Where I'm From

I am from Silver Spring, Maryland. More specifically, the White Oak area though my neighborhood was called Springbrook East. We lived in a split-level at 12504 Eastbourne Drive.

I attended Jackson Road Elementary, White Oak Junior High and Springbrook High School. I’m so OG, I went to White Oak for preschool. (The Home Ec Class had a preschool course in the 70s).

Most people are proud of where they’re from and I am no different in that respect. I grew up in a neighborhood that, while not perfect, felt mostly safe and friendly. I was blessed with a wonderful childhood and a quality education.

During my research, I learned that Montgomery County was under Jim Crow rule until the late 1960s. Places my family frequented in the 70s had refused to permit African Americans less than a decade earlier.

A former workplace, Glen Echo Park, furiously fought desegregation with its white neighbors sometimes spitting on black protesters.

Despite these discoveries and more, Silver Spring is still my home. It is my hope that you will watch State Champions (this fall) with the same determination to understand our mistakes and dedication to not repeat them.