Elevate Maryland

Candace and Tom return from hiatus for this wide-ranging interview with Delegate Marc Korman, who represents Montgomery County's 16th District. They discuss the decision on whether to hold a Special Session, COVID-19 tests from South Korean, and Delegate Korman's successful effort to have archived editions of the Maryland Manual posted online. He even brought back the long lost tradition of host gifts!

Three Items For Action:

1) Request an Absentee Ballot;

2) www.saveourstages.com; and

3) Howard County ICE contract

This week, Candace and Tom interview Maryland NAACP Youth President, and Reservoir High School student, Isaac Allen about how the youth are responding to and participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. He discusses what inspired him to become more involved and how we should talk about race. We were excited to have another inspiring young leader on the show and are sure you'll enjoy this one!

In this episode, Candace and Tom talk with technology and communications expert Gigi Sohn about how the need for universal access to broadband internet has never been greater. We also address the consequences of continuing a "have and have not" market for internet access as more of our educational system goes online.

Three Things to Act On:

1) Support businesses you love;

2) Diversity of Board Leadership

3) Change (or get rid of) the Maryland State Song

Join Candace and Tom for this fun, engaging, and illuminating conversation with award-winning cartoonist and political satirist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher. Kal's cartoons have been featured in over 100 publications, but has been a prominent fixture in The Economist and The Baltimore Sun for years. He discusses "the line" that cartoonists walk, and sometimes cross, when engaging their audience via the medium of political cartoons. Kal also addresses the means by which political satire can bring us together in an age of political division.

Three Things:

1) Advocate for Affordable Housing (Shout out to HoCo Progress Report)

2) Racial Equity Task Force in Howard County

3) Renaming Schools

We turned our platform over to two powerful leaders in Annapolis - Delegates Vanessa Atterbeary & Stephanie Smith - who share their experiences being women leaders of color. This is part of the #ShareTheMic initiative that is focused on empowering the voices of black women.

The chemistry on this show is off the charts. Listen to these amazing women engage in a candid discussion of the challenges facing Maryland and our country.

In this episode, Candace and Tom interview Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., about his response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the FY2021 budget, and his experiences reopening the county after Governor Larry Hogan deferred that decision to local jurisdictions. Tom also took the opportunity to tell Johnny that he doesn't like the phrase "every vote counts", which includes a reaction you won't want to miss.

Three Things:

1) What does #DefundThePolice really mean?

2) Equity in Zoning - the end of single family detached zones

3) Three opportunities for action

In this special edition of the show, Candace and Tom interview six student activists, including some of the organizers of the HoCo for Justice protest in Downtown Columbia. They share their view on current events, thoughts on what it means to act as an "ally", and where they want to see change in Howard County schools and government. This will be the show everyone is talking about for months, if not years, to come.

Candace and Tom interview Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Deputy Director Donald Sherman about his organization's work to ensure more transparent and ethical government. In particular, Donald talks about their FOIA request to Attorney General Barr's office regarding the disbersement of protesters in front of the White House and CREW's recent victory in the 4th Circuit emoluments case.

Three Things:

1) HoCo4Justice March

2) 2020 Election Results (Baltimore City Mayor & Howard County Board of Education)

3) Allyship

In this interview with Rev. Leah Daughtry, we discussed the tragic killings and harassment of people of color across this country as well as the opportunity to heal. In the course of that interview, Rev. Daughtry called on the white community to work harder to take on the difficult conversations related to race and racism.

Rev. Daughtry also may have signed on a new mentee!

Candace and Tom interview Montgomery County Council-member Andrew Friedson about his fiscal note legislation, equity in governance, and budget priorities. He also discusses the Council's advocacy for the continued allowance of alcohol sales by delivery.

Three Things:

1) Memorial Day

2) Howard County Budget and the New Cultural Center

3) How the quarantine saved the US $5 trillion