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- There were citizens in a 1977 local county commission trying to figure out how to rename Ellicott City? The media wrote about it? (Pg 22)
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- There was a County Executive who had successfully campaigned in Howard as being “independent” of Democrat factions? (Pg 15)
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- There was a local citizen-led effort to desegregate Howard County schools? There was federal government pressure on the county to desegregate? (See Cochran report)
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- There was a request that African American history be taught in Howard County schools in the 1960s as desegregation was happening? (Pg 14)
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- There was a county Interracial Commission here? Did a lawsuit by it lead to the creation of a local human relations commission? (Pg 15-16)
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- We’ve had 9 County Executives. How many have had public buildings named for them? (Pg 23)
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- There was a proposal to name a high school after a person in the property seller’s family? (Pg 25)
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- Is “Howard High” or “Howard County Senior High” the official name of the school? (Pg 26)
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- Is there any historic document showing that Howard County is named for “John Eager Howard”? (Does anyone know?)
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- Which school made the local news for the request to drop an apostrophe from its name?
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- There was an area resident who was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court who died before taking office? (Pg 28)
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- The log house currently on Main Street in Ellicott City was moved there? (Pg 34) It had two other names before “Thomas Isaac’s”?
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- The school board back in 1948 wanted any school potentially named for a person to be a deceased person? (Pg 39)
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- There was a project called “Harriet Tubman Homeless Shelter” in the county? (Pg 41)
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- The Tubman school building was renamed multiple times? What’s the story with the sign on the building?
This report reveals important information about how naming and renaming has been done in the county, using three schools and two other public county assets as examples. No other examination has ever been done relative to HOW naming has occurred in Howard County until now. This document is the most definitive one found in the county regarding many of the topics in this report, and the first known compilation of local human rights history. This report also contains information about the history of county Human Rights legislation and many of the people involved in that work, early history of Howard Community College involving the Tubman building (Pg 40), the question “Did Harriet Tubman come to Howard County?” (Pg 36) and more.
This is the repository for the FINAL report of the Howard County Public Facilities & Spaces Report Evaluation and Action Commission and associated files.
The Commissioners sought the public’s assistance one last time with their work before using it to compile the final report to the County Executive per their charge. All 3 reports with changes were made into the final report along with Commissioner recommendations while still commissioners. The third report data files are here and the first two are on the county’s OpenData website where they are already housed. Until that is remedied with all appearing in the same place, the files will sit here for anyone to view since they are part of their work and are public information and must be publicly accessible. Many references in the 3rd report assets to “OpenData” site were written in anticipation that the county would place the data files given to them on the site. Apologies for the circumstances beyond the control of the Commission, which is now disbanded due to it running out of time and not being renewed by the county. One of the Commissioners remarked that the human rights/desegregation material should be published into a book, and with this and the other information researched by HCLTR, Inc. it will be!
As this nonprofit has in its tagline: Truth FIRST, Then Reconciliation. We do that in all of the history we have any part in examining.
The final report with recommendations is here:
Click for Final Report- PFSREA Commission
Links to sources not on county site:
-for Dr. Edward L. Cochran Jr. East Columbia 50+ Center are here:
Click for Cochran 50+ Center report data
-for Howard High School are here:
Click for Howard High report data
-for Marriotts Ridge High School are here:
Click for Marriotts Ridge High report data
-for the “Thomas Isaac Log Cabin” are here:
Click for Thomas Isaac Log report data
-for the Harriett Tubman Community & Culture Center are here:
Click for Harriett Tubman Center report data
Link to Library Report and all other data files housed by Howard County government on OpenData is here:
Commission report 2 and data for reports 1 and 2 housed by county
Link to the commission responsible for this report is:
Link to 2022 Public Spaces Commission
This work couldn’t have been done without the support of local citizens who showed up to do the work. Those involved with the extensive research that was necessary are noted as authors on the reports. The entire commission gave valuable input and guidance throughout the process of ensuring our community would have the best accurate information possible before being asked to weigh in on what should happen to public spaces that have names on them. The commission started with 19 people representing three different history nonprofit organizations, county offices such as schools, libraries, Recreation and Parks, and Office of Human Rights and Equity, and caring citizens who had or developed a passion for accurate local history. It ended with 10 who consistently showed up to advance the work. They are (co-chairs are noted with an asterick):
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- Claudia Allen
- Kiros Begay
- Denise Boston
- Dhaval Shah
- Jean Lewis
- Allison Jessing
- Margaret Goodlin
- Marlena Jareaux *
- Towanda Brown
- Wayne Davis *
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Primary county support to the commission was originally provided by Stephanie Wall before being transferred to Paul Thompson, and thanks are given to them also. Appreciation is also given to unnamed staff who surely also assisted.
Marketing material sent to the community with report #3:
