Celebrating Diversity

By Frances Kolarek —

Frances Kolarek-150 wideCollington’s commitment to diversity was written into an early agreement with the Diocese of Washington, led at the time by Bishop John Thomas Walker. It commits us to economic, religious and racial diversity. Do we observe it?

At any moment you may be having a meal with the mother of eight grown sons and daughters or a career woman who served as United States Ambassador to Malta. A meteorologist who spent six months in Antarctica or an expert on the Middle East, fluent in Arabic.

As Collington gears up for yet another celebration of Black History Month, there’s no dearth of history-making personalities among residents, past and present.

Our most recent addition is Dr. Samuel Myers, President of Bowie State University, an economist and teacher who also served the U.S. government in both the Labor and State Departments before assuming the leadership of the university where he retired.

The late Verna Dozier, a prominent lay member of the Episcopal Church and a teacher who took great pride in her profession. Taking on Biblical subjects, her specialty, she could make them come alive as if they were contemporary.

The late James Gholson took on the daunting prospect of integrating Prince George’s County, Md., schools and succeeded without incident. A County school bears his name today. In retirement he proved to be a talented painter.

Benjamin and Ruth Quarles, educators and historians, who told the story of black people in America, most notably Benjamin’s benchmark work, The Negro in the American Revolution (1961). Ruth’s illustrious career included working as dean at Spelman and Tuskegee, among other colleges. With the American Friends Service Committee, she spent some time after World War II in Munich, Germany, working with refugees. From 1958 until her retirement in 1980, she was associated with Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Famous names are just the tip of the iceberg. Black residents play a vital role in daily life at Collington.

Did we mention religious diversity? Our chapel is named for Bishop Walker. The annual Passover Seder, a feast marking the beginning of Passover, is attended by Jews and gentiles alike. The Universalist congregation holds regular, well-publicized meetings open to anyone who cares to attend.

The land we occupy at Collington was the gift of Homer Gudelsky, a Jewish developer. Yes. Diversity is in our very roots.