baltimoreblackwoman

Happy 9^th Anniversary, BBW!

On December 27, 2014, I posted my first essay on baltimoreblackwoman.com. It’s a miracle that this blog is still going—my dogged persistence has paid off! Sharing my observations and opinions about life in my hometown and beyond, via essays, memoirs, poetry, music videos, and photographs, has given me much more than a platform to raise my voice and speak my Truth. It has changed my life, enabling me to make new friendships and strengthen old ones; to build a network of professional writing contacts who have bolstered my credentials as a writer (fulfilling a lifelong dream); to serve my beloved neighborhoods around Baltimore; and to keep learning and growing as a human being.

Thank you to everyone who has followed the blog over the last nine years! I especially want to thank my mother, the late Dorothy B. Oldham, for her love and support. One reason I started writing was to give myself a “break” from being Mom’s caregiver. But over time, she became the protagonist of some of my best essays and poems, even after her death in 2018. I had no idea how much she supported this endeavor until this year when, while (still) going through her belongings, I discovered that she had printed out and read every single post from the first few years. She kept them in folders labeled “Jackie’s Writings”….

As I begin year 10 of the blog, I’m at a crossroad: considering ways to make this site pop. Maybe a different cover photo or some form of the abbreviated logo “BBW.” There might be a more outward focus, with more emphasis on what’s happening in Baltimore, similar to the first item (“Creative Alliance”) featured below.

The Creative Alliance-sponsored “Art to Dine For:” A Tour of the Upton Mansion – Future Headquarters of AFRO Charities

On Saturday November 11, 2023—an unusually clear and balmy day, I joined a small but enthusiastic group of people (members and supporters) for an outdoor luncheon sponsored by the Creative Alliance (Creative Alliance | Arts & Education Programs & Events in Baltimore; https://www.creativealliance.org) and catered by Taste This (Taste This (tastethisbaltimore.com)), my favorite Baltimore Soul Food restaurant, followed by a tour of the historic three-story Upton Mansion, which AFRO Charities (Afro Charities) has acquired to house their extensive collection of documents, photos, and other artifacts from the 131-year-old AFRO American Newspapers.

Although Upton is one of several Old West Baltimore neighborhoods I lived in as a child, I had never actually seen the Upton Mansion until this day, nor did I know its intriguing history. Situated on the highest parcel of land in Baltimore City, it was originally the Dammann Estate. In 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Young, an African-American couple, purchased, renovated, and lived in the Mansion. By the end of the 1930s, the Mansion had become the headquarters for Maryland’s first radio station, WCAO! From 1954 to 2006, the Mansion was known as The Upton School, a part of the Baltimore City School System. But, since 2006, the building has been vacant. Now, AFRO Charities is in the midst of a capital campaign to renovate and make this historic building its headquarters. [Source: brochure, “AFRO Archives at The Upton Mansion: Make History With Us,” distributed to “Art to Dine For” attendees.]

Poetry Feature on Weekly Stone Soup Poetry Reading

Stone Soup is a Boston poetry venue founded more than 40 years ago by the late Jack Powers [Poet Jack Powers/ Founder of the Stone Soup Poets (jackpowerspoet.blogspot.com)], a poet and activist who believed that poetry was meant to be heard—not just read silently in an academic book. The public Facebook group Stone Soup Poetry was created in 2009; it is an online extension of the Stone Soup community. With more than a thousand members, it has become an important and supportive part of my development as a poet, as well. Though I’m not able to attend every weekly Zoom program, I’ve gotten to know some of the regulars—an eclectic band of poets at all stages of development, from new to seasoned bards, who can be counted on to read a few of their works during the open mics—as well as featured poets who are allotted a bit more time to share their works.

With only a few days’ notice, I was invited to be the featured poet on Stone Soup Poetry’s November 1, 2023 Zoom program [https://www.facebook.com/groups/stonesouppoetry/permalink/10159798942675975/?mibextid=Nif5oz]. I put together six poems, four of which have been published. While I was reading my then-unpublished poem “Piano Players,” listener Mignon Ariel King asked to publish it in the upcoming issue of her new online journal, WOC (Women of Color) This Way for Poetry! Within two days, I sent her that poem plus a bonus poem, “The Repast,” that I hadn’t shared at the reading. In early December, both of these poems were published in this wonderful new journal—bringing my total count  of published poems to Lucky 13!

Although it is a huge feather in my cap to be a published writer, the most important point of all these “happenings” is the connections made—it’s the people I meet, the thoughts, feelings, and values we share, and the life lessons we learn from each other that matter most.

As 2023 ends, I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year, 2024!