In the weeks following the death of Freddie Gray and the protests in Baltimore, members of the UMBC community have sought to engage in thoughtful reflection, dialogue, and service around the complex social and economic challenges facing our Baltimore community—and communities across the nation. Here are a few recent contributions from some of our alumni.

Kaye Whitehead ’09 Ph.D., language, literacy, and culture, has been a key voice in conversations about Freddie Gray’s death, the Black Lives Matter movement, and police brutality. In an article on PROMISE, Dr. Whitehead discusses her experience at the front lines of the peaceful protests in Baltimore and provides primary accounts from the people living the “Baltimore Uprising” on a daily basis. She has also been working on a book entitled Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America. She was interviewed by WYPR about Freddie Grey and how his death fits into police brutality.

Read more from PROMISE here. Listen to the full interview here.

Joshua Michael ’10, political science, helped prepare meals for students and clean up debris in the aftermath of the Baltimore riots. Michael teaches seventh grade math at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City. Recently, he talked with the Baltimore Sun about the importance of supporting the city’s children.

To read the full article, click here.

Matthew Loftus ’07, chemistry, argues that community leaders need more influence in what positive policing looks like in their neighborhoods. Loftus wrote an article for the American Conservative where he explores the role of police in Baltimore. He compares the perspective of the Baltimore police force from a plethora of sources to trace the trajectory of their reputation today.

Read the full article here.

Have you heard of UMBC’s Green Pledge?

Once I took the green pledge, I knew I made a public commitment to living green. I found that I was more aware and mindful of my choices and actions, and my impact. 

The Green Pledge a short online pledge that helps us think about and commit to simple actions we can take to live more sustainably. 

Over 700 UMBC students, staff, and faculty have taken it!  With 700 people taking these small steps, our actions can really add up.  For example, since 60% of UMBC’s CO2 emissions come from energy use, our individual choices to turn off the lights and not blast AC can add up to make a real difference.

Take the Green Pledge here!  I promise it will take less than 3 minutes.

A portrait series from Women’s Center student staff member Yoo-Jin Kang. These photos were originally presented at the showcase event for the Telling Our Stories project. 

Crystal Ogar

Jamie Imperial

Pauline Xu

Vanessa Hall

Sayeda Khan

Bria Hamlet

Narges Ershad

Mae McDowell

Yoo-Jin Kang