Baltimore Based
The League of Women Voters of Baltimore City, much like the rest of Baltimore, has the capacity for multitasking. In addition to, being globally minded and contributing to National League initiatives, the League has remained entrenched in the local communities of Baltimore. Modernizing their scope as a political organization that seeks to inform and enlighten the world around them, never shying from difficult conversations or conflict.
As stated earlier, the 1960s was a transitional time for the city of Baltimore and the United States, then as now local or national government initiatives were in need of community support. Programs like Model Cities sought to revamp early urban-renewal programs, combatting poverty through citizen participation and addressing bureaucratic indifference. The League did not battle for change alone, they succeeded through reaching out to the affected communities and joining coalitions, such as the Movement Against Destruction (M.A.D.). M.A.D. sought to oppose the expansion of Baltimore expressways at the cost of local housing.
After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, the city of Baltimore saw eight days of civil unrest. Following this, the League sponsored a study on Police-Community Relations posing questions relating not only to the citizen and the police but to themselves. If one reads the briefing, one can see that the League asked the hard questions of all involved, to find the best solutions. [5] Keeping people in their homes and battling racism may seem like a common cause for everyone, but the League of Women Voters of Baltimore City defended the city's citizens through programs like M.A.D. and the War on Poverty. Throughout the League's history in the city of Baltimore it has combat poverty on several levels, but none with more fervor and reason than through education as can be seen from the document below by Mrs. Clare L. Milton, Jr.
Education has been a cornerstone of the League's programming since its inception a century ago. Whether advocating for voter registration in schools, rights for educators, school board elections, school renovations, or school desegregation, the League has actively pursued improvements for Baltimore's schools. One document below, provides the League's proposed solutions for issues related to Baltimore public schools in the 1960s.
The documents on this page highlight some impactful documents relating to Baltimore history within the League of Women Voter's Baltimore City Records. These pieces highlight Baltimore-specific programs and issues the League fought hard to support.
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[5] Police-Community Relations Briefing, 1968-05-14, League of Women Voters of Baltimore City Records, R0061-LWV, Box 10, Folder 15: Local Police Community Relations, Special Collections, University of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
