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Juneteenth, Pride Week, and the Journeys in Between

I am incredibly proud of the fact that I mailed in my ballot before traveling north to spend a week with friends—most of whom I met during my graduate school days as fellow students or faculty. Returning to Portsmouth, New Hampshire always highlights a stark contrast to Baltimore, where I was born and raised. It is the difference between living in a metropolis or a microcosm.

The 17 years I spent living in New Hampshire taught me a great deal about socio-economic diversity. To put it in perspective, from 1972 to 1989, the population of New Hampshire was 95% white, while the remaining 5% was categorized as “all other.” Despite prevailing myths about urban vs. rural safety, that 5% certainly did not drive up crime statistics.

It wasn’t until 1995 that New Hampshire turned its attention to establishing the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, which beautifully addresses the “Thirst for Freedom: From NH’s Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement.” Needless to say, the history and impact of civil rights look vastly different in Baltimore than they do in New Hampshire. Baltimore has much more to atone for—but also much more to celebrate during Juneteenth.

While New Hampshire’s recent weekend celebrations focused heavily on Pride Month, Baltimore hosted AFRAM, one of the largest African American festivals on the East Coast.

Maryland vs. New Hampshire

Both of my husbands were New Hampshire natives, and they were the reason I relocated north, and eventually, back south. One was French Canadian and the other a Yankee. Even though I was embraced as the “wife of,” the locals occasionally made it clear that I was still an outsider.

But that isn’t why I left.

I returned to Baltimore to become the primary caregiver for my mother during her time in home hospice. Eventually, I inherited my childhood home and made the conscious decision to stay rather than sell. The rest is history. Baltimore is home again.

Fortunately, I love to travel. Family and friends have a way of spreading out, and I am the one who usually boards a train, a plane, or both to visit the family and friends who share my history.

Our country has changed greatly since 1972, and the cultural gaps between states tend to shrink thanks to technology. In New Hampshire, the IT industry has completely replaced the shoe factories, tanneries, and automotive parts manufacturers that were already on the verge of obsolescence when I first arrived—jobs that were ultimately lost to cheaper labor overseas.

A Convoluted Career Path

My history with the workforce started incredibly early: I actually began earning Social Security when I was just six years old as a professional child model for Hutzler’s department store. I like to joke with people that I “ate myself out of a job” when I turned 18, but the truth is that college took priority.

Beyond modeling, I remained a contingent employee at Hutzler’s working in the back offices during high school and college vacations. I finally quit just before my July 1972 wedding. By August, I was working as a clerk in a New Hampshire shoe factory.

My path was rarely linear. I went from clerical work to sales, transitioned into academia, and finally retired at the age of 62.

Setting Priorities

Like so many women, I have worked my entire life. That is exactly why exercising my right to vote was an absolute necessity before I ever stepped onto a plane for this trip.

My NH friend showed me a tote bag she just had to buy.

Please take the time to read every word printed on it, and make sure you are voting for what you truly want this country to stand for.

Over to You: Drop a comment below and let me know if any of the reasons listed on the bag resonate with your own reasons for voting this year. Do you see yourself living in a metropolis or a microcosm? Let’s chat!