Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Dylan Meader (00:00): My name is Dylan Meader. I live in Frostburg, Maryland. I was born in Maryland, so I've been here my whole life, but I was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Then we moved to Allegany County and I've pretty much been around this area the whole time and yeah. I go to the nearby high school, Mountain Ridge.

Dylan Meader (00:24): Yeah. I'd say I'm pretty hopeful.

Dylan Meader (00:27): Each side, they like to think, "Oh, if this side is in control, they're going to absolutely destroy our country," and that's just never the case. It hasn't happened. Our country is still standing and it's like... Yeah. It just... Yeah. I mean, I am hopeful. I'm hopeful for the future, really. Regardless of who's president or not, I'd say that ultimately, the U.S, we will persevere.

Dylan Meader (01:03): I believe that we'll be fine regardless of who's in power. I don't think one side is going to absolutely destroy our country or not.

Asset ID: 2021.03.09.c

Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Dylan Meader (00:00): My name is Dylan Meader. I live in Frostburg, Maryland. I was born in Maryland, so I've been here my whole life, but I was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and then we moved to Allegany County and I've pretty much been around this area the whole time. And yeah, I go to the nearby high school, Mountain Ridge.

Dylan Meader (00:24): Yeah, so it was my first time doing it. I turned 18 on May 17th of last year. And the experience, it was actually really, really smooth. My parents and my oldest brother, we actually woke up pretty early. I think it was around like 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, something like that. And there was voting booths set up inside of the school. We drove down to the school. It was actually really cold. And I was expecting the lines to be very short, so I didn't even bother taking a jacket, but it actually wasn't that bad. The lines, they were pretty short. Everybody had their masks on, and stuff like that.

Dylan Meader (01:14): But I'd say we got in the building within 10 minutes, I'd say. The line wasn't that bad. And I went inside, they asked who I was, stuff like that. Yeah. Then I got the sheets to fill out all of the candidates that I'm voting for, president, representatives and stuff like that and put it in the machine. And I got my I voted sticker and that's about it.

Dylan Meader (01:48): No, I actually haven't really been exposed to really the voting process whenever I was younger. I never rally went out to the polling areas with my family and stuff like that. And I never really paid attention to politics prior to this election, so with Trump administration the past four years. But I felt like it was worth paying more attention to it, since I was going to be actually voting in this election. Probably most people, whenever they turn 18 , they have the right to vote, so of course it's going to be very excited.

Dylan Meader (02:30): And I've been watching the rallies of all the candidates, including third party. So I've been paying attention more and especially paying attention at the debates and stuff like that. But it's been absolutely wild because I've been looking at previous presidential debates. They're so much more civil, but now I feel like they're more of a farce, per se. Especially with the presidential debate for this electing, between Trump and Biden. It's like they were constantly interrupting each other and stuff like that.

Dylan Meader (03:23): And even the moderator was interrupting them and it's like they could never get no clear answer out. And I just feel that the nation has been very divided. And it's very evident because more people actually did go out and vote. Even first time voters like me. More young people I'd say, are going out to vote more.

Asset ID: 2021.03.09.b

The Peale's Storyteller-in-Residence, Mama Linda Goss, shares stories, poetry, songs, and insights about everything from Earth Day to the untimely death of George Floyd to talking to youth about race and racism.

Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."

Mama Linda Goss (00:32): Sometimes, I feel so alone. Although I’ve done no wrong. Oh Lord, stand by me, stand by me. Sometimes, I feel so alone. Although I’ve done no wrong. Oh Lord, stand by me, stand by me.

Mama Linda Goss (00:34): Praise Song for the Caregiver. This poem is for all caregivers who are taking care of someone, whether it's their parents, whether it's an auntie or a cousin. We take the caregivers for granted. And so I wrote this poem as a tribute to the caregiver, Sister Betty [Mayhan 00:00:57] , who took such loving care of my mother. Praise Song for the Caregiver. Praise song for Sister Betty [Mayhan 00:01:08].

Mama Linda Goss (01:09): Sister Betty carries the whole race of her people on her hip. Legend has it, that as a baby, Sister Betty leaked from her mama's womb and nursed her back to health. When the steel-driving man, John Henry, was a crying baby, Sister Betty, put him on her knee and cradled him to sleep. Sister Betty's back is broad like a lioness. Her legs are sturdy like a mama bear. Her body is tall and long like a black walnut tree. Sister Betty got more arms than a octopus. She can cornrow [Kesha's 00:01:51] hair, helm Jerome's pants, iron clothes, water the plants, read the newspaper to [Nana 00:01:57], talk on the phone to [Sally Bell 00:01:59], shuck corn, and watch [Carol's 00:02:01] kids all at the same time. Sister Betty is faithful to her church. She's got a pretty sounding voice. She sings in the choir.

Mama Linda Goss (02:38): (singing)

Mama Linda Goss (02:40): Oh, she's a good cook. She manages the church kitchen. She is a Sunday school teacher. Sister Betty goes to prayer meeting every week. She takes food to the sick and shut-in. She takes folks to the grocery store and yet sister Betty is able to watch her TV shows and play her numbers. Sister Betty has raised her children, helped raise her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, and a lot of other folks' children. She took care of my mama and just about everybody else's mama and father who have been in need of care in this neighborhood. Sister Betty is the caregiver of her people. Even though she got rheumatism in her knees and arthritis in her shoulders, yet she still carries the race of her people on her hip.

Mama Linda Goss (03:30): Fast-forward. Sister Betty got cancer in her hip y'all. She can't take care of folks like she used to. She told me, "Oh, how I wish the Lord would just let me get up out of this bed so I could take care of somebody." Her favorite song is Stand By Me. Now, Sister Betty has stood by her community. And now the community is standing by her years later.

Mama Linda Goss (04:16): I've talked to Sister Betty the other day. I called and wished her a blessed birthday. She said to me, "Linda, I'm in here cooking. My pot roast is ready. I'm working on the chicken salad and the tuna salad. And my sweet potato pie is in the oven and the collards on the stove. Child, I'm 10 years out of being diagnosed and taking all them treatments. The Lord still got me here." Lord, what are we going to do without the Sister Bettys of this world? You don't make them like you used to. How come, Lord? How come? Sister Betty, we love you. We thank you for you have carried our people on your hip. . .

Asset ID: 2021.02.16.b

Find a complete transcript on the Peale's website.

The Peale's Storyteller-in-Residence, Mama Linda Goss, shares stories, poetry, songs, and insights about everything from Earth Day to the untimely death of George Floyd to talking to youth about race and racism.

Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."

Mama Linda Goss (00:32): Sometimes, I feel so alone. Although I’ve done no wrong. Oh Lord, stand by me, stand by me. Sometimes, I feel so alone. Although I’ve done no wrong. Oh Lord, stand by me, stand by me.

Mama Linda Goss (00:34): Praise Song for the Caregiver. This poem is for all caregivers who are taking care of someone, whether it's their parents, whether it's an auntie or a cousin. We take the caregivers for granted. And so I wrote this poem as a tribute to the caregiver, Sister Betty [Mayhan 00:00:57] , who took such loving care of my mother. Praise Song for the Caregiver. Praise song for Sister Betty [Mayhan 00:01:08].

Mama Linda Goss (01:09): Sister Betty carries the whole race of her people on her hip. Legend has it, that as a baby, Sister Betty leaked from her mama's womb and nursed her back to health. When the steel-driving man, John Henry, was a crying baby, Sister Betty, put him on her knee and cradled him to sleep. Sister Betty's back is broad like a lioness. Her legs are sturdy like a mama bear. Her body is tall and long like a black walnut tree. Sister Betty got more arms than a octopus. She can cornrow [Kesha's 00:01:51] hair, helm Jerome's pants, iron clothes, water the plants, read the newspaper to [Nana 00:01:57], talk on the phone to [Sally Bell 00:01:59], shuck corn, and watch [Carol's 00:02:01] kids all at the same time. Sister Betty is faithful to her church. She's got a pretty sounding voice. She sings in the choir.

Mama Linda Goss (02:38): (singing)

Mama Linda Goss (02:40): Oh, she's a good cook. She manages the church kitchen. She is a Sunday school teacher. Sister Betty goes to prayer meeting every week. She takes food to the sick and shut-in. She takes folks to the grocery store and yet sister Betty is able to watch her TV shows and play her numbers. Sister Betty has raised her children, helped raise her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, and a lot of other folks' children. She took care of my mama and just about everybody else's mama and father who have been in need of care in this neighborhood. Sister Betty is the caregiver of her people. Even though she got rheumatism in her knees and arthritis in her shoulders, yet she still carries the race of her people on her hip.

Mama Linda Goss (03:30): Fast-forward. Sister Betty got cancer in her hip y'all. She can't take care of folks like she used to. She told me, "Oh, how I wish the Lord would just let me get up out of this bed so I could take care of somebody." Her favorite song is Stand By Me. Now, Sister Betty has stood by her community. And now the community is standing by her years later.

Mama Linda Goss (04:16): I've talked to Sister Betty the other day. I called and wished her a blessed birthday. She said to me, "Linda, I'm in here cooking. My pot roast is ready. I'm working on the chicken salad and the tuna salad. And my sweet potato pie is in the oven and the collards on the stove. Child, I'm 10 years out of being diagnosed and taking all them treatments. The Lord still got me here." Lord, what are we going to do without the Sister Bettys of this world? You don't make them like you used to. How come, Lord? How come? Sister Betty, we love you. We thank you for you have carried our people on your hip. [Singing]

Asset ID: 2021.02.15.a

Poem Copyright © 2021 by Linda Goss

The Peale's Storyteller-in-Residence, Mama Linda Goss, shares stories, poetry, songs, and insights about everything from Earth Day to the untimely death of George Floyd to talking to youth about race and racism.

Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."

Mama Linda (00:00): [Singing] My mama cares for me. My mama prays for me. I'm so glad that she prayed for me. She prayed all day, she prayed through the night. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light. Mama prayed for me. Yes, she cared for me. I'm so glad that she prayed for me. She prayed through the day, she prayed through the night. She prayed and prayed until I fell the light. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light.

Mama Linda (00:54): I know there is a heaven cause my dear mama is there. She's resting with her Lord in his infinite care. They say, if you love your mama, you will see her one day in the sky. I hoped to meet mine there, in the sweet by and by. Ma, momma, mother, mama, mom, mother dear, mother love and "Mommy!". We sure recall the sacrifices she made, the love she gave, and the pennies she saved long after the flowers have withered on her grave. Moore's legacy will be on the family tree a radiant star, so generations to come will know who they are, and what happened before. Mama's children withstood the storm's banging against the door because of her, because of her enduring strength of which there is no metaphor.

Myles Banks (02:33): First of all, Mama Linda, what inspired you to create that poem?

Mama Linda (02:38): Well, I think I was inspired because one of my friends lost her mother a few years ago, and I lost my mother back in 2002, and I was thinking about my friends, and how we were at the age, now where many of us have lost our moms, but we haven't forgotten them. Their spirit is still alive within our souls, and we remember what our moms went through. We remember all the hard work, whether they were working a nine to five outside of the home or a nine to nine and then some inside the home. Mama was always doing something. And when I say mama, I'm talking about the person who raised you. It may not be your biological mother. It might be your grandmother or your aunt or your auntie or a beloved cousin or your beloved sister, or maybe even your father was like a mother to you.

Mama Linda (03:49): The mother is someone who takes care of you, who loves you, and so I was thinking about mothers, and I was thinking how even though they may be in their graves, they're not forgotten. And even though in the English language, we talk about metaphors and symbols and personifications, words of speech and things like that, but there is no word that compares to a mother and so, that's why the poem ends. Mama has such a strength that there is no metaphor. There is no metaphor to compare with the strength of a mother.

Myles Banks (04:35): Mom is always working, huh?

Mama Linda (04:37): That's right, always working and mama's known by many names. You know, mama, mom, mother dear, mother love, ma. Like my kids. One of my children calls me "ma", one calls me "mom", and one calls me "mama", so [laughing]

Myles Banks (05:00): [laughing] So, you know about what they call you, and who they're talking to?

Mama Linda (05:04): Yep. That's true.

Myles Banks (05:06): That's beautiful. I love that poem.

Asset ID: 2021.02.14.b

Poem Copyright © 2021 by Linda Goss

The Peale's Storyteller-in-Residence, Mama Linda Goss, shares stories, poetry, songs, and insights about everything from Earth Day to the untimely death of George Floyd to talking to youth about race and racism.

Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."

Mama Linda (00:00): [Singing] My mama cares for me. My mama prays for me. I'm so glad that she prayed for me. She prayed all day, she prayed through the night. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light. Mama prayed for me. Yes, she cared for me. I'm so glad that she prayed for me. She prayed through the day, she prayed through the night. She prayed and prayed until I fell the light. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light. She prayed and prayed until I felt the light.

Mama Linda (00:54): I know there is a heaven cause my dear mama is there. She's resting with her Lord in his infinite care. They say, if you love your mama, you will see her one day in the sky. I hoped to meet mine there, in the sweet by and by. Ma, momma, mother, mama, mom, mother dear, mother love and "Mommy!". We sure recall the sacrifices she made, the love she gave, and the pennies she saved long after the flowers have withered on her grave. Moore's legacy will be on the family tree a radiant star, so generations to come will know who they are, and what happened before. Mama's children withstood the storm's banging against the door because of her, because of her enduring strength of which there is no metaphor.

Asset ID: 2021.02.14.a

Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Dylan Meader (00:00): My name is Dylan Meader. I live in Frostburg, Maryland. I was born in Maryland, so I've been here my whole life, but I was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. And then, we moved to Allegany County and I've pretty much been like around this area the whole time. And yeah, I go to the nearby high school, Mountain Ridge.

Dylan Meader (00:24): So, as far as young people voting, I'd say a lot of my friends who had also turned 18 last year, they did vote. They did. But as far as like third party and stuff, yes, I kind of do feel as if my vote kind of didn't matter because it's like, sure, maybe I'm pushing for there to be more diverse coverage of policy and topics, but ultimately it's like if you look at the percentages of how many people voted libertarian, it's not that much.

Dylan Meader (01:05): And it's more like a lot of people I'd say I've seen on social media, some people at least, they'll like criticize people who vote third party saying, "Oh, you took away votes from this candidate and that's why they lost." And stuff like that. But I wouldn't really say it's done in spite because I seen people say, even like politicians and stuff like that saying like, "Oh, you need to vote Biden just because Trump is bad.

Dylan Meader (01:38): Regardless of what Biden and his policies are, you need to vote on this to get Trump out of office." And I disagree with that. I think that you should... People should vote for who they genuinely believe is the correct choice, they shouldn't... I don't think that just saying to vote for somebody to spite them is really illogical.

Asset ID: 2021.03.09.a

Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Delaney Bluebaugh (00:00): Okay. My name is [Delaney Bluebaugh 00:00:02]. I am a junior political science and legal studies double major at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. So all the way up in the mountains in western Maryland.

Delaney Bluebaugh (00:12): I testified in front of the Maryland General Assembly this week actually in front of the House Ways and Means Committee about student voter engagement. And so I am especially driven by civic engagement and making sure that, especially in the areas like western Maryland and up north if you will, that we don't necessarily think voter suppression happens, there are ways that look a little unconventional to the normal types of voter suppression that we see or that we hear about or learn about in our history classes and whatnot.

Delaney Bluebaugh (00:45): And so the bill that I testified for is the Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act. And so I am constantly driven as well by making sure that students do not have a lot of barriers when it comes to voting. Obviously if you're from a different county than Allegany County where Frostburg State resides in you have to vote provisionally and everything, but what are the barriers that students face currently or have faced in the last four to six years in the elections that they've been able to participate in for the first time.

Delaney Bluebaugh (01:16): What are the barriers that they currently face that we can eliminate or that we can at least alleviate to some degree? And so I've been especially civically engaged, not only because it was an election cycle, but just because that's something that I'm especially passionate about as well.

Asset ID: 2021.03.08.g

Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Delanie Blubaugh (00:00): Okay. My name is Delanie Blubaugh. I am a junior political science and legal studies double major at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. So all the way up in the mountains in Western Maryland. I am very much driven by racial equity. In Western Maryland.

Delanie Blubaugh (00:18): We are a pretty predominantly white area, but Frostburg State's campus is roughly 50/50 in terms of white students and BIPOC students, specifically that of black and African-American students on our campus. And so, for a lot of students, in my role in student government at FSU, we've heard a lot about, especially in recent months, how it could be a completely different world when you step off of campus.

Delanie Blubaugh (00:45): And so I am constantly driven to try and make our community specifically a better place and a safer place for our students, no matter what they look like or what they identify as, and whatnot. I'm also especially driven by disability rights. My mom, she's a person with a disability.

Delanie Blubaugh (01:09): She has had multiple sclerosis for over my entire life. I believe it's approaching 26 or 27 years now. And so I was kind of, I like to joke that I was grandfathered into living with a person with a disability. And obviously, that doesn't change who she is on the inside, but it definitely does change how she is able to be mobile and to participate in life the way that we have had it set out to be. And so I'm especially driven by that as well.

Asset ID: 2021.03.08.f

Recorded from Frostburg, Maryland, 2021.

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.

Delanie Blubaugh (00:00): Okay. My name is Delanie Blubaugh. I am a junior political science and legal studies double major at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. So all the way up in the mountains in western Maryland. So I serve as the co-chair of the University System of Maryland Civic Engagement Student Leadership Committee which is a whole mouthful of a title.

Delanie Blubaugh (00:22): But we have been talking about the strategic plan for continuing civic engagement outside of election cycles because obviously we have an election every two years, the midterms seem a little less important to a lot of people than the presidential elections do, but we need to continue civic engagement outside of the election cycle. And so that doesn't just mean going to cast your vote, going to cast your ballot, or casting your vote in an election, it also means engaging with interest groups and with different activist groups in your region.

Delanie Blubaugh (01:02): If there are community activist groups that are engaged and working towards a specific issue that you feel passionate about, it's about getting involved there. It's about always looking at your state legislatures and seeing what kind of bills they're passing and how they can affect you personally.

Delanie Blubaugh (01:21): It boils down to having tough conversations with your family and with your friends. It's about engaging in civil discourse, but not civil discourse in the way of we're arguing about one topic or another, but actually having tough conversations and listening to either side because no one person has the exact same experience.

Delanie Blubaugh (01:41): And, so we all arrive at our beliefs in different ways and in different experiences. And so civic engagement is about listening to everyone, listening to your peers and listening to people that you wouldn't necessarily talk to in a normal day-to-day life. And so it goes a whole lot more past just casting your ballot during an election cycle.

Asset ID: 2021.03.08.e