Public Facilities And Spaces Commission Unveiled In Howard County

Columbia MD

05 February, 2021

11:45 AM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A new Public Facilities and Spaces Commission for Howard County has been formed. The commission will be charged with reviewing and contextualizing the history surrounding the namesakes of public facilities and spaces. Shawn Gladden, executive director of the Howard County Historical Society, will serve as chair of the commission. Ani Begay Auld- Navajo Nation Tribal citizen and co-director of Protect Native Elders will be a part of the commission, as will Kori Jones, first vice president of Howard County NAACP. "The current landscape of our country demands that we address and confront the ugly truths of our past and present, and that includes ensuring the namesakes of our facilities and spaces reflect today's values," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference. "This commission is vital to review and contextualize the relevant history surrounding the namesakes of many facilities in our county. We need to face our history, learn from it and move forward with an honest understanding of who we've chosen to honor by naming our spaces after them." The commission will complete their work during the next eight months. Members of the commission will be responsible for reviewing the history surrounding the namesake for public facilities and spaces to determine if the namesake participated in or encouraged the oppression of African Americans, indigenous Americans and other individuals of color and contributed to the history of systemic racism and similar biases. Other duties include reporting on named public facilities and spaces, including and not limited to: County-owned streets; County-owned buildings, including schools, libraries and other facilities; County-owned parks; County neighborhoods; and Statues in county-owned parks. Recommend any names that should be changed, contextualized or added for consideration to future naming of assets. "The true reflection of a community is evident by how its citizens are incorporated into its values," Auld said in a statement. "As a resident of Howard County and Tribal citizen of the Navajo Nation, I welcome the ever-present inclusivity that abounds here in Howard County, historical treaty land of the Susquehannock. As we embark to incorporate names that embody our values, I would ask that these first inhabitants, now removed from the land be honored in namesake. Though currently removed from the land, they leave a rich treaty history."