Anti-Racism Project, May-June  2025—Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Sunday, May 25, 2025 -- Thom Shipley

Thom Shipley will be returning to the Anti-Racism Project May 25.  Thom is hale and hearty, lives in Bolton Hill and is 91 years old.   In his book, “Racism Then and Now,”  he starts by describing his rural MD upbringing in which he was raised in part by a black daughter of former slaves who came to work on his grandmother’s family farm at age 15.  Her name is “Bessie” and she helps with Thom’s mother’s childbirth and, eventually as well, his own and his two brothers.  She was a dear and important member of the family.  She was “Our Bessie,” “My Bessie.” But it was very hard for him when the family was gathered at the table, Bessie was not allowed to eat with them.  This becomes a lifelong mystery and obsession as to how this could be.  All of this Thom brought to Anti-Racism last January.  Now he returns to talk about the other half of the equation: his lifelong thoughts and extensive experiences concerning what needs to be done to remedy the situation going forward.  Freddie Gray is not the answer.  Our urban and rural socioeconomic and racial woes can only be remedied by careful teaching, careful life-skills education—and then, employment, for all

Thom Shipley is President of the Shipleys of Maryland (Adam Shipley came from England to America in the 1600s and eventually spawned a large family organization).  Thom started his work life as an educator teaching music and information technology in Anne Arundel County public schools (his work included being head of the music department of his alma mater Glen Burnie High School, Vice Principal of Severna Park High School, and the first Coordinator of Information Systems for the Anne Arundel County School System).  Then Thom became first Chief Information Officer for the Maryland State Department of Education.  And then three days after retiring from all this, he was recruited as Executive Director of the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, dealing with public funding for American Indian and military dependent students, which involved testifying before and consulting with the US Congress.  Finally, he worked for Kaiser Permanente as an information technology liaison for 32 medical facilities. As if all this wasn’t enough, Thom then became a serial entrepreneur, owning and operating numerous successful healthcare facilities in Maryland.