Terrell Brown Spark Story | April 2023
Baltimore Corps is thrilled to be celebrating our 10th Anniversary this year! During 10 years of impact, Baltimore Corps has built robust, equitable pipelines to enlist talent in advancing Baltimore City’s most promising social innovations. The people in our organization and network make our decade’s worth of work possible. Activating local talent into leadership roles that serve their community has always been a core mission of Baltimore Corps.
As part of our 10-year anniversary celebrations, we invited Baltimore Corps staff and network members to share the ‘spark’ that led each of them to a career in service. We hope these Spark Stories will introduce you to some of the people that have been working behind the scenes at Baltimore Corps and City Corps, and that they might spark a love for service in others! Each month we will feature a new story, and this month, we would like to introduce our Artist Navigator Associate, Terrell Brown.
What is your connection to Baltimore?
I was born and raised in Baltimore. My connection to the space is inherent however my connection to the spirit of Baltimore goes even deeper. By the time I was four years old, I was without both of my parents. The Baltimore Community raised me. I grew up in the 4x4 neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore. This was a time when EVERYBODY was outside. You couldn’t walk down a block and not run into someone you knew. I would go in and out of friends’ houses, whether they were there or not. I was welcome there, and vice versa for my house. The comradery built in those times is still prevalent in my life until this day.
Through all of the twisted narratives about our city, the most inspiring aspect of living here is that you can be a part of the work that molds our community.
What sparked your love for serving your community?
Service is truly my most pertinent motivation. I am constantly humbled at being able to carve out space within the city that I ran around as a child and where I learned lessons that molded me into the person I am today. The spark for service came with the knowledge I’ve accrued from my vast experiences. I have been able to gain a more connected understanding of the issues and obstacles that stifled me and my family as a kid. This understanding has given me a perspective that I take throughout my journey.
Share a story of how service impacted your community in a positive way.
In my neighborhood growing up, every Saturday morning all of the elders were outside cleaning together. Like clockwork, my grandmother would call me to come outside and help her bag up the trash. “Go, help Ms. Johnson fix her fence,” — whatever was needed, she would make sure to offer up my hands. As a child I strongly resented this notion that I was the one person my age that had to help while all the other kids got to sleep in or watch cartoons. However, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. The impact of seeing the elders in the community take accountability of their space instilled in me the message that you should be a part of what’s happening around you. Everyone has a role to play and if you dont step up you’re leaving a gap within the chain of community.
What is your vision for sparking others to serve in Baltimore?
I envision Baltimore being a model for community led practices. Building a population that prioritizes the voices of our neighborhoods. Using our resources to uplift and organize our citizens in order to affect the economics so that we can invest in each other’s wellbeing. Service should be prioritized within our city. This will allow us to see the roots of the work being done blossom into a place where everybody feels comfortable, supported, and heard.
What led you to the Baltimore Corps Fellowship Program?
I was recommended to the Baltimore Corps Fellowship by Andy Cook from the Made in Baltimore program. He emailed me saying it would be a great fit and I am so happy that he did!
During his first fellowship year, Terrell met Dr. Lawrence T. Brown, author of The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America, during his time as a Baltimore Corps fellow. Through this connection, Terrell conceptualized a traveling exhibit of artwork inspired by the book, which debuted at the Baltimore School for the Arts in January 2023. The artwork is crafted by the visual arts students (and alumni) attending the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA), and Archie Veale, BSA Art Director, who serves as the lead curator. The Black Butterfly exhibition is now on display at the University of Baltimore’s Robert L. Bogomolny Library through May 7, 2023.
