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promoted? 2) What were the national issues that were important to the population of
Southern Maryland? The committee spent a great deal of time studying various issues.
The first Big Conversation was on Immigration – the Maryland Dream Act in 2011. This
was followed in order by the Big Conversation on Health Care in Southern Maryland in
2012; Veterans and their Families – Welcomed or Shunned? in 2013; Inequality and
Equality in 2014; and Gun Violence in 2015. The group was anxious to tackle a Big
Conversation on racial issues in Southern Maryland but they were reluctant to jump into the
potentially explosive subject without careful consideration and study. They decided to take
two years to do their homework and build an extended and more racially diverse planning
committee.
The Evolution of Building Organizational Relationships
The events listed above throughout Calvert and into St. Mary’s County did not exist in
perfectly separate silos. As participants shared their experiences and organizers established
relationships with other community activists, significant cross pollination of these separate
efforts occurred.
Figure I on the following page shows the work that has been done throughout the county
from 2005 to 2019. It is a graphic illustration of the amount of time and dedication that
went into establishing trust among community members in order to have authentic and
productive conversations. Lines indicating support of different organizations on the timeline
are only examples. There are many more organizations and programs that could be included.
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