This quote, from a New York Times article on Elizabeth Warren, by one of her supporters: “She reminds me of every best teacher I ever had.”
I don’t know about you, but rescuing our country from the middle school bully and putting it in the hands of every best teacher we ever had sounds like common-sense salvation.
[ID: A shot of a nearly full moon surrounded and framed by the bare, out of focus branches of trees. The sky is blue, and the moon is off-white. It’s in focus enough to see the various craters on the surface. End ID.]
Growing up in Baltimore, I didn’t spend as much time near the water as you might think for living in a coastal community. But, when I was nine I had the opportunity to go sailing with the Living Classroom Foundation’s Lady Maryland program. This event introduced me to sailing and changed my life forever. The sense of freedom I felt steering the boat that day has stayed with me for all these years — it has influenced my dreams and shaped the direction of my career.
The Captain of the Lady Maryland told me I could sail around the world one day — and I believed him.
From a young age I noticed the stark racial and socioeconomic disparities of the boating and sailing community around the East Coast. Over the years, I have seen very few people of color on the water sailing, racing, or competing. In fact, African Americans currently hold ZERO world records in sailing and there are very few opportunities for young people of color to experience the joy of sailing as I did.
As I went on to attend Morgan State University and studied engineering, I had the opportunity to teach sailing at the Downtown Sailing Center, Getaway Sailing and the US Naval Academy. It was important for me not only to excel on my own but to change this system. With my captain’s license from Annapolis School of Seamanship in hand, I was ready to share my knowledge for sailing with my community and invest in sharing my passion with young people — just as my mentors Bruce Schwab and Dame Ellen MacArthur had done for me. I have spent years teaching and inspiring young people of color about the maritime industry, careers on the water, and the joy of sailing.
But, it wasn’t easy. Even with all my personal success as a sailor and educator, I struggled to find acceptance and support in certain areas of the maritime community. I was often doubted, rejected, and scrutinized for being a different face on the race course. But through the struggle, my drive only became stronger and my goals more meaningful. I knew it was my mission to change this narrative for others. That’s whyI worked every day to give minorities and low-income students access to resources that I didn’t have starting off.
And now, I am ready to do even more to change the sailing and boating community by beginning my journey to become the first African American man to set multiple world records in sailing. During this process, I will educate, inspire, and promote businesses owned by minorities and businesses that support the community.
(As this article was from the League of Conservation Voters newsletter, an environmental rather than sailing specialty publication, there aren’t as many details about Lawson’s planned circumnavigation as I would have wanted– but he’s still someone worth knowing about!)
A few times lately I’ve done inverted-start racing (where the slower boats start first, such that if everyone saved their handicap they’d all finish at the same time) and tbh it’s worth it being beaten by the Farr 40’s b/c of how fun it is to watch them fly past right at the end.
Framed by bare winter trees, the orange sun sets over Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. Spreading inland from the mighty Chesapeake Bay, the refuge protects more than 28,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and pine forests, freshwater wetlands and open fields. All of these are excellent habitat for both migrating and residential wildlife. This time of year, geese, swans and ducks can be spotted in the marsh along with hawks, great blue herons, bald eagles and a few species of shorebirds. Blackwater isn’t just for the birds, though. Keep your eyes open for deer, raccoons, fox, otters and the unique Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel. Photo by Douglas George (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Peter Joseph on structural violence, from this video.
Brilliant
Spot on. Like Coretta Scott King said, I must remind you that starving a child is violence. Neglecting school children is violence. Punishing a mother and her family is violence. Discrimination against a working man is violence. Ghetto housing is violence. Ignoring medical need is violence. Contempt for poverty is violence.
Someone please tell me how that print is happening. What was the technology of creating that effect in 1862? Is it some kind of printed dye? It’s not embroidery, right? (yeah, upon zooming in, def. not embroidery.)
