Baby Bonds could be a solution to intergenerational poverty in Maryland
“One day the children at Bradbury Heights and Jackson Elementary schools will graduate from high school knowing that they have money that could help them fulfill their dreams. Darius Graham, managing director of community investment at Greater Washington Foundation, said it could help them to “dream a little bigger.” For the state of Maryland, the hope is to provide all children with an opportunity to dream a little bigger.”
P.G. Politics + Religion
The Prince George’s County Courtwatch, a program under Life After Release, a non-profit organization based in Prince George’s County (South County), is expanding its work to Charles County, Maryland.
The organization aims to expand its services further south to ensure that the Charles County court system upholds the law and delivers fair sentences.
“We want to make sure that bond hearings are adhering to Maryland Rule 4-261.1,” said Dr. Carmen Johnson, director of Court Watch PG. Johnson has trained over 400 court watchers and has attended over 6,000 bond hearings. The Maryland Rule “is designed to promote the release of defendants on their recognizance or, when necessary, unsecured bond,” according to a legal document.
Candidates for Prince George’s County Executive have filed their first campaign finance reports for the March 4 primary election race. Below, candidates are listed from the highest campaign account balance to the lowest. This snapshot is based on campaign finance reports filed by the Feb. 4 deadline and a review of contributions in December and January.
On Nov. 10, Maryland State Del. Jeffrie Long, Jr. posted a picture of a human-like figure, whose head is hunched slightly downward, bound with gray duct tape, wrapped in what appears to be a Black trash bag hanging from a tree in Dunkirk, MD (Calvert County).
Prince George’s County activists have managed to get several cities in North County ( Cheverly, Colmar Manor, College Park, Brentwood, Riverdale, Mt. Rainer, and New Carrollton) to pass resolutions that call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Fraud first revealed after 2022 audit, but auditors report that underlying risk has not been addressed; new audit is the latest in a decade to report problems
Poverty is a problem in this town and in the state. While Maryland’s safety net programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) – provide help for families living in poverty, there is the question of how to solve intergenerational poverty. In other words, how are the cycles of poverty broken? Baby bonds could be a solution to breaking up intergenerational poverty in Prince George’s County and potentially the state.
Forty-six libraries across Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will be receiving renovations as a part of a partnership between PGCPS and a D.C.-based non-profit organization.
Not long ago, there was a time when Luana had only enough money to buy food for her sibling. Her younger sibling lived with her. For Luana, based upon the situation, it was logical to give the food to her sibling, and not eat. There wasn't enough. It’s not clear how often this happened – but she thinks it has resulted in a recurring stomach problem. “I need to make a doctor’s appointment for that,” she told me. However, things have changed. Her economic life has somewhat improved. Now, Luana has money to purchase enough food so that she too can eat. “I am no longer sacrificing one thing for the other – and that makes me feel calmer,” she said.
If Hogan is elected, he will tip the scales of the Senate. If Alsobrooks wins, she will be the first Black woman elected as a Maryland Senator. This is certainly true nationally. But all politics are local, and locals have a political memory that others don’t. How will local narratives shape their votes?
In the sixth whitest state, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, and the Republican-led legislature have worked to ban abortions after six weeks, and the legislature opted not to extend Medicaid’s postpartum coverage period. It’s in this environment Bailey is fighting to prevent Black birthing people from dying preventable deaths and sustaining childbirth complications.
But at North Thurston Public Schools, the 661 students like Dizon, who are sleeping on friends’ couches, in vehicles, in shelters or in tents — with or without their families — are graduating at nearly the same rates as their peers. The district has shown that this feat just requires dedicated and consistent support.
Food costs in the UK are rising at an alarming rate. One research firm predicts the average annual household shopping bill will be nearly $800 (£643) higher this year. A recent survey by food poverty charity The Food Foundation found half of the country’s households are purchasing fewer fruits and vegetables, which have seen marked price hikes. And almost 10 million adults and four million children are food insecure, meaning families are skipping meals altogether.
Baltimore, Maryland -- While at the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project’s 8th annual conference, two of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s commissioners showed attendees, in the form of a slide show, a list of recommendations for a statewide policy to help remedy and repair communities injured by lynchings and racial discrimination.
Prince Georges County residents in South County shared their concerns at the prospect of a new data center coming into the county.
On July 26, around 60 Prince Georges residents attended the third and final data center meeting hosted by the architecture firm Gensler and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) to garner community engagement. This meeting was held at the Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex.
The potential installation of more data centers in various parts of Prince George’s County have been a growing issue. On July 17, nearly 50-60 residents of the Prince Georges County community came to learn about and give their opinion on the possibility of a new data center within the county.
This meeting was held at the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation headquarters in North County. This was the first in a series of three public meetings held by the architecture firm Gensler and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) to garner community engagement.
Room 201 at the Community Center was buzzing with excitement as student winners with their families entered the room to participate in the Fourth Annual Social Justice Student Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project (PGCLMP) and hosted by the Greenbelt Black History and Culture Committee. The excitement increased as more and more students, parents and community folks arrived and more chairs were set up.
The fight to provide Maryland citizens with a livable wage continues. On Monday, Oct. 7, members from activist organizations stood alongside Tom Dernoga (District 1), and Krystal Oriadha (District 7) at The Wayne K. Curry building in Upper Marlboro to publicly advocate for a bill that would index the minimum wage in Prince George’s County.
On Saturday, June 15, Umoh and nine other high school students received educational scholarships from The Prince George’s County Memorial Lynching Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to retelling the stories of lynched Black men in the county. Elected officials and some parents were present. The event was held at Greenbelt Community Center for the ceremony. The organization awarded finalists for producing work in three categories: visual arts, essay, and creative writing.
Hyattsville, Maryland -- On Oct. 21, Aisha Braveboy, only the second Black woman elected to the county executive position, held the county’s swearing-in ceremony at City of Praise Church in Hyattsville.
Braveboy, who gave remarks after Ylawnda Peebles, wife of Bishop Joel Peebles, the pastor of the church prayed, thanked all the county officials for attending. She also thanked the county council, whom she said did not attend the ceremony, for confirming her nominations.