Carrying on Rachel Carson’s work
Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. —Rachel Carson This year marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, writer Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book about the devastating effects of pesticides on the environment. Largely as a result of that book, which she wrote at her home in Silver ... READ MORE
H&S Bakery rises to the occasion
On a frigid day in January, a stretch of Interstate 95 became a 10-mile-long parking lot. Stranded by ice and snow, hundreds of drivers just south of Washington, including a U.S. senator, were trapped in their cars for nearly 40 hours, shivering and starving. Gazing hungrily at a stranded bakery truck near their car, Casey Holihan Noe, an Ellicott City resident, and her husband, John... READ MORE
Heart and soul of Black History Museum
In Mary Lauderdale’s cozy office at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Jackson Ward, a framed quotation by former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison hangs over the desk like a guiding light: “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” As head of the museum’s operations and visitor services, Lauderdale, 62, is inspired by Jemison’s message and... READ MORE
To fight injustice, he built schools
“All the other pleasures of life seem to wear out, but the pleasure of helping others in distress never does.” —Julius Rosenwald Bethesda retiree Dorothy Canter was “blown away” when she saw “Rosenwald,” a 2015 documentary directed by Aviva Kempner that told the story of Julius Rosenwald, a philanthropist who built more than 5,000 schools for African American children... READ MORE
The AFRO celebrates 130 years
The Baltimore Afro-American newspaper is one of the country’s oldest Black-owned businesses, dating back to 1892. This year, the weekly newspaper, known today as the AFRO, celebrates 130 years of continuous publication. A formerly enslaved man, John Henry Murphy Sr., purchased the newspaper in the late 19th century, less than 30 years after the end of slavery. Murphy had served in... READ MORE
Volunteers help make homes accessible
On one of the hottest days of 2021, Chesterfield resident Susan Stephenson, who uses a wheelchair, was buoyed by the sight of 24 volunteers in her front yard. Despite the weather, which she said was “hotter than blue blazes,” a crew from the nonprofit RampsRVA arrived with tools, dismantled her broken wheelchair ramp and installed a new one. One volunteer even mowed her... READ MORE
Teaching kids to read critically
Journalist Alan Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting, but he’s equally proud of a second award for his second career. Last month, Miller, 67, won a 2022 AARP Purpose Prize, which celebrates people 50 and older who use their life experience to solve social problems. The prize recognizes his work on the News Literacy Project, which he founded in 2008. The project aims to teach... READ MORE
Wanted: Nature lovers of any age
Barbara Schmeckpeper spent her career as a molecular biologist parsing the minutia of genes at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. But when she retired 20 years ago and looked up from her microscope, she found a wider world beckoning. First, she volunteered to pull weeds at a local park, which led her to volunteer with organizations that work on environmental education and... READ MORE
Sweet! Domino Sugar turns 100
Baltimore native Cathy Bowers owes her life to Domino Sugar. Her parents, the late Albert and Cassie Bowers, met at the Baltimore refinery in the 1950s. Albert started in the mailroom and rose to the head of the billing department, and Cassie worked as a keypunch operator. The company’s bowling league brought them together, and they started dating. “They had to keep it a... READ MORE
Ex-FBI agent drives special needs children
Mike Mason is used to big jobs with plenty of responsibility. After all, he was the number-four man at the FBI, and later a senior vice president with Verizon, handling its security issues on a global level. But his post-retirement gig is perhaps the most significant of all: driving a school bus for Chesterfield County Schools. It’s work he loves and considers as important as his past... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
