There's a growing cultural shift in the wake of nationwide protests.

Quaker Oats is pulling the "Aunt Jemima" brand, which they say is rooted in in a racial stereotype.

The University of Virginia is changing its logo, which has symbols linked to slavery.

Last week, HBO Max removed "Gone With The Wind" over racist depictions.

Here in Maryland a similar debate is underway. There are new demands for name changes at some long-standing institutions in our area.

At Towson University a committee has just been formed to look into renaming two dorms that are named after prominent Maryland slave owners.

Just down the road from the university sits Loyola Blakefield high school and there's a petition to change that school's name name.

Calls to remove statutes, rename buildings, military bases and institutions with historical ties to racism and slavery are being heard around the United States.

"There is an ongoing debate around this issue and it’s a debate right? Not everyone agrees," says associate professor of sociology Dr. Loren Henderson with the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

"If people actually look at the history of when these schools were named, when these monuments were put up, when army bases were named, a lot of them came during the civil rights movement as a response to desegregation, as a response to racial equity being pursued during the civil rights movement," says Dr. Rashawn Ray, a professor of sociology with the University of Maryland College Park.

More than 460 people support the petition "Rename Loyola's campus. Remove the Blakefield name."

It was started by an alum who writes that the Blake family, when donating money to buy the land where the school is in Towson, directed that "no colored boys be admitted."

In a statement the school's president Anthony Day says:

"We are aware of this allegation and are working closely with our alumni and board of trustees to determine what basis - if any - there is for considering a change of name. This includes rigorous research to discern the veracity of the claim expressed in the petition.

In the meantime, it’s important to make clear that Loyola Blakefield has an unqualified commitment to addressing the tragic and unacceptable prevalence of racism in any and every form - however subtle or blatant.

We are committed to assessing both our legacy and current culture and practices to determine what changes need to be made and what measurable initiatives must be implemented to ensure that all who are entrusted to us for their education understand the painful reality of racial injustice and, importantly, their potential to make a discernible difference.”

We pledge our relentless commitment to ensuring that all who enter and depart our doors come to embrace their obligation to be true change agents in helping create communities in which all have equal advantage in pursuing their full, unmitigated potential."

Also in Baltimore County is the McDonogh School, which is named after John McDonogh, a Baltimore born businessman, plantation and slave owner who lived in New Orleans.

Following the statue of McDonogh being toppled and thrown in the Mississippi River, the school sent this statement on behalf of the head of school, David J. Farace:

"Shamefully and regrettably, slavery is part of our school’s history. John McDonogh, whose estate led to the creation of McDonogh School in 1873, built his wealth using slave labor. Today, McDonogh is committed to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and in honoring this commitment, we must continue to acknowledge, confront, and denounce the evils of racism that contributed to our school’s founding, and that tragically and systemically still exist in our country."

"Names matter," says Dr. Ray. "And when people look up the names of these schools, these monuments, these military bases. What they see is that they are people who led the Confederacy or who wanted black people to remain enslaved. That’s the simple of it."

"Addressing this renaming, pulling down statues, things like that at the institutional level recognizes this current connection of slavery for African-Americans today," says Dr. Henderson. "Another part of the debate is many claim it ignores U.S. history and U.S. history is complex. From a sociological perspective, we’d want to look at those debates and that would lead to the answers of whether we want to change our culture. That I think is the biggest question."

With COVID-19 present in our day to day lives, malicious actors are taking this opportunity to scam people out of their personal and financial information. Recently the IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) has noticed various campaigns targeting Economic Impact Payments as well as other COVID-19 related scams.

The IRS-CI warns that some of these scams will offer more money from the government or even faster check delivery if the reader shares personal information and pays a small “processing fee.”  The IRS warns that there are no shortcuts for stimulus checks. Malicious actors have also been trying to convince people to “apply” for a second stimulus check. According to a Forbes article, as of right now, there is currently no second stimulus check in the works. 

Malicious actors are also setting up fake charities soliciting donations for individuals, groups and areas affected by COVID-19. Some malicious actors are even offering the chance to invest in companies working on a vaccine, promising that the “company” will dramatically increase in value as a result. Some are even selling fake products like at-home test kits, fake cures, vaccines, pills and giving advice on unproven treatments.

They also warn of phishing campaigns being sent out either through text or emails. These campaigns are using keywords like “Corona Virus,” “COVID-19,” and “Stimulus.” For these campaigns the IRS-CI says the malicious actors' targets are people's personal and financial information.

If you do receive any email that you suspect is a scam, please do not click on any URL or reply. Either of those actions confirms to the sender that your email address is valid. Please forward the message (with the email headers) to security@umbc.edu.

How do I forward full email headers?

https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1867970

For more information, please check out: 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-against-covid-19-fraud-other-financial-schemes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/06/08/irs-warns-on-covid-19-scams-involving-stimulus-checks-fake-cures--more/#67cdbd937a98

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on high school students’ ability to access standardized admissions tests (SAT/ACT), UMBC’s undergraduate admissions will be test-optional for Fall 2021.

This will provide students the opportunity to apply for undergraduate admission with or without standardized test scores. In both cases, students will receive full consideration for admissions, merit scholarships, and other opportunities.

UMBC’s holistic admissions program

UMBC’s holistic review of applicants for undergraduate admission considers a number of factors. These include grade point average, academic trend, strength of curriculum, personal statement, letters of recommendation, other achievements, and standardized test scores (if provided). 

The test-optional program for the coming year is “about offering prospective students maximum flexibility,” says Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, health science and policy, vice provost for enrollment management and planning. “This flexibility ensures that circumstances beyond our prospective students’ control do not present barriers to pursuing a top-notch education.”  

Resources for applicants

Students considering applying to UMBC are encouraged to explore campus virtually. UMBC’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts also give a view into campus life and university news.

UMBC offers Frequently Asked Questions for information on how COVID-19 might impact the application and enrollment process. And students can also reach out to admissions@umbc.edu with any questions.

To be considered for undergraduate admission, students should submit an application and all required documents by November 1 for Early Action and February 1 for Regular Decision. 

Header image: UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

• UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous's Statement: This Time in America and
  

• USM's Leadership Statement on Structural Racism and the Killing of George Floyd

• Center for Social Science Scholarship

• Dresher Center for the Humanities

• Campus Life’s Mosaic, Interfaith, and Pride Centers

• The Women’s Center

• Center for Democracy and Civic Life

• The Counseling Center