The year 2020 is one that will be marked as memorable in history books for years to come.
From global pandemics to racial unrest, the year has been defined by challenges and uncertainty and, while some of what 2020 has brought us has resulted in negative consequences, widespread loss and upheaval, there have been some positive outcomes as well.
Inspired by peaceful, purposeful marches, protests and initiatives across the nation, local activists eager to see more equity and equality come to our own city of Frederick have gotten to work in the community.
From efforts to meet basic human needs and planning demonstrations to launching exploratory boards and change projects, Frederick has seen a number of local leaders born out of hope and a desire for change, come together to do the work of building a better community. Their efforts have been nothing short of inspiring and we are already seeing some of the benefits their work has given birth to – racial equity and equality committees, discussions and resolutions have been initiated at the City and County levels, FCPS has launched a racial equity committee and, here at the Chamber, the Racial Equity Leadership Team will have their inaugural meeting next month.
It has taken widespread community support and numerous leaders to get these projects off the ground and among these have been some standout women who have taken the initiative when it comes to opening these discussions. These women have brought forth ideas, organized events, launched organizations and inspired change, unity and discussion through their actions.
We had the opportunity to chat with a few of them about what motivates them, where they hope their work takes us, and the impact they hope what they do will have on the business community here in Frederick.
Photo Courtesy Kaitlyn Walsh
Women for Change: How Female Activists in Frederick Are Making an Impact
Meet the Women
Shana Knight, Co-Founder, SOUL Street
Shana Knight is a proud Frederick County resident. She has spent seven years in the nonprofit field, and is the current Marketing & Outreach Manager for United Way of Frederick County. Serving others in the Frederick community is more than just a job for her, it’s her passion.
She is also proud to serve as a committee member through the Chamber’s Generation Connect group and enjoys making connections with other local professionals and leaders.
In 2020, Shana, along with a local group of black creators, founded SOUL Street. SOUL stands for “Sustaining Our Unique Legacy,” and aims to create more visibility for local black owned and allied businesses through uplifting, motivating and supporting them.
Learn more here: SOUL Street
Desiree Tucker, Founder/Executive Director, Women Solve
Desiree owned and operated a professional organizing and event planning company in the Washington, DC, metro area for more than ten years and has professional experience as a meeting planner and on-site Project Manager. Desiree lives with her husband and two children in Frederick County where she’s also part of the Commission for Women and the Human Relations Commission. She will be part of a group launching Virtual World Society, part of the Virtual Learning Living Rooms, project, with a focus on history VR content.
Learn more here: Women Solve
Tarolyn Thrasher, Candidate, State Delegate District 3A
Tarolyn Thrasher is originally from Miami, Fl. She earned her B.S. in Political Science at Troy University. She’s a military spouse and a mother of three beautiful kids, and she’s a grandmother! She was the CEO of a local nonprofit in Frederick named PURE Love Incorporation, where she provided after school and summer programs for underprivileged youth. She sits on the Board of Justice Jobs of Maryland, is the Communications Director of the Women’s Democratic League, and serves on The Education Commissions Committee for Frederick City. She recently became an Emerge Maryland Alumni and is building her campaign team to run for Maryland State Delegate in 2022.
Learn more here: Next on the Mic
Akiyyah Billups, Mentor/Organizer, March for Justice
Akiyyah, a Frederick native, works full time supporting Army Procurement and Logistics Management for the Department of Defense. She’s also a wife and mother to three who has been involved with the Frederick community in various ways for many years. With a heart and passion for empowering and encouraging people, Akiyyah helped Isaiah Spencer and Amiyah Spencer, along with Alijah Gee and Gabrael Moore, organize Frederick’s largest social justice demonstration on June 5, 2020. The Frederick March for Justice was Frederick’s most well attended and supported peaceful protest against police brutality in the city in 2020.
Learn more here: Frederick’s March for Justice
What inspired your activism locally?
Shana: While I value the level of diversity we have in this community, there is always room to do better. I have personal experiences and observations about how we can be more inclusive. My main “why” is because I am a not only a woman, but a woman of color and it is my obligation to fight for the next generation of women, especially my daughter. I am tired of living in a world where there aren’t enough executives, doctors, successful business owners, and
elected officials who look like me. It is not a coincidence that this is the case.
Desiree: My children will be part of the public school education system here and that’s terrifying. Even more frightening is how public officials ignore laws, ignore human and Constitutional rights, and that it’s been going on for so long unchecked. As a Black mother here in this county, if my Black son asks me if he will be shot by the police one day solely for being Black, the truth is he may. Imagine having your white child ask you that question and the worry and fear within your child’s heart to compel him to ask you that? Then imagine knowing as a parent that you can’t protect him from his skin color. How can I not feel driven to act and do everything I can to make sure my son and others have a future?
Tarolyn: Every human deserves to be treated equitably. A seat at the table isn’t good enough if you don’t speak the language spoken at the table. I want to ensure that all not only have a seat, but are able to hear and be heard. If this county wants to put its best foot forward and attract both public and private investment. Everyone needs to be able to see themselves as being represented and have input into the process that governs them. That’s what equality of inclusion is about . Frederick cannot be an island forever. It is not healthy for the future of the county. It is diversity that has powered this nation to greatness and Frederick has a deep, rich history that is often not included in the decision making process. Frederick natives have every right to have a say in how this area evolves but not to the exclusion of people who want to be a part of that evolution.
Akiyyah: I fight for equality locally because of the reality I have lived through being a black woman in Frederick. These experiences and encounters of racial discrimination and inequality are the fuel needed to perpetuate me forward for change. My passion is also motivated by wanting to ensure a better future for my children and generations to come.
Why is diversity in schools and the workplace important to you?
Shana: Every person is different in the sense that they have experienced different traumas and even
treatment due to the color of their skin or for a disability they may have. It’s important to have
diverse leadership teams in companies and teachers in schools, equipped to manage the
differences of others. Diversity is extremely important to me. Diversity not only shows that your
company/organization is inclusive, but it shows how important it is to your company to have a
team with a wide variety of skills and experiences so that you can perform at your best.
Desiree: I used to think it was just about “diversity.” That word now seems so surface. Diversify your financial portfolio and let there be diversity within your repertoire of recipes. What we need to achieve is much bigger than having more diversity, and there is no such thing as an “equity lens.” It’s not like Google Glass.
Tarroyln: I believe minority students will learn more if they see teachers that looked like them. When I go downtown and see more minorities eating, shopping, and working downtown makes my heart smile. No one is given a racial discount in what we pay in taxes. We should all see ourselves represented in business, schools and politics. We all want safe communities, efficiency in usage of our taxes, and a well-educated populace. We are all here and have skin in this game and we all have internal biases. Because of that, the shortest path to equity is representation in all aspects of life, otherwise our biases can cause us to intentionally cause harm to others. A county/country is a lot like a marriage. A good partner sees our blind spots and helps us to do better. We are here to help each other do better.
Akiyyah: Diversity is important because it allows for organizations to bring in new ideas and experiences. A diverse and inclusive atmosphere allows people to learn from each other by bringing in different ideas and perspectives that also leads to better problem-solving.
What can members of the community and business owners do to support the fight for social justice and racial equality?
Shana: Support black businesses and vote! Supporting black businesses helps create generational wealth, something we strongly lack in the black community. When you support a black business, you are allowing them to continue to invest in themselves, their families, their child’s college education, etc. History shows that black owned businesses have faced hardships such as lack of access to loans, investors and capital. We as a whole, can change that! Oh, and did I say vote?
Desiree: Business owners, neighbors, and even friends and acquaintances need to step up and speak out. We all need to support each other, and people of color need business owners to acknowledge the outright racism in Frederick County. I sat on a call not too long ago with several business leaders, and it was shocking and offensive that the leaders on the call did not once say a word about the impact of racism on the ability to open and have minority businesses here. It was “business as usual” and felt as though they were going out of their way to not talk about racism and business.
Tarolyn: People in the community have started to support more black owned business, the white population and leaders are working to have more of the difficult conversations. What we must make sure is that it continues and we hold leadership accountable. We expect long-lasting changes for the betterment of everyone to come from the hard work being put in by leaders and activists. We have a long way to go in Frederick and I hope this will change in the next two years when people go vote in the 2021 and 2022 elections. I truly believe if we change the political landscape and vote for the Frederick that we know can be, we will see a change of more diversity, equity, and equality throughout Frederick city and county.
Akiyyah: Number one would be to VOTE! Not everyone is an activist, politician, or organizer, we also need teachers, mentors, supervisors, HR personnel, parents, student, etc. There are many lanes to the road to change, figure out your interest and passions, then pursue the change you want to see within your community.
How will your work impact Frederick and make it a better place to work and live?
Shana: Supporting small black owned businesses will not only make a change in the fight for equality, but it will also help our local economy overall! We will generate more small black owned businesses through our work and our pop-up markets will also be a positive and unique space that we can come together as no matter what our skin color is and love and support each other.
Desiree: I’ve learned how vital it is to make sure we have elected and appointed officials that understand precisely what systematic racism is and are willing to do the work to make changes. It’s also imperative to hold those in office accountable and demand they do their jobs or step aside so that we, the people, can put someone else in that elected position who is willing to listen and take action.
Tarolyn: There are multiple ways that I think what I do will help lay a foundation for Frederick. One is through leadership. Many times people do not know what is possible until they witness it. Secondly, people working with the common goal of equality and equity at all levels can ensure that new laws and statues that pass consider the impact that those things have on everyone. For that consideration to happen, representational voices must be present and a part of the crafting of those pieces. Thirdly, I have always been willing to hear opposing views and take them into consideration. Legitimate concerns always have their place and help place guard-rails in any type of legislation and enforcement. I am always listening and evolving my approach to do the most good for the most people.
Akiyyah: I believe that the work my team and I do will continue to unite and strengthen our community by continuing to raise our voice, demonstrate and participate in meaningful conversations. The change has already begun and we look forwards to continuing this journey today for a more diverse and inclusive tomorrow.
At the Chamber, where the business community is at the forefront of our mission, we believe in the change these women ignite stands to positively impact how we do business. We are hopeful that the work done to ensure equity and equal opportunity will create a business environment that is more diverse, innovative, vibrant, agile and fruitful for all.
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.