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The purpose of this guide is to tell the story of how we developed the Big Conversation on
Dismantling Racism and Privilege in Southern Maryland. We hope that our journey will
help other communities establish conversations that have the potential of being profound
and transforming for those who participate in them.

Awareness and Trust vs. Action and Advocacy

Community conversations bring the issues of race and privilege out in the open and build
trusting relationships among the participants so we can have authentic and oftentimes
painful dialogue. Our intention was not to gather people to brainstorm solutions, list action
items or form advocacy groups; although solutions, action items and advocacy groups have
organically formed as a result of the dialogue. When face-to-face dialogue is allowed,
participants become aware of things about the other that they didn’t know before. They
have a better understanding of the each other and are more likely to see similarities and
grow closer together rather than see differences and remain estranged. It is sometimes
frustrating for action-oriented individuals to see the value in discussing issues. Some have
said, “I’m tired of talking about the problem, I want to do something about it!” The fact is
that nothing is sustainable until we build a strong foundation of trusting relationships first,
and that happens by making connections through face-to-face dialogue.

Who Are We? Our Southern Maryland Community

Calvert County is included in what is referred as “Southern Maryland”, a Tri-County area
including Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles Counties. Among the oldest counties in the State
of Maryland, Calvert has experienced dramatic shifts in population, racial and economic
demographics in recent decades. What once was a relatively rural community of farmers
and watermen has now become a wealthy, socially and politically conservative neighbor of
Washington, D.C.

As recently as the 1960s, the population of Calvert was over 50% African American.
Property was held largely by wealthier white citizens. A number of circumstances changed
the nature of our community. Transportation improvements, including a state highway
running the length of the county, made travel less burdensome. White residents of Prince
George’s County began moving to Calvert as PG County turned increasingly Black. They
bought new homes and turned Calvert into a bedroom community for the Washington, D.C.
area, particularly the northern end of the county. Between 1970 and 1990 the number of
Whites in Calvert rose by nearly 30,000. The value of homes rose rapidly, pricing many
locals out of the housing market. A nuclear power plant was constructed, adding

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