Presenting for Interfaith Week

 

Thesis presentation for The Gathering Space’s Interfaith Week. 

From April 21st to 25th, The Gathering Space launched its first annual Interfaith Week. The purpose of this event is to celebrate religious and spiritual plurality, and to encourage members of our community to engage with one another’s faith traditions in positive and meaningful ways. The other interns and I, professional staff, and members of our Interfaith Fellows worked diligently to put together a host of programming for those across campus to enjoy. On Monday, we held our kick-off tabling that showcased UMBC’s various religious and spiritual student organizations, followed by the Human Library event which gave curious participants an opportunity to ask about each other’s beliefs and traditions. Tuesday’s Mythbusters event aimed to challenge misconceptions that participants possessed about religion and faith. We held our Interfaith Candy Bar on Wednesday where we handed out treats associated with various religious groups/traditions, in addition to promotional tabling for Queerios, our discussion group that focuses on the intersection of queer identity and faith. The first program on Thursday was my thesis research presentation, one of our preliminary efforts at lecture-style educational programming, followed by a Speed Faithing dinner later in the evening. Friday was full of religious practice gatherings, a nature walk through the Herbert Run Greenway to promote mindfulness, and an ice cream social. In addition to this, I also coordinated a competitive donation drive that ran throughout the week with the participation of four very charitable organizations. All in all, it was a very busy and festive week!

For my presentation, the content’s scope focused on preliminary research I’ve done up until this point for my thesis. Afterwards, I facilitated a discussion with the audience with guiding questions relating to the connection between their faith and sense of civic duty, the state of interfaith relations at UMBC, and what can be learned from historical examples of interfaith activism such as the desegregation demonstrations at Gwynn Oak. All of my participants had a lot of insightful contributions to add to the conversation! One of the Religious Council members, Lisa, talked about the concept of tikkun olam (or, ‘repairing of the world’ ) in Judaism, which drives a sense of responsibility for many Jewish people to pursue an ideal and just society by engaging in various forms of activism. While many shared that their commitment to social activism was grounded in their faith, they also had secular motivations as well. For participants who identify as nonreligious, they shared commentary about how other life experiences and aspects of their identity led them to social activism. 

In regards to interfaith relations at UMBC, there were varying opinions. For the most part, members of our religious and spiritual community coexist alongside one another peacefully—it would be difficult not to, considering how little space we have to share amongst such a diverse group! However, there are some points of contention, particularly considering the currently tense sociopolitical climate. Everyone is protective over their faith, and so when it comes to reckoning with conflict and ideological differences, many are hesitant to engage in these difficult conversations. This feeling is especially heightened due to the fear of punishment for expressing their beliefs, so staying within one’s own community offers a sense of security. This is something I found to be a common theme in many universities across the nation while doing educational programming research, so while it won’t be an easy task, resources like The Gathering Space need to continue to diligently work to find ways to address these issues.

Overall, I would say that my presentation went well; everyone thought that my research topic was interesting, and I managed to facilitate the discussion session better than I thought I would. If there is something that I would’ve done differently in retrospect, it would first be to start planning my event earlier in advance. Particularly this semester, I’ve been experiencing extreme burnout and a lack of motivation to do substantial work in a timely manner. I found myself preoccupied with menial tasks for my internship (ex. general space management and running errands,) but even if I had good ideas for my project work, I feel as though I didn’t put nearly enough time or care into fully developing them to my standard of quality. Despite this, I wish I would have had more faith in my work. I was so scared of facilitating a subpar presentation, I was hesitant to invite more peers and mentors to attend, when everyone who did attend thought I did a good job. In retrospect, I would have definitely promoted it more, not only to have more engagement for the discussion, but to treat it as a learning opportunity as well. I think I place too much emphasis on getting everything perfect from the start without remembering that the internship experience is about developing skills and learning as I go; making mistakes and learning how to course correct is fundamental. In the future, I will remember to give myself more grace and remember that things typically won’t be as bad as I’m expecting them to be, but to also communicate with my faculty and advisors more about these types of roadblocks I’m facing!

The Nonviolence Tradition and Interfaith Activism

From left to right: Howard Thurman, Sue Bailey Thurman, Phenola Carroll and Edward Carroll pictured in their travels to India, known as the Pilgrimage of Friendship, 1935.

In doing preliminary research on the desegregation of Gwynn Oak Park, I found that I had a pretty comprehensive understanding of the various themes that were prevalent in its story: Baltimore civil rights history, the connection between recreation access and equal citizenship, youth activism, etc. However, one gap in knowledge that remained was most things pertaining to religion. This posed a significant problem for me especially since that’s the one aspect of this event that seems to haven’t already been studied in depth, therefore being an obvious gap in the scholarly conversation to fill. At the very least, I was aware of the significance of the Black church in influencing the civil rights movement, with this institution providing spiritual refuge from racial discrimination, as well as serving as a foundation for developing many prominent activists. However, there was a strong presence of white clergymen of Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faith who participated in the Gwynn Oak protests as well. How did their faith guide their dedication to advocating for civil rights alongside African American clergymen? And how was it possible for this group of protesters from such diverse racial and religious backgrounds to come together on a common moral ground and participate in an interfaith cause like the Gwynn Oak desegregation demonstrations?

These very questions influenced my desire to pursue an internship with The Gathering Space, who were coincidentally hiring around the time I was facing this dilemma! Admittedly, I had some reservations about the prospect of working there, primarily in regards to where I would fit in such a space as someone who identifies as non-religious. I knew I had academic motivations for wanting to be an intern, but would I come off as an invasive presence to those who have a significantly more personal relationship with religion? Luckily, this ended up not being the case—everyone thus far has been extremely welcoming and willing to engage in conversations with me about their respective faith traditions, which has been an incredibly enriching experience. My advisor, Matt Hoffman, has been particularly helpful when it comes to expanding my knowledge on basic religious concepts and interfaith activism. For this internship, he assigned some interesting readings that have contributed greatly to my thesis research.

The first book we read was Visions of a Better World, which details the life of theologian and civil rights leader Howard Thurman, and specifically explores his pilgrimage to India in pursuit of knowledge on the practice of nonviolence. One of the most compelling aspects of the book was how the globalization of white supremacy and connection of a shared struggle was established. Both parties learned of each others’ experiences with oppression (i.e., African Americans with racism and Indians with imperialism), which served as the catalyst for the transmission of nonviolent philosophy and tactics from India to the United States. This book also encouraged me to be more of a critical reader. Usually when I read any type of text, I find it difficult to pinpoint where I can challenge the authors’ argument and formulate my own counterpoints. However, one of my favorite discussions of this book had to be when dissecting Thurman’s projections of whether African Americans or Indians could attain equality easier, in which he asserted that it would be more feasible for the former due to the comparatively homogeneous religious and political culture of the United States. Though, this ended up not being the case, as India has managed to gain independence from British rule, while African Americans still experience racism many decades after Thurman posited his argument. So I really had to dive deeper into his theory and life experiences that shaped his point of view, and be able to think of how he arrived at this conclusion and factors that could oppose it. Overall, this book showed me how influential, yet underrated, of a philosopher Thurman is when it comes to his contribution of nonviolence to the civil rights movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (center) and Abraham Joshua Heschel (2nd from front right), march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, March 21, 1965.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was another theologian I was able to learn a great deal about. In his speech “No Religion is an Island,” he establishes his position on religious pluralism and interfaith activism, arguing that religions can not exist in isolation from one another and that it is imperative for individuals to understand one another’s faith traditions and use that understanding to fight against the ills of society. Being a survivor of the Holocaust, in which he lost his mother and three sisters, the reason for Heschel’s dedication to religious unity and civic engagement is evident. Through studying his career, I learned of how he put this into practice by participating in the civil rights movement and anti war efforts, as well as being instrumental to shaping Catholic-Jewish relations in a positive direction during the development of the Nostra aetate. Clergymen, like any other group of people, possess diverse views when it comes to social action. Some choose to refrain from speaking on such matters, whether it be because they don't want to garner backlash, or possibly because they support injustice and use religion as a vehicle to perpetuate it. Others take a moderate approach, disavowing social evils like oppression and violence in theory, but do not apply their thought to transformative action. Learning about figures like Thurman and Heschel, who translated their philosophy into direct action, was a great experience and gave me plenty of foundational knowledge I needed for what I’m studying in my thesis research.

Educational Programming Initiatives at UMBC’s The Gathering Space

 

The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being logo.

For my Spring 2025 internship, I am working at The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being here at UMBC. Established in August 2021, The Gathering Space is a center under i3b (Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging) dedicated to providing campus community members from various religious and spiritual backgrounds with a space to “meet, worship, discuss, and celebrate their individual and/or collective faiths and philosophical worldviews.” As UMBC is a notably diverse institution, we believe that it is imperative that students, staff, and faculty alike are able to find acceptance and belonging, practice and embrace their sense of spirituality, and engage with others across faith backgrounds in order to celebrate commonalities and reckon with differences.

Initially, TGS started out focused primarily on space management, relationship building, and interfaith work. On a day-to-day basis, members of the community come into the space to pray, as well as hold regular meetings for religious and spiritual student organizations like Muslim Student Association, UMBC Hillel, and Catholic Retrievers amongst others. TGS also hosts recurring programming series ranging from crafting events and weekly yoga, to discussion-based groups like Queerios, which explores the intersection between religious and LGBT identities (which I am also a facilitator for!) Starting in Fall 2024, TGS has also launched two programs: Bridge Builders, a dialogue program dedicated to discussing contemporary issues connected to religion and spirituality, and Interfaith Fellows, a leadership program which encourages students to engage in campus projects across religious, non-religious, and spiritual differences.

The educational programming initiative is an expansion of these pre-existing programs, which entails partnering with external offices and scholars to think about how religion is integrated in the lives of others in social and political contexts. In producing educational programming, we ask ourselves, “Why does it matter that TGS exists at UMBC? How does it benefit the campus?” Last semester, I was assigned the task of researching public-facing interfaith programs that religious centers at various universities across the country facilitate. Through this research, I found that these institutions put great emphasis first and foremost on fostering community amongst their religious and spiritual campus population through mindfulness activities, dinners, etc., much like what TGS currently does. Secondly, they aim to promote civic engagement, connecting the campus to the broader community in which it exists through social justice outreach and community programs. Finally, they provide religious and spiritual education by way of programs such as workshops, trainings, lecture series, and conferences. Of course, in adapting these ideas to UMBC, we have to be realistic with our capabilities and what we can accommodate. For example, establishing an entire interfaith academic program like NYU has done would be most likely impossible, but experimenting with their smaller educational programs has proven to be promising thus far. When we hosted a film screening and talkback for the documentary I Will Build This World From Love, it gave our community the opportunity to come across faith traditions to learn about an example of interfaith work in Georgia, as well as have an engaging conversation about how religious plurality can similarly exist at TGS.

Based on this experience, I was inspired to apply it to my own project work. When I started interning at TGS, it was my intention to incorporate my public history background into the work that I would do. For the final project of my internship, I am presenting my thesis research about the desegregation of Gwynn Oak Park in a lecture-style event during our inaugural Interfaith Week. I think it would be interesting to share a piece of Baltimore civil rights history with the TGS community that featured a strong presence of interfaith activism. In return, I want to learn more about how the religious and spiritual members of our community interpret their commitment to interfaith activism and what that looks like contemporarily both at UMBC and beyond.

Some of My Final Reflections on Howard County’s Historical Sites

    As this internship with Preservation Howard County began to wrap up, the final major piece of research involved locating old images of the listed sites, aiming to have both the written information about current states and uncover a visual of the changes to the sites. Although I had an idea of which sites had received attention and which had essentially been left to wither away over the years, it was helpful to have a visual representation. At the end of my internship, I put together a final presentation alongside a final document with all the information gathered about the sites I researched.

A summary of said presentation helps ascertain the final takeaways of this internship and what I learned along the way. To put everything I had gathered over the summer together, I split the sites between those that demonstrated clear deterioration and neglect and those that had received attention, either through restoration or reuse. The first list included: Clover Hill, Blandair, and Simpsonville Mill, three sites that clearly demonstrated the problems with leaving these sites alone. 

Throughout my time spent at each site, it was disheartening to witness how time had worn down the sites. All three are currently under the ownership of Howard County and have been for a while. Walking around each site, I fully understood the importance of caring for these sites. It’s easy to say that historical sites should be cared for, especially the ones that remain with us, but physically being around the sites and seeing the detrimental effects of neglect and pushing off plans for restoration hit a lot harder. Blandair really stuck with me, especially the slave quarters as the neglect of this site seems to go hand-in-hand with an unwillingness to confront the past of this region.

         

Blandair Entryway (2003/4 vs. 2024)

Blandair Slave Quarters Interior (2003 vs. 2024)

Seeing the sites that survived the test of time through restoration or reuse adds to that understanding of the importance of preservation efforts, witnessing the possibilities of these sites to remain standing. These sites were: Pfeiffer’s Corner Schoolhouse, the Columbia Exhibit Center, the Ellicott City Jail, and Mt. Ida. However, to be quite honest, these sites have been at least partially removed from their history in some way, demonstrating the question of how sites are preserved and often the placement of a structure over the actual history of the site. Mt. Ida stands out as an example of this as I learned early on that its use as an inn involved the interior being gutted of its historical integrity, leaving only plans for office use in its future. The building itself is still beautiful, but knowing its historical character has been stripped away is bittersweet. 

Mt. Ida Exterior (1854 Litograph vs. 2024)

Altogether, this experience was enlightening and allowed me to witness the world of preservation in action, or in some cases inaction. I loved the opportunity to be able to drive around and see history around me, even if the states of the sites may have been far from ideal. I only got a little taste of the history around me as there are many more historical sites in Maryland and this experience made me wish to know more about the history we have just sitting around us all.

Takeaways from an Icelandic Summer

During my time with Global Treks, I was able to contribute to a travel magazine about Iceland, but that description only scratches the surface of all that came from the internship. I was able to travel throughout the country, exploring historical landmarks like Thingvellir National Park as well as natural wonders like waterfalls and hot springs. I was also able to develop new and existing skills. Exploring Icelandic museums and writing about Icelandic history kept me in the familiar territory of public history, helping me apply classroom learning to actual historical work. I was also able to gain new skills. One of my favorite parts of the trip was a hike to an elevated lake where I was able to learn how to use GIS equipment and became one of the first people to officially map the trail we took. These experiences all contributed to the knowledge I gained during the internship and allowed me to have valuable takeaways from the trip. 

My main takeaway from my internship was how valuable trying new things can be. I had lots of questions about how applicable working on a travel magazine would be to public history. It was lucky that the section I was assigned was directly applicable to public history but even if it had not been, the experience still would have been worth it. As I have learned, skills can be applied almost anywhere once they are developed. Interviewing local Icelanders might translate into public speaking skills and suddenly being thrust into learning GIS equipment could translate into an example of adaptability in an interview or on a resume. Knowledge of the ability to apply these general experiences across fields would have made me much more eager to sign up for the Global Treks internship and is something that I have been trying to pass along so others do not make the same mistake I almost did. Through this internship I was able to push outside my public history comfort zone and learned to pursue interesting opportunities, even if they seem strange at first. 

Iceland is a beautiful country and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to explore it through the lens of my academic field. Writing about Iceland’s history and culture gave me immense experience both in my field and in life. It also led to some amazing experiences that I was able to share with other interns including exploring the worlds oldest parliament and walking in the Icelandic Independence day parade in Reykjavik. Looking back on the summer, it is easy to see how my historical skills were helped but I also developed a wealth of other skills and friendships that will serve me just as well in the future. Help with all of these skills in a single internship is not something I expected. Between these skills and the country I developed them in, Global Treks offered me more than I could have ever imagined when I first applied to work on a hiking magazine and this Icelandic summer is one I will certainly never forget. 

Icelandic Hot Dogs and History: Writing for Global Treks and Adventures

Interning with Global Treks offered a wealth of experiences stemming from all three phases of the project. My role was helping to produce a portion of the history and culture section to be included in the final magazine which allowed me to practice my research skills along with others. I was able to utilize these skills both while in Iceland and back home when working on my final draft. 

Each day in Iceland we had the opportunity to go to different places in the country to conduct research and get ideas for our sections of the publications. Each of these trips was valuable as we were able to meet local Icelanders, explore the country, and learn more about Icelandic history. One of the most valuable trips was to Thingvellir National Park, home of the oldest parliament in the world. We were able to explore the park’s museum which had exhibits about the history of the area and an exhibition on Icelandic independence to celebrate the nation's independence day. These exhibits gave me inspiration for two sections of my writing, focusing on Icelandic Independence and the Icelandic language. We happened to be visiting the museum at the same time as Iceland’s president which only added to the experience and afterwards, we explored the trails of the park. On the trails, we were able to see Iceland’s geologic history through the walls created by tectonic plates slowly pulling the country apart as well as Iceland’s cultural history through the law-speakers rock where the Althing was held and old farm ruins where we stopped for lunch. Thingvellir is an encapsulation of Iceland as a whole, full of rich history and beautiful nature that was incredible to explore. 

Thingvellir, along with meetings with local Icelanders and other exploration in Reykjavik provided inspiration for my final writings. In writing my final draft I combined notes from Iceland with additional research to produce a narrative of Icelandic history and culture for eventual readers. My four sections focused on the Icelandic language, the Icelandic Sagas, Iceland’s history of foreign rule and eventual independence, and a section on Icelandic Pylsas (hot dogs). Writing the final drafts involved researching which helped me improve those skills as I searched through databases, books, and general searches to find more information on each of these topics. Exploring Iceland allowed me to gain new skills but writing my sections of the magazine helped grow more direct historical tools of researching and writing about an unfamiliar place. Through Global Treks I was able to gain new knowledge as well as test my public history skills in an incredible place and it is an experience I will never forget.

Reflections and Takeaways-Be Creative!

 During the summer, I had the opportunity to work with Hope To You Community Church, where I helped with a project to collect the church's history through Oral History. Looking back at the Oral Internship with Hope To You Community Church, it was a fantastic opportunity that opened many theoretical doors into potential career paths I had not thought about. Even though this internship was not a typical internship that worked within a museum or archives, it was an experience that I will always be thankful for the chance. Even though this internship was in a small community and might not have made many connections within the field of Public History, the skills I learned were far more valuable as it is something that I can show.

As the final takeaway from this Summer internship, venturing into a project different from the norm is not inherently bad, as the skills developed will be universally helpful. The ability to have some talk to you, listening closely as well as recording it, and putting the pieces together seems easy. Still, from my experience, it was initially difficult to come up with the right questions that would develop into a casual conversation and not into an interrogation. However, over time, I learned how to write the question and how to keep the conversation going. It does not seem as much, but looking at this summer internship in a larger view, the internship helped me connect with people and the past.

Although I did not have a person to teach me the ropes on what to do, self-learning, I think, is what I enjoyed the most, with the rise of self-employment. This was an experience that I hope everyone can get. Whether it is in an internship with a direct supervisor or one that is present to check your progress but is hands-off any sort of internship is something that is whole heartily an experience that I was thankful for experiencing.