An effort that was born during a global viral pandemic now shows us the true heart and strength of the Frederick community. Initially, Frederick Strong was going to help us communicate to employees and customers of our region’s businesses that we’d all taken the steps we needed to welcome them back safely. The objective was to begin to rebuild confidence in our economy and restore prosperity and opportunity throughout our County.
The message of the original logo design was the “heart” of Frederick County, a place of love, compassion and understanding, carefully enveloped by the fingers of a hand, forming a fist reflecting resiliency, strength and resolve. Viewed carefully, the folded fingers actually form an “F”.
The best-designed marketing campaigns stretch us, push our boundaries, and sometimes even upset us.
Since the completion of the original logo and marketing campaign, and after many hundreds of nonprofits, government entities and private sector businesses created and implemented safe opening plans, a Chamber task force was ready to release our plans to the whole community.
Just as we launched Frederick Strong, our nation was once again confronted by an ugly and recurring reminder that not all people are treated equally under the law. Black Americans face structural racism, and under any measure, a civil and just society cannot abide that unequal treatment.
In Frederick County, a group of young men and women decided it was time to act to raise the public’s awareness . Boldly, bravely and purposefully, these young Black Americans followed the words of past generations of civil rights leaders, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and Medgar Evers and put their justified outrage over unequal treatment to work. They arranged a rally, a coming together of the Frederick community the likes of which our County has never seen. In order for this change to achieve its primary purpose, it must be systemic and must also be permanent. We all together need to make a community commitment to implement employment, housing, healthcare and public safety procedural changes that respect the humanity and dignity of every man, woman and child.
That’s Frederick Strong.
Today, we have a unique opportunity. A chance to rally together, to combine all of our strength into ONE VOICE. A voice of community awareness, a voice of economic recovery and a voice for equality. NONE of us, no matter how justified or impassioned, are as powerful a force for good as ALL of us.
Our businesses have been closed, through no fault of their own, for going on three months. Workers have been furloughed, owners have had to pivot to less viable service and products just to stay open. Hundreds of private sector businesses, nonprofit organizations and even our government are ready to safely welcome back our customers and show them the love and resiliency at the core of the Frederick County community.
Again, that’s Frederick Strong.
Frederick Strong means different things to different people. The common elements of this campaign are celebrating the combination of our collective strength, resilience, love and understanding as TOGETHER we face whatever challenges lie ahead of us. It isn’t about which specific colors, logos or taglines inspire us, it’s that TOGETHER we find our inspiration and that we TOGETHER can weather any storm or conquer any challenge.
Our toolbox of images, posters, backgrounds allows you to choose the designs that most appeals to you. We’re all different, but at our core, we’re all Frederick Strong. Choose your own message, share it in the manner that best expresses you, but please join us in this movement.
Let’s all join together behind the banner of Frederick Strong. Let Frederick Strong serve as a community rallying cry, a call to action to rebuild our economy, a call to action to put our neighbors back to work, to care for each other’s health and safety, and most importantly, in this unique moment in time, to heed the words of one of the organizers of the Frederick March for Justice, Amiyah Spencer, when she reminds us all of the important and continuing imperative to create a world free of racial discrimination.
- Strong for each other
- Strong for our health & safety
- Strong for recreating jobs
- Strong for economic opportunity
- Strong for racial justice
- Strong TOGETHER
- Strong for Frederick
#FrederickStrong
Video by KO-OP Media – Artwork in the video by Ellen Byrne Illustration
— Rick Weldon, President & CEO
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.