The newly created Tri-County All-Community Collaborative (TRACC) will embark on a six-month-long initiative to promote unity via conversations and events within St. Mary’s County. There are a series of events scheduled for January designed to help dismantle racism and privilege in Southern Maryland.
15th Annual Southern Maryland Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 21, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The theme of the day is “All Life is Interconnected.” The breakfast will begin at 6:30 a.m. and costs $10 payable at the door. The program will begin at 8 a.m. at no cost, featuring a keynote address by broadcast journalist Maureen Bunyan. Following the program, beginning at 10 a.m. the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.Ò, Nu Zeta Omega Chapter will host a Day of Service, providing services and activities for students of all ages and adults. The breakfast and program will be held in the J. Frank Raley Great Room, Campus Center (18952 E. Fisher Road). The Day of Service will be held in the Campus Center and adjoining Aldom Lounge. For more information, contact events@smcm.edu or call (240) 895-4310.
“Eyes on the Prize” series episode with facilitated discussion takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 6 – 8 p.m. in Cole Cinema, Campus Center at St. Mary’s College, and then again on Wednesday, Jan. 23 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the United States Colored Troops Interpretive Center, 21675 S. Coral Drive, Lexington Park, Md. The landmark series, which first premiered in 1987, documents the history of the civil rights movement in America. For more information, contact Dr. Ken Coopwood at kdcoopwood@smcm.edu or 240-895-4259.
Racial Equity Institute Workshop takes place on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 2 – 8 p.m. at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road, California, Md. In this lively and participatory presentation, organizers will use stories and data to present a perspective that racism is fundamentally structural in nature. By examining characteristics of modern-day racial inequity, the presentation introduces participants to an analysis that most find immediately helpful and relevant. For more information, contact Mr. Kelsey Bush at Kelsey.Bush@stmarysmd.com or 301-475-4200.
TRACC participating partners include: Community Mediation Center for St. Mary’s and Calvert counties, Historic Sotterley, Inc., Minority Outreach Coalition, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (The Center for the Study of Democracy and the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity), St. Mary’s County Branch NAACP #7025, St. Mary’s County Library, Sierra Club, Trinity Lutheran Church, United Committee for African American Contributions; and Williams, McClernan, & Stack LLC.
