Calvert County is renowned for its role in the War of 1812, particularly the Barney Flotilla and the battles of St. Leonard and St. Inge. This county has a special significance for many African-Americans, as it provided a path to freedom for many enslaved people.
To further this cause, federal funds are being used to expand the current program and improve service delivery in Calvert County. The Chesapeake Knowledge Center (CKC) is working to help African-Americans become more involved with their local government. Through their free one-on-one mentoring program in math and science, they have recruited volunteers from local universities to teach more than 100 students in the Baltimore area over the past two years. CKC collaborates with local universities, school systems, government agencies and local organizations to provide peer mediation, mentoring and mentoring in after-school enrichment programs for students in Prince George's County.
Federal funding will allow Allegany College of Maryland to take advantage of that program by partnering with Garrett and Hagerstown community colleges and the three school districts in western Maryland to train more local facilitators who will work in schools and through community partners to address mental health challenges and build resilience. In addition, federal funds are being used to build a four-story restaurant and office project that will serve more than 500 community homes, local businesses and the District Court, located in the North Avenue area, in the east of the city of Baltimore. This project is part of Beloved Community Services Corporation's efforts to preserve properties of historic importance to the African-American community and restore neighborhoods that have been destroyed by long-standing suppression and decades of governmental and institutional neglect. Furthermore, federal funding is supporting collaboration between university, government and industry partners in research and curriculum development to improve data analysis and empower an underrepresented population in STEM. This program will diversify the small number of black and African-American academics in coastal and ocean sciences through greater exposure to the field and will support the state's only interdisciplinary degree that focuses on coastal issues. In 1952, African-Americans in Annapolis organized a forum on local radio station WNAV to introduce their new organization. The house remained in the hands of the Burgess family until 1990, making it a time capsule of more than 140 uninterrupted years of African-American life in Annapolis. The opportunities for African-Americans to get involved with their local government are plentiful.
From mentoring programs to historic preservation projects, there are many ways for African-Americans to make a difference in their communities. With federal funds being used to expand current programs and improve service delivery, now is an ideal time for African-Americans to get involved with their local government.
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