Maryland

Wes Moore Would Like to Make History

Published

1 year ago

July 9, 2023

Wes Moore, who is currently America’s lone Black governor, works from a creaky-floored second-story office in the Maryland State House. The building—Georgian brick, shaded by giant trees, in the quiet center of Annapolis—is a small icon of American history. It is the only statehouse to have served as the nation’s capitol. (The Continental Congress, meeting there in 1784, ratified the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War and established the United States.) The building holds bronze statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, who were born, and enslaved, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Moore can seem surprised to find himself in the governor’s office, though the swerving path of his life has been a defining feature of his rise. He spent his early childhood in Takoma Park, a suburb of Washington, D.C. His great-grandfather emigrated from Jamaica, in the nineteen-twenties, but went back after he was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan; his son, Moore’s grandfather, returned to the United States. When Moore was three, his father died of an illness, and his mother, a freelance writer, moved with her three children to live with her parents in the Bronx. She enrolled Moore at Riverdale Country School, an exclusive private school, but as a teen-ager he had a run-in with police, and, after more trouble, he was threatened with suspension; his mother sent him off to Valley Forge Military Academy and College. He thrived there, joined the Army, and enrolled at Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated in 2001. He went to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and worked at Deutsche Bank in London, before he rejoined the Army, as a captain, and deployed to Afghanistan, with the 82nd Airborne. In 2010, after a stint in investment banking, he became a minor celebrity for his book “The Other Wes Moore,” a best-seller about the divergent path of his life and that of a man with the same name, who went to prison. Eventually, Moore switched to nonprofit work, and, in 2017, he became the C.E.O. of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty group based in New York.

Over the years, his story has attracted journalists and political prospectors. Oprah Winfrey became a friend; he met Barack Obama in the White House. But when Moore entered the Maryland governor’s race, in 2021, having never run for office, he faced a broad field of competitors, including Tom Perez, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, who was endorsed by the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. Initially, Moore was polling at one per cent. During the campaign, he was accused of having hyped the trials of his youth; in his book, though he never claimed to have been born in Baltimore, he described the two Wes Moores as plying “the same streets,” and he did not correct some interviewers who assumed that he had grown up in the city’s gritty sections. There were other efforts to challenge his candidacy: in an ugly episode, a prominent donor to one of his rivals circulated an e-mail arguing that Maryland voters would not elect a Black governor: “Three African-American males have run statewide for Governor and have lost. . . . This is a fact we must not ignore.” But Moore drew crucial endorsements from the teachers’ union and prominent Democratic officials, and attracted a fortune in donations, thanks in part to Winfrey, who appeared in advertisements and at a virtual fund-raiser. He narrowly won the primary and went on to trounce a far-right Republican, Dan Cox, who had hired buses to take people to Washington, D.C., for protests at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Moore would be Maryland’s first Black governor—and, instantly, a subject of prognostication about his potential for higher office.

On the morning of his inauguration, this past January, Moore arranged a ceremony a few hundred yards from the statehouse, at the Annapolis dock that once served as a receiving point for slave ships. To Moore, history is a complex partner in his politics; he often says that he didn’t run simply to make history, but he embraces the power of his breakthrough, and he has tried to convert that momentum into legislative progress against inequalities in education, employment, and wealth. In a recent speech at Morehouse College, he described Maryland as “the proving grounds of redlining and other discriminatory and predatory housing policies that have served as one of the greatest wealth thefts in our nation’s history.” Drawing on his experience in the military, he has also conceived of a civilian program for young people who seek a project larger than themselves. In his first year in office, he created a voluntary year of service for high-school graduates, which is in the spirit of AmeriCorps and which he hopes to make available to every student in Maryland. Signing the bill, he described service as a source of “civic bonds” that can keep people from “retreating to our corners of political ideology.”

At forty-four, Moore is bald but boyish, and is built like a wide receiver, the position he played at Johns Hopkins. On camera, he can project relentless charm, but, in person, when he settles down, he is blunt and succinct. In February, Time wrote, “The Maryland governor may be the Democrats’ most talented newcomer since Barack Obama.” When I visited Moore recently—to talk about service and greed, unity and polarization—the walls of his office were still sparsely decorated, except for some notable historic items, and we started there. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you help me get a feel for where we are right now? Has this always been the governor’s office?

This has always been the governor’s office. And, at four months, we’re still getting things on the walls. But maybe my favorite thing on the wall that I didn’t bring is that. [He points to a case holding an old document.] That’s George Washington’s handwritten resignation of his commission [as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army]. Downstairs, inside the rotunda, is where George Washington, for the first time in the history of the country, willingly gave up power and said, “The power is not mine. The power belongs to the people. And I don’t get to choose who leads. The people do.” And it really did set the foundation for every election we’ve ever had since. It is the foundation of democracy.

Consent, ultimately. The willingness to lose.

And your willingness to accept the results shouldn’t depend on the results. And so I love that document up there, both because I found myself running against an election denier and [because] it just shows how tenuous democracy is. We’re not that far today from fundamental political questions: What is democracy? And what results do we accept and what don’t we? [Moore points to another item on the wall, the photo of his swearing-in.] And then, right there, is when I was being sworn in as the sixty-third governor. Look at that dynamic, that arc.

You started that day at the city dock?

It was very intentional. It’s partly a tribute to Alex Haley and to “Roots,” because his family traced back to Annapolis. So I said, “I want to start the day there.” And so myself, the lieutenant governor, and a couple hundred people all met down at the dock, and we had a moment of silence. Then we basically marched from the docks up to the statehouse, which is a short march in terms of geography, but we really wanted to highlight the power of the journey. The statehouse was built by enslaved people. So now I was about to get sworn in as the sixty-third governor of a state, literally in front of a building that was built by the hands of those who were enslaved.

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Maryland

Maryland can expect wet and warmer weather on the way after Christmas

Published

26 minutes ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Maryland can expect wet and warmer weather on the way after Christmas – CBS Baltimore

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With Christmas and hopefully pleasant memories now behind us, all eyes are on the final weekend of 2024, and the last few days of this year. Our forecast looks to be a calm one with, by Saturday through New Year’s Eve, a nice warm-up coming our way. Not just a push of mild air but warm air with daytime highs, and overnight lows, well above the seasonal average.

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Maryland

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings (12/25/2024)

Published

11 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings (12/25/2024)

There’s no change at the top of the latest Maryland high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings. Bullis School, DeMatha Catholic, Georgetown Prep, St. Frances Academy and Glenelg Country School maintain their positions in the Top 5.

Edmondson-Westside is the biggest mover this week, going from 24th to No. 21 after knocking off then-No. 21 Baltimore City College. Prince George’s Christian Academy debuts at No. 22, thanks to its win over then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Academy.

Previous rank: 1

The Bulldogs, who lost in the Signature Series final at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic starting Friday.

Previous rank: 2

The Stags will play at the Governor’s Challenge in Salisbury, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 3

The Little Hoyas will play at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego starting Thursday.

Previous rank: 4

The Panthers, who defeated No. 7 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in overtime, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic in New York, Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 5

The Dragons will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 6

The Cavaliers will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 7

The Cougars, who lost to DeMatha Catholic and St. Frances Academy, will play at the Mid Penn Bank Classic in Pennsylvania Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 8

The Gaels will play at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Florida starting Friday.

Previous rank: 9

The Warriors will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 10

The Lions will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 11

The Bengals have scored 90 or more points four times.

Previous rank: 12

The Patriots, who dropped close decisions to No. 5 Glenelg Country School and No. 6 Archbishop Spalding, will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic in Virginia starting Friday.

Previous rank: 13

The Lions rebounded from loss to SIdwell Friends School (D.C.) with victories over Mount Zion Prep-Blue team and New Hope Academy.

Previous rank: 15

The Dons, who’ve won three straight, will play at the Blue Jay Christmas Classic in New Orleans starting Friday.

Previous rank: 16

The Eagles will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic starting Friday.

Previous rank: 14

The Mustangs, who went winless at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play Archbishop Wood (Pa.) at the Governor’s Challenge Monday..

Previous rank: 17

The Eagles will play at the Severna Park Winter Jam Tournament Thursday and Friday.

Previous rank: 18

The Lions have lost two of their last three decisions.

Previous rank: 19

The Crusaders knocked off District of Columbia No. 3 St. John’s College.

Previous rank: 22

The Pumas will host the Lou Wilson Holiday Tournament, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 24

The Red Storm, who defeated then-No. 21 Baltimore City College, will play at the Governor’s Challenge Thursday and Friday.

Previous rank: Not ranked

The Flyers, who defeated then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Christian, will play at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina starting Friday.

Previous rank: 21

The Black Knights, who dropped decisions to then-No. 24 Edmondson-Westside and West Catholic Prep (Pa.) will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 23

The Seahawks will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 25

The Hubs will play at the Skip Fowler Memorial Tournament in West Virginia, Friday and Saturday.

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Maryland

The rich and controversial history of Maryland’s clown ministers

Published

21 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

The rich and controversial history of Maryland’s clown ministers

We are fools for Christ’s sake.

So believed the apostle Paul when he penned a letter to the Corinthian church. And so, too, believed Maryland’s pioneering clown ministry.

This niche style of Christian outreach is as outrageous as it is earnest, and traces some of its roots back to Columbia. It’s perhaps a legacy that James Rouse never imagined when he founded the Howard County town, with its distinctive urban plan, efficient use of land and commitment to diversity. Rouse included a series of interfaith centers intended to bring people of different beliefs under one roof. The model inspired one local pastor at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church to pursue his own experiment blending liturgy with laughter.

These days, Rev. Floyd Shaffer is remembered by some as the “clown father” of modern Christian clowning. Though liturgical clowning already had a history in Europe, Shaffer spent his time in Columbia in the 1970s dabbling in clown ministry and eventually became known as a leader of the movement in the United States. He died three years ago, his wife Marlene Shaffer confirmed.

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Even though the whimsical ministry’s heyday was in the 1980s and ’90s, some Christians continue to answer the call to clown. And the practice has captivated new audiences on TikTok and YouTube.

Earlier this year, the Columbia Maryland Archives put together an online exhibit about the town’s nondenominational clown ministry, called Faith and Fantasy, which Shaffer founded in 1974. Archivist Erin Berry said staffers were inspired after stumbling across a popular YouTube channel’s episode on Christian clowning.

Shaffer’s idea for a clown ministry came to him in 1964 on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The pastor was in town for a Bible study and leafing through some books when he stumbled across the etymology of the word clown. He connected it with Jesus’ command to be a servant.

That same year, Lutheran church leaders were getting creative with clowns — and it wasn’t going over well.

The National Lutheran Council produced the short film “Parable,” which depicted Jesus as a white-faced clown and the world as a circus.

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The film’s 1964 debut at the New York World’s Fair roiled event organizers, some of whom resigned in protest. One “disgruntled minister threatened to riddle the screen with shotgun holes if the film was shown,” the Library of Congress noted when it announced that it had selected “Parable” for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012.

Six years later, Shaffer debuted as a clown minister for the opening day of Abiding Savior’s vacation Bible school, according to a news article preserved in Columbia’s archives.

Floyd Shaffer as Socataco and his granddaughter Erica play with a clown marionette. (Created by Floyd Shaffer/Courtesy of Columbia Maryland Archives)

“I don’t think that something that’s so controversial — I don’t know what other word to use — as clowning ministry could flourish in another place other than Columbia,” Berry said. “You could just try what you wanted to try.”

Other leaders within Columbia’s interfaith centers encouraged Shaffer to keep at it, said 86-year-old Marge Goethe. Her husband, Rev. Jerry Goethe, the pastor for Kittamaqundi Community Church, suggested to Shaffer that he teach a class on clown ministry. Together, the two men designed a seven-week course that covered theology, the history of clowning, skits and games to encourage playfulness.

Many local residents, including Marge Goethe, enrolled in the classes, embraced clown ministry and set out to visit children’s hospitals, retirement homes and domestic violence shelters. She learned how to silently deliver sermons with gestures and humor, but never mockery. Goethe used lipstick to draw a red circle — a symbol of the liturgical clown — on her cheek.

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Goethe developed her clown persona and named him Harry, after a man she knew as a child who lived on the streets. He was a reminder that she could either be the kind of person who brushed him off or helped him out.

Howard County’s clown ministry eventually grew to include as many as 300 clowns, The Baltimore Sun reported in 1994. Members of the Faith and Fantasy ministry went on to teach clown ministry around the country and internationally.

Not every audience loved the routine.

During a worship service at a Virginia college’s youth convention, Goethe and other clown ministers offered to draw the mark of the clown on people’s cheeks.

“What is that, the mark of the devil?” one man asked.

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Goethe couldn’t reply while she was in character.

“All I had to do was accept what he was feeling at the time and hope it changed at some point,” Goethe said.

Goethe still attends Kittamaqundi services and performs clown ministry. When people ask her about the decades she spent cheering up strangers, she worries she won’t find the right words to explain how rich clown ministry turned out to be.

“I did more good for people being silent,” Goethe said.

Shaffer eventually moved to Ohio and authored several books with titles such as “If I Were A Clown” and “Clown Ministry.” He produced instructional videos on clown ministry that lately have found a rapt audience on the internet.

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Jen Bryant realized she had a personal connection with clown ministry while putting together an episode on the subject for her YouTube channel, Fundie Fridays, which features cultural commentary on aspects of fundamentalist Christianity in the United States. The Missouri resident’s grandfather, a Catholic, performed for a time as a clown minister under the name “George-o.”

Every community seems to have its subcultures, Bryant said, and she found that was also true for clowns. There are classical clowns like Joseph Grimaldi, a Regency-era entertainer who introduced the white face makeup. There are dark clowns like Juggalos, a nickname for fans of the hip-hop group Insane Clown Posse. And there are scary clowns like Pennywise, the shapeshifting antagonist in Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel “It.”

At first, Christian clowns sounded like a meme to Bryant. The full story, she said, turned out to be “way more interesting.”

Bryant and her husband James Bryant ordered copies of Shaffer’s books and collected a variety of research on clown ministry for their episode, which posted in April. The hourlong segment earned an “overwhelmingly positive” response from their audience, many of whom are in the midst of deconstructing their faith and understanding of Christianity, Bryant said.

“Everyone just thought this was just the most pleasant little novelty,” James Bryant said.

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Maybe Christian clowns are even the original deconstructors.

“They’re people who went, ‘faith wasn’t working exactly how we wanted it to, so we broke it down and changed it,’” he said. “It worked. It has a legacy.”

Appearing in a video on Kittamaqundi’s YouTube page, Shaffer said clown ministry gives people a new way to live out and enjoy theology, “instead of being so glum and gloomy and solemn, as much of the church has become.”

Many Bible stories defy rational thought and that’s sort of the point, Floyd said in the video.

Scripture, Floyd noted, often suggests that God has a sense of humor.

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