The Voices of the Middle Branch interview series aims to celebrate the communities around the Middle Branch through visual storytelling.
April, rEIMAGINE mIDDLE BRANCH FELLOW
“I am a graduate student at Morgan State University in the City and Regional Planning program and a 2021 Reimagine Middle Branch Fellow. I am a native of Florida and made my way to Baltimore for a job. After being in Baltimore for almost 8 years, I’ve definitely fallen in love with the city and its charm. What drove me to go back to school was actually Baltimore. I began to think about questions like, how can we address issues within Baltimore like access? I noticed how roads and sidewalks connect visually, but when you actually walk on those streets, you see that things aren't easily accessible. As you go a bit deeper you see issues with environmental justice, access, and equity. It's important to delve into how to ensure that people have their voices heard in processes that affect their communities and how people can engage in their communities in meaningful ways.
My professors told me about the fellowship program. Having done some work already in Baltimore focusing a lot on community development and community engagement throughout my grad program, this allowed things to come full circle. There’s been a sense of community working with the fellows. Each fellow has such different takes on their Reimagine Middle Branch projects. We're all tackling the same problem in such unique ways. I felt that community with everyone being able to share their different ideas, experiences, and the things we’ve learned throughout this whole process. One of the most memorable experiences during the fellowship was going to the waterfront and seeing students with the Baltimore Rowing Club. It was unique to be able to see them on the water and see how they got involved. Whether they’re members of the South Baltimore community or not, there's something that drew them there. To see their experiences, their leadership in action, and the connection that they have with the water was unexpectedly rewarding.”
“I’ve been in Baltimore for almost 8 years now and I’ve definitely fallen in love with the city and its charm. What drove me to go back to school for city and regional planning was actually Baltimore. I began to think about questions like, how can we address issues within Baltimore like access?”