http://www.wyprnewsroom.org/2009/11/08/fraser-smith-essay/ Growing Up Baltimore-A Newsroom Special Series from WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore, MD Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:11:22 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.wyprnewsroom.org/2009/11/08/fraser-smith-essay/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Robert Cradle Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:14:31 +0000 http://www.wyprnewsroom.org/?p=70#comment-71 I am a 42 year old African-American. I have been following this series closely as I have "Grown up Baltimore". Listening to the series it made me reflect on my life, education and experience growing up on the west side of the city. Just wanted you to know that my parents moved to Baltimore in the 60's, neither with any education, as they both were drop-outs with no diplomas. Therefore education was not something promoted in our home. I always suffered because my parents could not help us at home and maybe felt ashamed to do so. I went to city schools and finally ended in a Baltimore County school right outside of the city. To this day I pretty much read and write on an 11th grade level, however I made sure it did not hinder me. I manged to have a good career, owned my own business and now work in philanthropy full-time. I am currently a Casey Foundation grantee. I started a program that operates barber/beauty salons in homeless shelters and one Baltimore City School. I believe that I was able to overcome all of the things that plague Black children in Baltimore because my Father remained in my home. I watched him work hard everyday in spite of the fact that he could barley read or write. Thanks for this series. I am a 42 year old African-American. I have been following this series closely as I have “Grown up Baltimore”. Listening to the series it made me reflect on my life, education and experience growing up on the west side of the city. Just wanted you to know that my parents moved to Baltimore in the 60’s, neither with any education, as they both were drop-outs with no diplomas. Therefore education was not something promoted in our home. I always suffered because my parents could not help us at home and maybe felt ashamed to do so. I went to city schools and finally ended in a Baltimore County school right outside of the city. To this day I pretty much read and write on an 11th grade level, however I made sure it did not hinder me. I manged to have a good career, owned my own business and now work in philanthropy full-time. I am currently a Casey Foundation grantee. I started a program that operates barber/beauty salons in homeless shelters and one Baltimore City School. I believe that I was able to overcome all of the things that plague Black children in Baltimore because my Father remained in my home. I watched him work hard everyday in spite of the fact that he could barley read or write. Thanks for this series.

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