Dismantling Racism and Privilege

Are You In?

Below are activities and information for individuals, families, churches and the community at large   to read about, ponder,  do and share  to help dismantle racism and build a more inclusive community. Please review, use and/or adapt ideas and suggestions that you think would be helpful to you.  Let us hear from you about your experience.

June 15^th  -   Juneteenth Festival- Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States".  It is also known as “ Freedom Day”.  It is a day of reflection on the horrific institution of slavery in America, a day of renewal (vow that it will never happen again) and a pride-filled day promoting the contributions of African Americans to society.  It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities (Community and Health Information, music & dance, multicultural events and more..) 12:00-8:00  Lancaster Park- 21550 Willows Rd, Lexington Park, MD 20653    -Sponsors- Unified Committee for Afro- American Contributions-  www.Juneteenth.com

June 21^st -  The Longest Table – A Community Dinner and Conversation  with a focus on Civility. Friday, June 21 (rain or shine) at the St. Mary’s County Governmental Center , on the front walkway right next to Wieck playground at Robert Miedzinski Park. In case of inclement weather it will be held in  the Leonard Hall Recreation Center.  More details to follow.  Choose Civility: St. Mary’s County Public Library

“Knowing our history is a good way to understand the legacy of race and racism”

“Knowing our history is a good way to understand the legacy of race and racism”



http://www.dismantlingracism.org/history.html

Recent Past Events

Spring Semester – St. Mary’s College Of Maryland-  The Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity  is  sponsoring  activities to celebrate Individual, Family, and Community values and differences.  All SMCM employees and students are encouraged to take part in the learning, sharing, and elevation of one another by attending on-campus activities. http://www.smcm.edu/inclusion-diversity-equity-initiative/

April 13^th - 2:00- 4:00- Spring Walk & Talk - Topic: “Environmental Racism and More” — St. Mary’s County Sierra Club will lead the discussion- USCT Interpretive Center.  Address: 21675 S. Coral Dr. Lexington Park, MD 20653

April 10th – Quarterly Meeting - NAACP-DISMANTLING RACISM AND PRIVILEGE: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR SCHOOLS: Speaker: Dr. Maureen Montgomery- Deputy Superintendent of SMCPS will discuss “Academic Achievement and Discipline”.  She will share  how suspension rates have improved and the programs that are being implemented in the schools to help reduce them.       6:00p.m. at the Leonardtown Library

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019

A DEDICATION of the MEMORIAL to the ENSLAVED was held at St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church in Hollywood, MD., pastor the Reverend Father Ray Schmidt.

A 7:00 p.m. Mass was held and a Candle Light Procession and Gospel Spirituals with Nydia Noriega were included in the ceremony. A  special recognition of the 51st anniversary of the Death of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.  was given during the service.  The homilist was the Reverend Scott Woods, pastor at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in St. Inigoes, Md. And the guest speaker was Sandra Coles-Bell, program director, Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach Secretariat for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns, Archdiocese of Washington.

Program Quotes

Quote from the Invitation: “We honor these men and women taken forcibly from homes and families in their native countries, enslaved and buried in unmarked graves and without ceremony in a country not of their choosing.  We honor their descendants who have remained and who provide a rich cultural heritage in this land now called home.”

   As long as the mind is enslaved the body can never be free. Psychological Freedom & a firm sense of self-esteem is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery.

Quote  in the program from Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, first African American to lead  the  Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.   He will officially begin his tenure as the Archbishop of Washington on May 21st.

“Each one of us must ask how we contribute to the racist climate that seems only to grow stronger in spite of our best efforts at legislative and social remedies. Whether we are victims of racism or its perpetrators, we must begin on our knees.”  Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory|

 Feb.  22- NAACP- SMCPS- Spring College & Career Fair (Featuring Historically Black Colleges & Universities and local colleges – Featuring Careers) https://www.stmarysnaacp.org/

Feb. 7 – Presentation to the  Human Relations Commission- TRACC Advocacy & Information    February 7, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. in RM 14 of the Potomac Building, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650.   The purpose of the Commission is "to encourage and ensure equal treatment to all, without regard to race, color, religion, ethical or moral conviction, ancestry or national origin, sex, age, marital status or physical or mental handicap.  http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/voluntr/human-relations/

Feb 5 – Presentation of the Annual Black History Month Proclamation- St. Mary’s County Commissioners Meeting.

Receiving the Proclamation: TRACC Steering Committee-  Key stakeholders of various races and ethnicities who  are presently working together to represent St. Mary’s County in the Tri-County All-Community Collaborative, also known as TRACC, to dismantle racism and have frank, open discussions about privilege through the coordination of numerous group and individual activities occurring from January through June 2019…..  Also on… Feb 5- Transit Equity Day Proclamation- Proclamation: Sierra Club of Southern Maryland https://www.sierraclub.org/maryland/activities-and-outings

February 4 is Transit Equity Day! This day was chosen to honor Rosa Parks on her birthday. Her act of resistance by refusing to give up her seat on the bus in 1955 was a catalyst for the civil rights movement. It affirmed that everyone has the right to equal access to public transit. The St Mary's County Commissioners are issuing a proclamation at their Feb 5 Meeting for Transit Equity Day, and we want to be there to celebrate it! Join us as the Southern Maryland Sierra Club, members from the Tri-County All Community Collaborative, Dismantling Racism and Privilege and the St Mary's County NAACP will be in attendance to receive the proclamation.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/knowing-past-opens-door-future-continuing-importance-black-history-month  (Article by Lonnie Bunch-Founding Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Feb 2-  Black History Month-  Gayle Danley-  Slam Poet-  Sponsored by  the St. Mary’s County Library https://www.stmalib.org,   St. Mary’s County  NAACP #7025 www.stmarysnaacp.org,  Unified Committee for Afro- American Contributions www.ucaconline.org   &  Minority Outreach Coalition of Southern Maryland https://health.maryland.gov/mhhd/mota/Documents/MOC%202013.pdf