President Jordan to Discuss Pandemic Response at AAC&U Presidents' Trust Town Hall Series Gretchen Phillips March 30, 2022 - 1:38 pm March 30, 2022 President Tuajuanda C. Jordan will discuss Pandemic Response and Campus Well-Being as an invited panelist this afternoon for the second session of the virtual American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Presidents' Trust Town Hall series: Moral Distress in Higher Education Leadership.  Higher Education leaders and board chairs in attendance will hear Jordan and other campus leaders discuss the moral distress encountered by college and university presidents as they seek to maintain the well-being of students, faculty, and staff on their campuses during the pandemic. For more information on the AAC&U go to https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/presidents-trust/aacu-presidents-trust-moral-distress-in-higher-education-leadership.  

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Presents An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton (Virtual) Gretchen Phillips February 08, 2022 - 12:17 pm February 08, 2022 The Office of the President presents “Nurturing the Compassionate Community: An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton” on Monday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. The annual event, co-sponsored by the VOICES Reading Series, will feature poetry readings and reflections to honor the late Lucille Clifton, former distinguished professor of the humanities at St. Mary’s College.  Carolyn Forché and Raymond Antrobus will perform original works of poetry. Antrobus will receive the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award during the event.   Forché’s first volume, “Gathering the Tribes,” winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, was followed by “The Country Between Us,” “The Angel of History,” and “Blue Hour.” Her most recent collection is “In the Lateness of the World.” She is also the author of the memoir “What You Have Heard Is True” (Penguin Random House, 2019), a lyrical and visionary memoir about a young woman’s brave choice to engage with horror in order to help others, which was nominated for the 2019 National Book Awards. She has translated Mahmoud Darwish, Claribel Alegria, and Robert Desnos. Her famed international anthology, “Against Forgetting,” has been praised by Nelson Mandela as “itself a blow against tyranny, against prejudice, against injustice.” In 1998 in Stockholm, she received the Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation for Peace and Culture Award for her human rights advocacy and the preservation of memory and culture. Antrobus is the author of “All the Names Given” (Tin House, 2021), which was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Costa Poetry Award. His debut collection, “The Perseverance” (Tin House, 2021), won the Ted Hughes Award, the Rathbones Folio Prize, and the Somerset Maugham Award, and was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize, among others. Born in London, Raymond is currently based between London and New Orleans. Lucille Clifton was one of the most distinguished, decorated, and beloved poets of her time. She won the National Book Award for Poetry and was the first Black recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for lifetime achievement. Her honors and awards give testament to the universality of her unique and resonant voice. In 1987, she became the first author to have two books of poetry – “Good Woman” and “Next” – chosen as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the same year. She was named a Literary Lion of New York Public Library in 1996, served as chancellor of the Academy of American Poetry and was elected a fellow in Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. To register for this Zoom webinar, go to http://www.smcm.edu/lucille-clifton. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.  

President Jordan Discusses Long-Haul Implications of COVID-19 on Education During Leadership Southern Maryland’s Executive Program Michael Bruckler December 09, 2021 - 2:02 pm December 09, 2021 On December 2, St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan participated in the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Class of 2022’s fourth of nine educational sessions for the LSM Executive Program held at St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland. President Jordan participated in a panel discussion on the long-haul implications of COVID-19 on education. Participants also included the superintendents from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, as well as the president of College of Southern Maryland and the executive director of University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland. The discussion included critical topics such as school funding, teacher retention, and how community members can better support education.  LSM is an independent, educational leadership development organization designed to broaden the knowledge base of current and emerging leaders about the critical issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the region. Its flagship Executive Program is a nine-month, tuition-based program that educates and inspires a diverse group of mid- to upper-level executive leaders creating opportunities for collaborations and partnerships impacting the community needs of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties ensuring a cross-section of the region including diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity, and gender.   

President Tuajuanda C. Jordan Published in Social Innovations Journal Michael Bruckler December 03, 2021 - 2:02 pm December 03, 2021 President Tuajuanda C. Jordan has published an article titled, “Can We Be Better Allies and Advocates? A Roadmap for Institutions to Challenge Systemic Racism” in the most recent issue of the Social Innovations Journal (SIJ). President Jordan’s article explores the difference between ally-ship and advocacy, defines systemic racism through the lens of institutions of higher education, and offers a roadmap for social impact sector organizations of all kinds to address the challenges for people of color, women and students. According to the website, SIJ is dedicated to social innovators and entrepreneurs who work at the cross section between the private sector, government, and not-for-profits and aligns them toward collective social impact goals and public policy. SIJ chronicles social innovations and enterprises addressing the world’s most challenging issues surrounding social policy, leadership, human capital, and systems. In collaboration with government, philanthropy, not-for-profits and universities, the Journal bridges formal research and real-life experience. SIJ has published more than 1,000 articles written by practitioners over the past 10 years. President Jordan’s article can be accessed online.

President Jordan Featured on Black News Channel’s “AMplified with Aisha Mills” Nov. 30, 7 p.m. Michael Bruckler November 29, 2021 - 10:22 am November 29, 2021 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan is a featured guest on “AMplified with Aisha Mills,” discussing the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland during the episode which looks back at the last year of controversies and discussions of Confederate monuments and memorials, and how the country can reckon with the history of slavery and the Confederacy. The episode featuring President Jordan will air on Tuesday, November 30 from 7 – 8 p.m. on Black News Channel, which is available to view on most major cable and satellite providers: https://bnc.tv/how-to-watch/ Hosted by political strategist and social impact advocate Aisha Mills, “AMplified” shines a spotlight on the personal side of politics and the policies impacting Black and Brown America.

The Sacred Journey: Re-Making Our World Anew Observes the One-Year Anniversary of the Dedication of the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland Michael Bruckler November 15, 2021 - 4:53 pm November 15, 2021 On Saturday, November 13, St. Mary’s College of Maryland presented The Sacred Journey: Re-Making Our World Anew in observation of the first anniversary of the dedication of the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland.   The two-part program began at 1:30 p.m. in Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall with a Panel of Remembrance and Reverence that focused on the experiences of the enslaved and their descendants. The panel began with a welcome from Regina Faden, executive director, Historic St. Mary’s City. The keynote address was by Maya Davis, historian, archivist, activist and director of Riversdale House Museum in Prince George County, Maryland.   “I’ve been fortunate for 20 years to dedicate my life’s work to researching, documenting, and interpreting human bondage in the 18th and 19th Century and bringing to light the individual stories of people whose soul and humanity are buried deep in the bottomless chasms of the Chesapeake Region,” said Davis. Other panelists included Julia King, professor of anthropology at St. Mary’s College; Travis Parno, director of research and collections, Historic St. Mary’s City; and Gwen Bankins and Angela Wilson from the Sotterley Descendant Community. The Panel of Remembrance and Reverence was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Following the panel, Father John Ball of Trinity Episcopal Church offered a blessing in the Trinity churchyard. St. Mary’s College President Tuajuanda C. Jordan then led the Procession of Dignity, traversing the campus to the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland, where she spoke briefly. “Around this time last year, virtually we dedicated this sacred structure before us—the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland.  Today we honor its spirit in person –an immersive tribute to the resilience, persistence and creative problem solving that defined the lives of the people who were enslaved throughout Southern Maryland,” said President Jordan.   Following President Jordan, William “BJ” Hall, president of St. Mary’s County NAACP, also gave remarks, followed by a performance by the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Chamber Singers and members of the Southern Maryland Community Gospel Choir directed by Larry Vote, professor of music, and accompanied by Sherri Fenwick and alumna Rie Moore ’19. The procession then continued to the water’s edge that was so crucial in the lives of the enslaved. Along the way, the procession honored those who resisted at the first documented site of such resistance. At the River Center beach along the St. Mary’s River, the lives of those enslaved were honored with a reading of their names, candle lighting, celebration, libation, remembrance and reflection. The Reception of Reflection followed the Waterfront Ceremony where participants in the walk reflected on the Sacred Journey. Walking the Procession of Dignity was an opportunity to walk the roads that the enslaved walked, to contemplate the lives that they lived, and to give value to the idea of the unbroken chain that links the present and the past. The procession served to proclaim the unity of our community, our commitment to treating one another with dignity, and our shared responsibility to preserving the history of the enslaved persons who had inhabited our ground. It was a public sacrament to restore and reaffirm the dignity and humanity of the enslaved. The event was overseen by the Sacred Journey Steering Committee consisting of (Chair) Garrey Dennie, associate professor of history; Kelsey Bush, chief diversity officer; Julia King, professor of anthropology; Ellen Kohl, assistant professor of environmental studies; and Erin Peters, director of Boyden Gallery and Collection and lecturer for museum studies.   For more information, visit www.smcm.edu/sacredjourney.   

President Jordan Delivers Keynote at Benjamin Hance Marker Unveiling Gretchen Phillips November 03, 2021 - 8:59 am November 03, 2021 St. Mary's College of Maryland was proud to take part in A Celebration of Justice & Equity, Benjamin Hance Marker Unveiling on Monday at the Leonardtown Jail Museum.  The marker commemorates Benjamin Hance, a young Black man from Leonardtown who is the only documented lynching victim in St. Mary's County in 1887.President Tuajuanda Jordan gave the keynote address entitled "Enlighten. Educate. Empower. - The Age of the Awakening." In her address, President Jordan said in part, "Benjamin Hance and thousands of others were murdered without due process just for being Black in America. Let us be their purveyors of truth and justice.  Every act to memorialize the atrocities of our history, serves to enlighten, educate, empower we the people, and prevent history from repeating itself. Every act to honestly and truthfully tell the history of our nation and uplift the oppressed propels this country one step closer to living up to its creed."

The Sacred Journey: Re-Making Our World Anew to Observe the One-Year Anniversary of the Dedication of the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland - Nov. 13 Michael Bruckler October 14, 2021 - 2:03 pm October 14, 2021 The Sacred Journey: Re-Making Our World Anew observes the first anniversary of the dedication of the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland. The event takes place rain or shine on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus on Saturday, November 13. “St. Mary’s College, Trinity Episcopal Church and Historic St. Mary’s City are located on grounds hallowed by the lives and bodies of the enslaved of Southern Maryland who made an immeasurable contribution to the world we inhabit today,” said Tuajuanda C. Jordan, president of St. Mary’s College. “The Sacred Journey is our public genuflection to the principle that on this ground we are called upon to be special custodians of the history of pain and suffering, love and loss, exploitation and degradation, and of course slavery that haunts this historic landscape.” The two-part program begins at 1:30 p.m. in Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall with a Panel of Remembrance and Reverence that focuses on the experiences of the enslaved and their descendants. The panel will feature a keynote speaker to be announced; Julia King, professor of anthropology at St. Mary’s College; and guest speakers from Historic St. Mary’s City and Sotterley Plantation. The Panel of Remembrance and Reverence has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Following the panel, Father John Ball of Trinity Episcopal Church will offer a blessing at a presumed burial site of enslaved people. St. Mary’s College President Jordan will then lead the Procession of Dignity, traversing the campus to the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland beginning at approximately 3:05 p.m.  The procession will pause to reflect at the Commemorative site and hear the spoken word poetry that sides the Commemorative before processing to the water’s edge that was so crucial in the lives of the enslaved. Along the way, the procession will honor those who resisted at the first documented site of such resistance. At the River Center beach along the St. Mary’s River, the lives of those enslaved will be honored with a reading of the enslaved names, celebration, libation, remembrance and reflection. The Reception of Reflection follows the Waterfront Ceremony and will have refreshments for participants in the walk as well as reflections on the Sacred Journey. Walking the Procession of Dignity is an opportunity to walk the roads that the enslaved walked, to contemplate the lives that they lived, and to give value to the idea of the unbroken chain that links the present and the past. The procession also serves to proclaim the unity of our community, our commitment to treating one another with dignity, and our shared responsibility to preserving the history of the enslaved persons who had inhabited our ground. It is a public sacrament that restores and reaffirms the dignity and humanity of the enslaved. The Procession of Dignity is a two-mile walk on paved and bricked walkways, with varying elevations. For those who cannot walk the route, a limited number of people movers will be available. For those who wish to drive to the Commemorative and to the waterfront, limited parking will be available near both sites. The event has been overseen by the Sacred Journey Steering Committee consisting of (Chair) Garrey Dennie, associate professor of history; Kelsey Bush, chief diversity officer; Julia King, professor of anthropology; Ellen Kohl, assistant professor of environmental studies; and Erin Peters, director of Boyden Gallery and Collection and lecturer for museum studies. To participate in either the Panel of Remembrance and Reverence or the Procession of Dignity, reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information, visit www.smcm.edu/sacredjourney.    Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in The Panel of Remembrance and Reverence do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.  

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Presents Playwright, Actor and Professor Anna Deavere Smith - Nov. 10 Michael Bruckler September 28, 2021 - 2:30 pm September 28, 2021 The Office of the President presents playwright, actor and educator Anna Deavere Smith on Wednesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletic and Recreation Center, 19050 Hill Commons Drive, on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus. Part of the Presidential Lecture Series, the event is free of charge and open to the public but reservations are required: www.smcm.edu/presidentlecture. Playwright, actor, and educator Anna Deavere Smith uses her singular brand of theater to explore issues of community, character and diversity in America. The MacArthur Foundation honored Smith with the “Genius” Fellowship for creating “a new form of theater — a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism, and intimate reverie.” Best known for crafting more than 15 one-woman shows drawn from hundreds of interviews, Smith turns these conversations into scripts and transforms herself onstage into a number of characters. In her speaking events, Smith discusses the many “complex identities of America,” and interweaves her discussions with portrayals of people she has interviewed to illustrate the diversity of emotions and points of view on controversial issues. Her most recent play, “Notes from the Field,” looks at the school-to-prison pipeline and injustice and inequality in low-income communities. Winner of an Obie Award and the 2017 Nortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, “Notes from the Field” was named one of the Top 10 Plays of the year by Time magazine. There is a film adaptation available through HBO and a paperback adaption. In 2012, Smith was awarded the National Humanities Medal, presented by President Obama and in 2015, she was named the Jefferson Lecturer, the nation’s highest honor in the humanities. She also is the recipient of the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and most recently, the 2017 Ridenhour Courage Prize and the George Polk Career Award for authentic journalism. Smith’s breakthrough plays, “Fires in the Mirror,” a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize, and the Tony-nominated “Twilight: Los Angeles,” tackle issues of race and social inequality that have become touchstones of her work. Her portrayals of patients and medical professionals in “Let Me Down Easy” delivered a vivid look at healthcare in the United States. The show aired on PBS’ “Great Performances.” Currently, Smith appears on the ABC’s series “Black-ish” and the ABC legal drama “For the People.” She is probably most recognizable as the hospital administrator on Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and the national security adviser on NBC’s “The West Wing.” Her films include “The American President,” “Rachel Getting Married,” and “Philadelphia.” Smith is the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue, which was launched at Harvard University and is now housed at New York University, where she is a Professor at Tisch School of the Arts. Her books include “Letters to a Young Artist” and “Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines.” She has been an Artist-in-Residence at MTV Networks, the Ford Foundation, and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Smith was appointed to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2017 U.S. Mayors Challenge Committee, a nationwide competition urging innovative solutions for the toughest issues confronting U.S. cities. She holds honorary degrees from Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and Julliard, among others. Campus visitors must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and be able to present proof of vaccination upon request by College officials. If campus visitors are not vaccinated or cannot show proof of vaccination, they must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival to campus. Face coverings must be worn indoors at all times.   

Governor Hogan Appoints St. Mary’s College President Tuajuanda Jordan to the Historic St. Mary’s City Fort to 400 Commission Michael Bruckler September 24, 2021 - 3:34 pm September 24, 2021 Governor Larry Hogan today announced that he has appointed St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, along with five other members, to the Historic St. Mary’s City Fort to 400 Commission, which is responsible for planning and conducting observances in 2034 commemorating the 400th anniversary of Maryland’s founding. The commission was established earlier this year. “I am honored to be appointed to this commission with the charge to help tell a richer, more complex and diverse history of the founding of the nation and the birth of democracy from the perspective of not just the colonizers but the indigenous peoples and the enslaved peoples as well,” said Jordan. In March 2021, Historic St. Mary’s City announced the discovery of ruins of Maryland’s earliest colonial site, a 386-year-old fort, after searching for its location for nearly 90 years. A team used ground-penetrating radar to identify the outlines of the defensive outpost which served as the first permanent European settlement in Maryland and the fourth in British North America. HSMC’s announcement came after the November 2020 dedication of the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland, located on the St. Mary’s College campus. While conducting an archaeological investigation prior to construction of the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, the archaeological team uncovered artifacts determined to be from mid-18th and early 19th-century slave quarters. As a way to honor those enslaved who once lived on College grounds, and to educate students about the legacy of slavery, the Commemorative was constructed. Both St. Mary’s College and HSMC are chartered to preserve, interpret and educate the public about their unique history.   The governor also appointed Michael R. Alderson Jr., Mary Anne Harms, Barbara A. Ives, Julian Blacklock Wills III, and designated Brian K. Norris as chair of the commission. The appointments take effect October 1, 2021.