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July 16, 2025

Cambridge Spy

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Health Health Notes

For All Seasons Hosts Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair

July 14, 2025 by For All Seasons, Inc.
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On June 30, For All Seasons sponsored its third Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair at the Volunteer Fire House on Hoopers Island in Fishing Creek, Maryland, drawing over 127 participants to learn about the agency’s mental health and rape crisis services, and to gather information and items related to regional medical and dental care, health insurance, the Maryland Food Bank, and other key resources.

“This gathering has always been a beautiful opportunity to meet new people, and this year was no exception. We had the opportunity to touch many lives, each with its unique circumstances and needs, providing important resources and giving them hope,” shares Ivy Garcia, Director of Latino Outreach and Education at For All Seasons.

J M Clayton Seafood Company, Simmons Chesapeake Bay Seafood, GW Hall and Son, Russell Hall Seafood Inc., Lindy’s Seafood, Rippons Brothers Seafood, and Boats and Hose helped encourage their workers to attend the event. Some employers and individuals on Hoopers Island helped provide transportation for the workers, in addition to For All Seasons providing transportation through area bus contractors.

Among the 14 resource vendors at the Migrant Resource Fair were Dorchester County Health Department, Choptank Community Health, Maryland Food Bank, Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, Dorchester County Public Library, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mid-Shore Mediation, Maryland Food Bank SNAP Enrollment, State of Maryland Office of Rural Health, St. Mary’s Refuge of Sinners Catholic Church, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,  Shore Legal Access,  Priority Partners, and the Comptroller of Maryland. For All Seasons offered participants at the event a free meal prepared by Blue Monkey Tacos. For All Seasons also provided grocery gift cards through a raffle. L & J Event Rentals provided tents, tables, and chairs.

“Over 28 volunteers helped us to pull this event together in oppressive heat. We are grateful to the community members and For All Seasons board and staff who helped to make this year’s event such a great success. We also greatly appreciate the wonderful meal donation for our volunteers from Scossa Restaurant,” commented Carly Palmer, For All Seasons Outreach Coordinator.

For further information on For All Seasons Latino Outreach efforts, contact Ivy Garcia at Ivy Garcia igarcia@forallseasonsinc.org or call 410-822-1018, ext. 207.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Notes

Rowan Michael, MD, Joins the Orthopedic Center

July 8, 2025 by UM Shore Regional Health
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The Orthopedic Center has welcomed orthopedic surgeon Rowan Michael, MD, to its provider team. The Orthopedic Center is an affiliate medical practice of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System. 

Dr. Michael is board certified in orthopedic surgery, with a subspecialty certification in hand surgery, by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. He completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship at University of Florida – Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida and his residency at Dartmouth Orthopaedic Surgery in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Dr. Michael has earned numerous accolades, including ‘Top Doc’ recognition from Main Line Today and the prestigious Bruce Fisher Award, presented to the top two graduating medical students in each class.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael to our practice starting July 1,” said Thomas Stauch, MD, principal provider at the Orthopedic Center. “His specialized expertise in hand and upper extremity conditions will be a tremendous asset to our community.”

To make an appointment with Dr. Michael, call The Orthopedic Center at 410-820-8226.


About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

 

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Filed Under: Health Notes

Hope Floats: Area Residents Juliet Taylor and Tim Abeska Partner with Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating to Host Benefit for Hop On A Cure

July 2, 2025 by The Spy Desk
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 Kent Island residents Juliet Taylor and Tim Abeska have partnered with Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) to host an intimate backyard fundraiser benefiting the ALS-focused foundation Hop On A Cure on Kent Island on July 26 from 6-9 p.m. local time. Donation to attend the event, which will feature a concert and special performance by Hop On A Cure co-founder and founding member of GRAMMY® Award-winning group Zac Brown Band, John Driskell Hopkins, is $500, and includes dinner and an open bar. The evening will also host a live auction, which includes a trip to Atlanta for the October 18 Harmony for Hope Hop On A Cure Gala. 

“We are honored to be working with Juliet and Tim on this wonderful backyard benefit for Hop On A Cure.  Their dedication and enthusiasm is very meaningful to everyone involved with this important cause,” commented Paul “Bo” Bollinger, President & CEO, of CRAB.

The event was inspired by Taylor and Abeska’s late spouses – both of whom passed from ALS in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Hopkins himself was diagnosed with the terminal illness in December of 2021 and, shortly after his diagnosis, co-founded Hop On A Cure with his wife, Jen, in an effort to spread awareness, educate the public, and raise funding for ALS research programs. To-date, Hop On A Cure has given over $4.2 million in grants to research programs at notable hospitals across the country, including Houston Methodist Medical Center, Duke University Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as several independent programs, like The Packard Center. 

“Finding a cure for ALS isn’t an ‘if’ – it’s a ‘when,’” said Nic Shefrin, CEO of Hop On A Cure. “I don’t think people realize that a diagnosis of ALS is a terminal diagnosis. Events like the one Juliet and Tim are so graciously hosting help drive home the importance of educating others on ALS, and raising money for the hard-working researchers on the hunt for a cure.”

Those interested in attending the event can purchase tickets at HopOnACure.org. 


About Hop On A Cure Foundation:

Hop On A Cure started in 2022 after John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band was diagnosed with ALS. ALS is consistently one of the most underfunded diseases for research. Because of that, not much significant progress has been made since Lou Gehrig passed away from the disease in 1941. The mission of the foundation is to support research to prevent, reverse, and cure ALS while raising awareness, building a compassionate community, and unleashing the healing power of hope. For more information about Hop On A Cure, visit www.hoponacure.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Notes

Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: Adolescence on Film and About Parents

July 1, 2025 by The Spy
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As part of our ongoing monthly series on mental health, The Spy welcomes back Beth Anne Dorman, CEO of For All Seasons, to help us navigate one of the most urgent issues facing families today: the emotional toll of adolescence in the digital age.

This month’s conversation centers on the critically acclaimed Netflix series Adolescence, which has sparked national reflection on how social media shapes — and sometimes distorts — the lives of teenagers. With raw, emotional storytelling, the series captures the growing crisis among young people who, under the unrelenting gaze of online platforms, make irreversible decisions with devastating consequences.

Together, we explore the show’s relevance for Mid-Shore families, the warning signs adults often miss, and what community resources are available when young people find themselves overwhelmed by anxiety, shame, or hopelessness.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about For All Seasons, please go here. To read more about Adolescence on Netflix, please go here. 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Lead, Health Portal Lead

Erectile Dysfunction on the Shore: A Chat with Dr. Robert McDonough

June 30, 2025 by The Spy
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As Men’s Health Month draws to a close, The Spy, in collaboration with Shore Regional Health, felt it was a good time for a candid and timely conversation about erectile dysfunction.

Long considered too personal or stigmatized to discuss openly, ED has increasingly come into the light over the past decade, as veterans, accident survivors, and aging men seek medical solutions to restore not only sexual function but a sense of vitality and wholeness.

To help us explore this important topic, we spoke with Dr. Robert McDonough, who outlines the full range of treatment options available today. More importantly, he explains why ED is often more than a quality-of-life concern—it can be an early indicator of severe vascular or cardiac conditions that deserve urgent attention.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about ED treatment at Shore Regional Health please go here. 

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Filed Under: Health Lead, Health Portal Lead

For All Seasons Prioritizes Community Needs with Renovation Amid Federal Cutbacks

June 30, 2025 by For All Seasons, Inc.
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In a strategic move to make mental health care more accessible and visible, For All Seasons is taking its mission straight to the heart of the community—Main Street.

For nearly four decades, this nonprofit behavioral health and rape crisis center has served residents across Maryland’s Mid-Shore region. Although federal and state budget challenges are looming large, For All Seasons is still moving forward with its comprehensive plan to expand, relocate, and renovate its spaces to better serve the growing needs of the community.

The initiative, aptly named “Bringing Mental Health to Main Street,” is not just about geography—it is about visibility, dignity, and meeting people where they are.

Beginning July 1, For All Seasons will launch a significant renovation of its central office at 300 Talbot Street in Easton, one of its busiest and most historic locations. The renovation will modernize and expand the space, allowing the organization to consolidate its Talbot County clinical services and rape crisis response under one roof. This redesign also supports a more welcoming, trauma-informed experience for clients. In tandem, some administrative teams will relocate to 111 E. Dover Street in downtown Easton, a newly secured space that will also house the agency’s Center for Learning. This program offers professional workshops, community classes, and prevention education—critical tools in addressing the root causes of mental health struggles and violence.

This is not For All Seasons’ first leap toward a more visible presence. In recent years, the agency has relocated offices in Denton and Chestertown to downtown storefronts, making services more accessible without stigma or confusion. The next step? Cambridge. A new main street location is expected to be announced in September, continuing the trend of neighborhood-based, highly accessible care.

While the agency’s long-term goals remain unchanged, significant reductions in state and federal funding have prompted For All Seasons to adjust the timeline of its Main Street expansion. Rather than halt progress, the organization is launching a comprehensive fundraising campaign to ensure the project’s continued momentum. This pivot allows the agency to proceed with renovations at 300 Talbot Street and relocate some services while giving time to secure the remaining capital needed for future phases of the plan. The shift reflects both flexibility and resilience, ensuring that growth remains steady without compromising care.

“We are pivoting—not pausing,” said Beth Anne Dorman, President & CEO of For All Seasons. “Our supporters have always believed in the power of accessible mental health care. This moment gives us the opportunity to rally our community and build something even stronger, together.”

To date, the agency has secured critical project support from the Talbot County Council, the State of Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, helping to launch the renovation phase in Easton. The next steps will depend on community fundraising and donor engagement, ensuring that the full vision of “Bringing Mental Health to Main Street” can be realized.

Renovations at 300 Talbot Street will take place between July 2025 and March 2026. To ensure continuity of care, For All Seasons:

  • Open Access services will temporarily be relocated to 8221 Teal Drive in Easton.
  • Remote appointments will be expanded to reduce disruption.
  • Clients are urged to stay informed through email, mail, the On-Call platform, and by contacting For All Seasons Client Services directly at 410-822-1018.

“Our ‘Bringing Mental Health to Main Street’ initiative sends a powerful message to the community: mental health care is not hidden, it’s central. It’s not distant, it’s here. With the community’s support and the agency’s unwavering commitment, help is never far away,” shares Dorman.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across the Mid-Shore and throughout the state of Maryland. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Notes

Choptank Health Welcomes Bridget Allison, CRNP, to Federalsburg Health Center

June 24, 2025 by Choptank Community Health
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Choptank Community Health System’s medical and women’s health care team recently welcomed Family Nurse Practitioner Bridget Allison, CRNP, to the Federalsburg Health Center.

Allison is a Federalsburg native and a Colonel Richardson High School alumnus. Allison brings more than a decade of medical experience to Choptank Health’s care team, including work in hospital settings and a focus on pediatrics, maternal, and child health.

She earned a post-master’s certificate from Wilmington University’s family nurse practitioner program and holds a master’s degree in nursing education from Wilmington University.

Allison also earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree in health education, community health, from Salisbury University. Her academic achievement, leadership, and character earned her membership in the Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society.


Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties to more than 30,000 adults and children, including school-based health in all five counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all.

Choptank Health patients can schedule an appointment by calling the Federalsburg Health Center at 410-754-9021, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Notes

UMd Medical System Sues Medicaid Insurer for $15 Million in Unpaid Services

June 18, 2025 by Maryland Matters
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The University of Maryland Medical System is suing a Maryland Medicaid insurer that it claims “unlawfully” denied $15 million in claims for medical care delivered in UMMS emergency rooms over the last three years.

The complaint alleges that Maryland Physicians Care MCO broke legal and contractual obligations by denying payment not as “a reasonable disagreement over medical judgment” but in a “broad, bad-faith refusal to acknowledge the realities of patient care, driven by a pursuit of enhanced profitability.”

The suit, filed Monday in Baltimore City Circuit Court, asks the court to declare that Maryland Physicians Care wrongfully denied claims for certain emergency care and to make it pay the $15 million the medical system believes it is owed. UMMS also wants the court to prohibit the managed care organization’s use of its current automatic claims approval system.

Maryland Physicians Care CEO Jason Rottman said the company believes it has acted lawfully, and it “strongly disputes the University of Maryland Medical System’s unfounded characterizations.”

“We have worked in good faith to address these concerns with the University of Maryland Medical System and have engaged in dialogue to seek resolution,” Rottman said in a statement Monday.

Maryland Physicians Care is one of nine Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) in Maryland. Medicaid MCOs receive federal and state tax dollars to cover medical care for those who qualify for Medicaid, including in emergency rooms.

Health systems such as UMMS are supposed to be reimbursed for medical services provided in emergency situations under certain circumstances. But the lawsuit claims that Maryland Physicians Care has unlawfully denied claims that should have been covered.

Federal law uses the “prudent layperson” rule to determine whether or not a claim in an emergency setting is covered. That means that if a person with an average knowledge of health and medicine went to an emergency room because they reasonably believed their symptoms required immediate medical attention, insurers should pay hospitals for that care, regardless of the outcome.

But UMMS alleges that Maryland Physicians Care instead relies on its internal system, called the “Sudden and Serious” list, that automatically approves or denies claims based on diagnosis. The list’s definition of what qualifies as an emergency is more narrow than the prudent layperson standard, the suit says.

It says MPC also regularly denies claims based on the entire medical record of the emergency visit, not the layperson’s initial assessment, which “intentionally ignores” the prudent layperson standard.

As a result,Maryland Physicians Care has improperly denied payment for medical care UMMS provided to more the 15,000 patients, resulting in $15 million in unpaid services, including interest, over the last three years, the lawsuit says.

The suit cites the case where a man was in recovery from a motor vehicle accident who experienced significant abdominal pain. The physician ordered a CT scan for the man’s chest and spine, but Maryland Physicians Care denied payment for the scans, saying the symptoms were not “acute” symptoms of sufficient severity to justify CT scans. UMMS appealed that decision, and a third-party review organization sided with the hospital system.

UMMS also claims that Maryland Physicians Care withheld payment for sustained hospital care, citing the case of a patient with multiple conditions – including a recent stroke, HIV, COVID-19 and sepsis – who was hospitalized for three months. Maryland Physicians Care denied coverage for portions of the hospital stay, “asserting—without any credible clinical basis—that the patient could have been safely discharged,” according to the complaint.

UMMS said denials extended to even “the most fragile newborns,” pointing to an infant born three months prematurely, who weighed about a pound and had been exposed to fentanyl and cocaine in utero. The infant had significant medical need due to “extreme respiratory distress, recurrent apnea, severe feeding intolerance, and numerous other comorbidities associated with extreme prematurity,” the suit said.

“It is hard to conceive of a patient more in need of, and deserving of, intense clinical intervention. And yet, MPC denied significant portions of her treatment—questioning the need for care even during the height of her clinical instability,” the complaint says.

But Rottman said Maryland Physicians Care adheres to state and federal laws for claims.

“Maryland Physicians Care … is committed to the highest standards of integrity and compliance in administering health benefits since 1997 on behalf of our partner, the Maryland Department of Health,” Rottman’s statement said.

“We strictly adhere to all state and federal rules and guidelines as our policies and procedures are regularly reviewed by the MD Department of Health as well as national accrediting bodies,” his statement said. “The rigorous reviews consistently confirm that we meet regulatory requirements.”

 


by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
June 18, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

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Filed Under: Health

Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health in the Summer

June 18, 2025 by For All Seasons, Inc.
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Summer is supposed to be a happy time for children, but sometimes it requires special attention to children’s mental health. Although prioritizing children’s mental health is important every day, the summer months bring several changes that make it one of the most crucial times of the year to monitor how children are adjusting.

Summer Challenges for Children:

  • Changes in routine can cause anxiety or difficult adaptation
  • Increased free time can lead to social isolation, feelings of rejection, or fear of missing out (FOMO)
  • Pressure and expectations of new summer programming and activities can contribute to stress and anxiety
  • Feeling disappointed that summer vacation didn’t live up to expectations
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can appear in the summer months and lead to mood, sleep, and appetite changes

Signs of Children’s Depression/Anxiety:

  • Persistent sadness or irritability
  • Changes in sleep patterns – difficulty falling asleep, frequent nightmares, or excessive sleepiness
  • Changes in appetite: a significant decrease or increase over time
  • Social withdrawal – lack of interest in activities or spending less time with others
  • Loss of interest in activities or hobbies previously enjoyed
  • Decreased energy and fatigue – consistently tired, lack of energy, or decrease in activity level
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Physical symptoms – headaches, stomachaches, or other physical discomforts without a medical cause
  • Self-critical or negative thoughts – having an overly negative view of themselves

Ways to Help:

  • Spending time outdoors doing physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health
  • Connecting daily (even for short periods) to do an activity together, such as going for a walk, or playing a game
  • Creating a supportive environment with open communication and where children are encouraged to discuss how they feel
  • Have children take a break from social media – setting limits and modeling your own limits on screentime
  • If you notice persistent or concerning signs in your child, seek guidance from a qualified mental health professional

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across the Mid-Shore and throughout the state of Maryland. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

For further information, visit the For All Seasons summer tips page at https://files.constantcontact.com/36143a1c701/cd902690-5ed1-4964-849c-940cef4e13ec.pdf.

 Sources: https://www.brylin.com/prioritizing-childrens-mental-health-in-summer/; https://prairie-care.com/resources/type/blog/summer-depression/.


For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across the Mid-Shore and throughout the state of Maryland. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Health Notes

Harambee By Jamie Kirkpatrick

June 17, 2025 by Jamie Kirkpatrick
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In the summer of 1968, I was two months shy of my 20th birthday and on my way to Nairobi, Kenya. That, in itself, is a story. I was supposed to be on my way to Haiti to be a volunteer at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital there, but Papa Doc’s repressive regime was under attack and it was deemed unsafe to travel to Haiti. A few months earlier, I had applied for—and received—a summer study grant from my university, so at the last minute, I scrambled for another opportunity, and with a little paternal help, I secured an internship shadowing Kenya’s Minister of the Interior. It was an election year in Kenya, and I wanted to observe how a single-party nation practiced democracy.

If you were around at the time, you may recall that 1968 was an “annus horribilis.” Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated. So had Bobby Kennedy. There was civil unrest in the streets of every major city in America, and protests against the Vietnam War were common front-page news. President Lyndon Johnson had declared he would not seek reelection, a decision that would result in violent clashes between anti-war demonstrators and the Chicago police during the Democratic National Convention in August.

Far away in Kenya, I missed most of the action that hot summer. However, I did have a front-row seat in the theater of Kenyan politics. On several occasions, I accompanied Lawrence Sagini, Kenya’s Minister of the Interior, on visits to small rural villages where he was greeted with dances, songs, and the joyful ululations of women in traditional dress. At every stop, Minister Sagini would deliver a stump speech in Swahili, and two words always rung out loud and clear: “Uhuru” (meaning Freedom or Independence) and “Harambee” (meaning We All Pull Together). Kenya was a relatively new democracy in 1968 —it had only gained its independence five years earlier—so the concept of pulling together toward a common goal was a powerful and galvanizing concept. It permeated every village we visited, even the most visibly disenfranchised ones. If it’s true that (as Tip O’Neal once said) that “all politics is local,” then what I witnessed in those ochre-colored villages was vintage single-party politics at its best.

But sometimes what one sees on the cover of a book isn’t the whole story. Kenya may have been one of the rising stars in the nascent pantheon of African democracy, but beneath all the hope and promise of new statehood, there were serious tensions. There was a residue of anti-colonialist sentiment, a widening gap between the “haves” and the ‘have-nots,” and perhaps most dangerous of all, tribal divisions that ran counter to the promise of Harambee. Kenya’s ruling elite were almost all Kikuyu, the largest and most prominent ethnic group in the country. The Kikuyu had played a significant role in the Mau-Mau rebellion, a central event in Kenya’s struggle for independence, and, as a result, they had come to dominate Kenyan politics.

Tom Mboya was a significant exception to this rule. He was of the Luo people, a small but dynamic ethic group in Kenya’s cultural quilt. He was an extraordinarily charismatic man who had worked with President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr to create educational opportunities for African students to study in America. (In recognition of his efforts, he was the first Kenyan to appear on the cover of Time Magazine.) In the summer of 1968, Tom Mboya was Kenya’s Minister for Planning and Development, one of the most critical portfolios in a developing country’s government. I remember shaking hands with him at a rally, and I’m not kidding when I tell you that I could literally feel the warmth and power within the man. But, sadly, nothing gold can stay. Less than a year later, Tom Mboya was shot to death in the streets of Nairobi; his murder was either a political assassination or the bloody result of the long-standing rivalry between the Kikuyu and Luo peoples. Like Dr. King and Senator Kennedy, Tom Mboya was another bright candle suddenly and tragically extinguished.

Two days ago, a state senator and her husband were killed in their home in Minnesota; another couple were seriously wounded by the same attacker. Remember that Swahili word  “harambee?” Maybe now, we need to stop tearing each other apart and start pulling together. What do you think?

I’ll be right back.

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a writer and photographer who lives on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Washington College Alumni Magazine, and American Cowboy Magazine. His most recent novel, “The Tales of Bismuth; Dispatches from Palestine, 1945-1948” explores the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is available on Amazon and in local bookstores.

 

 

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 3 Top Story, Archives, Health Homepage Highlights, Jamie

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