The busiest travel holiday of the year is also the one centered most on family and friends. Yes, the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday are not as wholesome or simple as the narrative many of us learned in elementary school, but the beauty of customs and traditions is that a society can remake the tradition into whatever it sees fit. For so many of us, Thanksgiving is more than a story about early colonial settlers, but rather a moment to pause in gratitude and appreciation with those who we hold most dearly.
As a state federation we have so much to be thankful for collectively. We are thankful for the unionization of faculty and staff at the Maryland School for the Deaf. Advocates at that institution have been working with AFT-Maryland for years and it was a huge benefit to finally see the fruit of our collective labor take hold with an overwhelming vote in favor of unionization with AFT-Maryland. We are also thankful for successful unionization drives resulting in new higher education faculty members at Howard and Frederick Community Colleges.
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This year the state federation has engaged in a multitude of Reading Opens the World initiatives and city school partnerships. This initiative provides books to students to take home and build a home library. We know how vital literacy is to young learners and the earlier we can get young people in the habit of reading, the better we can prepare them to be thoughtful, compassionate, and informed citizens. This year alone we have been able to give out thousands of books to students across Baltimore to build the language and literacy of students, parents, and families.
Across the state there are more challenges ahead, but now we pause in solemn reflection of all we have to be thankful for. We take this moment to show our gratitude for wins, large and small, tragedies and triumphs alike, we remain grateful. During this Thanksgiving holiday, as you reflect on all that you are thankful for, remember your state federation is thankful for you.
In solidarity,
Kenya Campbell, President
AFT-Maryland