Wanderlust Thoughts

On May 5th, it was announced that the Institute of Notre Dame (IND), the oldest all-girl’s Catholic school in Maryland, would permanently close its doors this summer. IND was founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1847. For the past 173 years, it has stood firm in its original location in East Baltimore.  The Baltimore Sun states, “IND’s first class graduated in July 1864, as cannon fire from the Civil War could be heard in the distance, according to the school’s history. During the Civil War, the sisters helped slaves reach freedom as part of the Underground Railroad. They tended to students and each other during the pandemic of 1918. During the Baltimore riots in 1968, the school was left untouched except that the words ‘soul sisters’ had been scrawled across the building, according to a 1997 story in the Baltimore Sun. Even in the 1970s, when other preparatory schools moved out of the city and into the suburbs, IND remained.” IND is known for educatin...

“A wonderful history lesson happening right before my eyes.” –Linda Mathews Hey, family! Before the month ends, I wanted to do a Black History Month feature post. While Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of Black people throughout history, it is important to note that Black History IS U.S. history. AND that there’s so much more to Black history than Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Don’t get me wrong. MLK and Ms. Parks were trailblazers and it is important to learn about their contributions… But there are hundreds and thousands of other people and events that also deserve praise and celebration— Not just the ones we learn about in school and certainly not just in the month of February, but all year round. And what better place to learn about and celebrate our history than the new mecca for all things Black history: The National Museum of African American History and Cu...