009, seeks to make history as the city's first elected Black mayor. Alderman John Thomas Chambers Jr. (R), who was Black, served on an interim basis for two months in 1981, following the suicide of Mayor Gustav Akerland (R). Candidates have until July 28 to file for the Nov. 4 election, according to the city's election calendar. The caucus plans to hold a candidate's forum after the deadline for any contested city council races in the city's eight wards. The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 6 and the general election Nov. 4.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All dressed up and somewhere to go — but, first, you have to listen to the commencement speaker
U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) was the keynote speaker Friday at Bowie State University's spring commencement ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Bowie State University) Kermit the Frog got most of the attention — and delivered most of the bad puns — for a University of Maryland, College Park, commencement address Thursday, but there were plenty of others who suited up in a cap and gown for the chance to inspire, comfort and, most of all, congratulate Maryland graduates in the Class of 2025. Their speeches ranged from under 13 to 24 minutes, tolerable for anxious graduates and fidgety relatives, and while many touched on the current troubles in the world, most urged graduates to embrace the challenge. For most of her short six months on Capitol Hill, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) has done battle with the agenda of President Donald Trump (R) and administration, which have been working diligently to dismantle the federal government. But in her commencement address Friday at Bowie State University, the former Prince George's County executive's 15-minute speech leaned heavily into one word: hope. 'It seems like all the good things are happening for the absolute worst people. It looks as if the cruelest and most selfish characters are getting the service ahead,' she said at the campus' Bulldog Stadium. 'My response to that is just live a little longer. 'The callous and self-centered personalities may seem popular, but trust me, the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,' Alsobrooks said. Part of her speech mentioned the late Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for opposing the South Africa's apartheid system. After Mandela's release from prison in February 1990, he was inaugurated as the country's first Black president in May 1994. Before Alsobrooks left campus, she spoke to a few reporters and was asked whether one of the 'characters' in her speech happened to be Trump, especially for any graduates who may want to become public servants in the federal government. She answered by looking beyond Trump. 'The great thing for these young people is they have … their whole life ahead of them,' she said. 'There will come a moment when this current administration will leave office and the rest of us are still going to be here to carry on, to rebuild whatever's been broken and to continue to ensure that they have the economic opportunities and that their families have the true opportunity to experience the American dream.' At University of Maryland, Eastern Shore — another of the state's four historically Black colleges and universities, along with Bowie State — Gov. Wes Moore (D) urged graduates to imagine themselves looking back on the journeys they are just now starting. Moore told the UMES graduates they would be asked repeatedly, on commencement day and after, what they plan to do with their new college degrees. But he asked them to think farther ahead and start planning for the question they will be asked at the other end of the road they are starting down: What did you do? 'The ones who obsess over answering 'what will you do?' are often the ones who lose sight of answering 'what did you do?'' Moore said. 'The ones who stay focused on answering 'what did you do' are the ones who will never waver in their convictions, and will always continue the work.' In between citing the achievements of his administration and giving shout-outs to high-achieving graduates, Moore assured the graduates that it was OK if they didn't have a ready answer to the many 'what are you going to do' questions they are sure to get in the coming days. The important thing is to stay focused on making the difference once they find their goals. 'Because when you look back many years from now, you aren't going to say to yourself: 'I wish I were more certain about what I wanted to do right out of school,'' Moore said. 'You're going to say: 'I'm proud of what I accomplished.'' Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) delivered the commencement address May 10 at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Raskin, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, who spoke for about 24 minutes, told the graduates they will face challenges in today's political atmosphere. 'Your class is graduating in a moment of profound crisis for humanity, and searing existential choice for each and every citizen,' he said. 'The river could be taken all of us to a place of danger, or to a place of renewal. I wish this was commencement speech hyperbole, but it's not.' Raskin said hope can be obtained, but everyone must participate to improve society. 'If we're engaged in a sustained titanic and perhaps final struggle on this small planet between the forces of democratic freedom and the forces of fascist authoritarianism, this is a battle unlike we have ever seen before, and it requires all hands on deck,' he said. 'Remember always the beauty and promise of America, which is made exceptional not because it is magically immune to the forces of racism or antisemitism or fascism, but because the people have always insisted that we will move forward to form a more perfect union,' Raskin said. The day before her husband spoke at UMES, Maryland first lady Dawn Flythe Moore on Wednesday gave a less than 13-minute address at the University of Baltimore commencement ceremony. Moore, who worked as a substitute teacher in Baltimore after she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, summarized three lessons to solve 'big' problems. 'Division is the greatest barrier to progress. Two, collaboration is our path to success,' she said. 'And three, the only way to elevate the work is to strengthen community. That work is more important now than ever before. Community is our lifeblood. It is the only hope we have as a state to secure our future.' Other commencement speakers who attempted to inspire at Maryland colleges and universities this month included: Vice President J.D. Vance addressing the 2025 Class of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy; entrepreneur Sal Khan at Johns Hopkins University; TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett at Morgan State University; Global Refuge CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah at Goucher College; urban Afrofuturist Lawrence T. Brown at Coppin State University; paralympian McKenzie Coan at Loyola University; Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn at Salisbury State University; and, at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Genentech executive Anwesha Dey and Baltimore City Schools CEO Sonja Brookins Santelises.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USM Board of Regents allows ‘certain personnel actions' in response to budget cuts
A look near the front entrance of Bowie State University's campus in Prince George's County on Nov. 22, 2023. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) The University System of Maryland Board of Regents unanimously approved a resolution Monday that would let presidents in the system assess potential cost savings such as furloughs, reductions in salary and closing of schools for certain number of days. But the resolution, approved by the board in less than 10 minutes during a virtual session, states any actions must be reviewed with the university system chancellor and 'in consultation with appropriate employee organizations.' The board also approved an amendment that would allow the Office of the Attorney General to review any proposal that seeks to reduce employment benefits to ensure that it complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act. This amendment was offered by board member William T. 'Bill' Wood, who serves as the treasurer. The resolution comes as the university system's 12 institutions and three regional centers face a reduction of $155 million, or 7% of their budgets, in fiscal 2026. The reductions came as the General Assembly attempted to close a projected $3 billion deficit on its way to approving a $67 billion spending plan last month for fiscal 2026. It's unclear exactly how many employees could lose jobs or how many vacant positions would go unfilled, especially as President Donald Trump (R) continues to threaten cuts in federal spending that would affect states. Several Maryland institutions such as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, one of the state's four historically Black colleges and universities, have started announcing financial measures. Some of those include eliminating positions that have been vacant for at least three years, instituting 'a hiring pause with some rare exceptions' and initiating telework Fridays for some employees between May 23 to Aug. 8. Ferguson: Maryland would lose $430 million in Trump 'skinny budget' proposal 'We are enacting these measures to minimize the impact on our faculty, staff, and their families,' UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said in a statement Tuesday. 'This will be a difficult period for everyone, but these efforts will make our university, our region and our state all the stronger moving forward.' A university spokesperson wrote in an email Monday that the school has 632 full-time employees earning $50,000 and more. The school's student enrollment for the spring was 2,841. Morgan State University in Baltimore, the state's biggest Black institution, with nearly 11,000 students and 2,926 employees, anticipates a $12 million decrease in appropriations. In a statement, the university said it plans to institute a hiring freeze on nonessential roles, eliminating 35 vacant positions and 'the restructuring and/or elimination of select staff positions (up to 15 in total).' Morgan State, which isn't affiliated with the state's university system, highlighted the fact that no tenured or tenure-track faculty positions will be affected by its proposals. 'We are deeply mindful of the potential job loss this process may entail for some members of our dedicated staff,' according to the statement from Morgan State. 'The University did not arrive at these decisions lightly. Every step taken was grounded in sound fiscal management and compassionate leadership, with the goal of protecting the long-term health and sustainability of the institution.' Another historically Black institution, Bowie State University in Prince George's County, with more than 6,000 students, does not plan any staff reductions or furloughs. However, a spokesperson with Bowie State also said Monday that the school does not plan to fill 50 vacant positions. A spokesperson with Salisbury University said the university also doesn't anticipate layoffs or furloughs at the university with 7,025 students and slightly more than 1,100 full-time employees. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'Our goal is to protect and prioritize our students and our employees as much as possible,' spokesperson Jason Rhodes said in an email Monday. 'SU will continue to follow that principle as long as challenging budget times continue.' Stuart Katzenberg, with the American Federation of State, County and Muncipal Employees Maryland Council 3, said Monday his organization has not discussed or received any proposals on salary reductions or furloughs from any representatives of the university system. 'If they were to pursue those with AFSCME, they'd have to come and negotiate with us as well as apparently get approval by the chancellor. They have not done that with us yet,' said Katzenberg, director of growth and collective bargaining for the union. AFSCME represents more than 6,000 employees in the university system, including custodians, mechanics, administrative assistants and those in information technology. The university system and AFSCME signed a contract in August that increased the minimum salary of $38,000 and boosted annual leave and other benefits. 'Our members make the campuses run. Without them, the campuses wouldn't be clean. There wouldn't be air conditioning in the summer,' Katzenberg said. 'So without our members, the campuses couldn't run.'
