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America's Star-Spangled Ambassador

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General

An Agent of Change: A Letter from Our Board Chair

June 30, 2020

Dear Friends of Pride,

When I was a kid, my father, a cabdriver, drove me all over Baltimore City to teach me lessons during the time we spent together. He would educate me about communities and warn me about communities I should not go to alone. One such area was the Inner Harbor, where he warned me that, as a young black man, I could find myself in trouble even if it was not my fault. My father said he hoped that someday I could help change that for other young black and brown people. That it was our Inner Harbor, too.

One of the first places my father took me that I can remember in the harbor was aboard Pride of Baltimore II. I loved the water and I loved “pirate ships.” When I told a crew member that it was a cool pirate ship, he corrected me, that it was a privateer, which he explained was like a legal pirate ship. It turns out that this particular crew member was the captain, and he gave me a tour of the ship. He told me the story of Chasseur, a Baltimore Clipper from the War of 1812, which was the inspiration for the design of both Pride and Pride II. That captain could not have known that 30 years later, that 8-year-old kid would become the first black chair of the board of directors of Pride. Nor could he have known (well, maybe he had a hunch) that he would still be the captain of Pride II today. Thank you, Captain Miles, for taking the time to make sure my first impression of Pride was a welcoming one.

As the first black chair of the board of Pride, Inc., which manages the ship built as Maryland’s goodwill ambassador and a symbol of hope, investment, history, and tourism, I knew I must be more than just a symbol of change. I was called upon to be an agent of change. When I became chair in 2018, Pride was in turmoil, having missed the sailing season for the first time ever due to a lack of funding. People told me that everyone would understand if we could not lead Pride back to success because it had been mired in difficulty before my arrival and some had lost hope in it. But they didn’t understand that as a black man, since I was a child, I have always known that my failures are amplified in our society. I couldn’t fail. Nor did our board believe the best days of Pride were behind it.

Our first action was to grow the board because, while we were dealing with our financial troubles, we lost focus on our diversity. We added women, minorities, young people, and new accomplished leaders of different backgrounds and experience. We prioritized connecting the organization back to the myriad communities it serves in Baltimore and across the state. In that vein, we received a Baltimore National Heritage Area grant to get underrepresented communities out on the water for free ($10,000 awarded for 2020 and that program will now take place in 2021). This year, we would have launched an education program to tell the history of the privateer industry, both the good and the bad, and get more kids within the Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County Public Schools systems aboard. I am proud that we pulled off such a historic turnaround and ended the 2019 sailing season with money to invest in expanding our outreach in 2020. While COVID-19 ended many of our initiatives for this year, it has not and will not deter the energy and progress of Pride of Baltimore, Inc., the organization.

So, how do we make Pride of Baltimore II an agent of change? For starters, we plan to work proactively on helping the broader tall ships community acknowledge that many in the black community see it as an industry/sport for whites and not everyone else. Even though my personal experiences have helped me feel that this assumption isn’t true, not all experiences are the same and our actions to be more inclusive speak louder than our words.

I will be asking our board to prioritize finding additional ways to make Pride of Baltimore II an agent of change. This will not be doled out to a committee. It will be addressed thoughtfully by the full board of directors with all of our committees working in concert toward that common goal. We will look to ensure more opportunities for diversity in hiring of crew, staff, vendors, and consultants. We will find more funding for programs that facilitate access for minority communities so that they, too, feel welcomed in the harbors we visit and aboard Pride of Baltimore II. And we will work tirelessly to raise more money to educate communities about job opportunities in sailing and port communities. I will also ask the board to direct our staff to focus more of our grant writing to fund programs that will support underserved communities’ access to our education programs for free. The board, staff, and crew will undertake continual diversity, inclusion, and bias training to ensure that we improve the culture of our organization now and going forward. We will then take our action plan to the entire tall ship community and be an agent of change there, too.

There is a lot of listening, planning, and action to be done over the next few months for Pride to return in 2021, not stronger just for our home city and state, but as a thought and cultural leader for systemic change. Silence is not an option, and listening without action is unacceptable.

If we are truly committed, we need each and every one of you as friends of Pride to support the board, staff, and crew. We want your time, stories, input, and donations to help put these plans into action. I will be joining Captain Miles for a “Coffee with the Captain” in the near future. I welcome your thoughtful attendance and questions.

Fairer winds,

Jay

Jayson T. Williams
Chair of the Board of Directors
Pride of Baltimore. Inc.

Support Pride II on #GivingTuesday!

GIVINGTUESDAY Facebook

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world are uniting together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

 

Throughout the course of each year, Pride, Inc. strives to promote historical maritime education, foster economic development and tourism, and represent the people of Maryland in every port she visits.

 

Pride Inc. relies primarily on individual philanthropy, grants, corporate sponsorships, and membership to bridge the gap in funding each year. A gift on #GivingTuesday will directly support Pride’s educational programming, sailing opportunities, and ship operations in 2016. Click on the Donate button below to show your support. We thank you sincerely!

 

What is #GIVINGTUESDAY?

 

Donate $50 or more and receive a Pride of Baltimore II poster signed by one of our captains!


Now Available: Keepsake Oyster Knives Crafted From Timber Used to Build Pride II

Now Available:
Keepsake Oyster Knives Crafted From Timber Used to Build Pride II
Proceeds Benefit Oyster Restoration Projects &
Pride of Baltimore II

Dale German
Woodworker Dale German

In a hundred-year-old warehouse in central Baltimore, master woodworker Dale German is hard at work. Bent over an electric lathe and surrounded by an aromatic mound of wood chips, he chisels a block of mahogany into a rounded handle of an oyster knife. Next he carefully adds a heated knife blade, emblazoned with letters.

The knife, one of only 500, is part of a project commissioned by the Oyster Recovery Project and Pride of Baltimore, Inc. in an effort to raise funds to support Chesapeake Bay restoration and preserve its rich maritime history.

Each knife handle is carved from tropical hardwood that was left over after the construction of Pride II in 1988. The knives are being crafted in an extremely small quantity over a limited timeframe.

The knives can be pre-ordered through the Oyster Recovery Partnership’s website. Orders placed by December 18 will ship in time for the holiday season: click here for complete details.

About The Historic Project

Pride of Baltimore II, courtesy Norbert Stager
Pride of Baltimore II, courtesy Norbert Stager

Throughout her storied history, hundreds of thousands of people have come aboard, gone for a sail or participated in an educational program aboard Pride of Baltimore II. Now, through this innovative project spearheaded by the Oyster Recovery Partnership, you can own a keepsake piece of Pride II herself — and support environmental efforts and Pride II at the same time.

Each knife handle is carved from timbers of bullet tree and mahogany, used in framing Pride II‘s hull and as trim on deck structures. The wood has been preserved in climate-controlled conditions since Pride II was built in 1988.

The knife blade is a 3-inch stainless steel “Boston” blade, a famous American oyster knife design known for being sturdy, versatile and dependable. It is one of the earliest known types used to “split the rock.”

Each laser-engraved knife comes with a certificate of authenticity and matching number from 001 to 500.

The Importance of Oysters to Chesapeake Life

A beautiful, usable keepsake crafted from wood used to build Pride II
A beautiful, usable keepsake crafted from
wood used to build Pride II

Oysters play a vital role in improving Chesapeake Bay water quality by creating a habitat for a multitude of marine life, including the Blue Crab and Striped Bass.

The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) was established to help manage and implement Maryland’s oyster restoration efforts. Over the last 21 years, the nonprofit has planted more than 5.9 billion oysters on 2,200 acres of oyster reefs in Maryland, including the largest man-made oyster reef in the country. ORP manages the region’s oyster shell recycling program and supports other sustainable fisheries management efforts.

“Our intent through this project was to design a classic historical symbol of Chesapeake Bay culture that is practical for everyday use,” said Oyster Recovery Partnership Executive Director Stephan Abel. “This is also a way for the Oyster Recovery Partnership and Pride of Baltimore II to salute Maryland’s oyster heritage while we continue our work to preserve the traditions of the Bay.”

Once these limited-edition knives sell out, they’ll be gone forever. So order your piece of history today while they’re still available!

We thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Pride of Baltimore, Inc.

Order Your Keepsake Pride II Oyster Knife Here

 


The Pride is Back – A Baltimore Sun Editorial from 1988 #27forPride2

Hopefully you get the same chills we did reading the editorial on the civic pride our goodwill ambassador instills in us.

EDITORIAL – THE BALTIMORE SUN – THE PRIDE IS BACK

Pride of Baltimore II Commissioning Editorial from the Baltimore Sun in October 1988

More Commissioning Press from 1988 #27forPride2

Do you recognize the man in the photo? That’s right — it’s Captain Jan Miles 27 years ago!

Take a look at this detailed encounter of Pride II’s commissioning with quotes from Captain Miles, builders of Pride II, and even the shipwright G. Peter Bordreau.

THE BALTIMORE SUN – OCTOBER 24, 1988

Pride of Baltimore II in the Baltimore Sun from October 1988

Coins Beneath the Masts #27forPride2

In keeping with a maritime tradition that dates back to classical antiquity, the construction crew of the Pride of Baltimore II placed a handful of symbolic coins under the 85-foot lower masts.

Among the coins were two 19th century silver half dollars, two 1943 silver quarters and one 1988 silver dollar.

“Coins in the classical tradition,” writes The Baltimore Sun, “are placed beneath ships’ masts to ensure the passage of the spirits of the dead across the River Styx into the afterlife. Seafarers believe that if the ship meets with any mishap, the fare for those aboard is paid with the coins.”

All week we are posting interesting stories surrounding the commissioning of Pride of Baltimore II back in October, 1988!

Read the full Baltimore Sun article from 1988:

Pride of Baltimore II - Baltimore Sun 1988

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Recent Posts

  • Pride of Baltimore and National Park Service Partnership Will Bring Pride of Baltimore II to More Families Around the Chesapeake Bay
  • Honoring a Cornerstone of Pride of Baltimore
  • An Agent of Change: A Letter from Our Board Chair
  • Long-term “Pandemic 2020” Layup
  • To Sail Another Day

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