A political path to inner peace

This time six years ago, a friend put out a call: come to Cleveland to help re-elect President Barack Obama. I've never been much of a campaigner.  The last political campaign I'd worked on was Alex Sanders for US Senate, which resulted in South Carolina sending Lindsey Graham to Washington for the very first time. So, yeah.  Political greenness aside, I couldn't stand the idea of staying in solid blue Boston when there was work to be done around the country; so I begged leave of my business school professors and off to Ohio I went.  In hindsight, those four or five days knocking on doors in Cleveland change the course of my life. I witnessed poverty and disenfranchisement within American borders that rivaled communities I'd visited and worked in throughout Latin America and Africa. Naive world-changer that I was, my sense of pride and security in my native land was rocked to its core.  Fast forward four years, and the call came again: this time to North Caroli...

In the early Spring of 2018, a mentor gave my name to the Chair of Georgetown County's Democratic Party — their convention was coming up, and would I consider providing the keynote address?  There is most definitely a first for everything.  I accepted with gratitude and a healthy amount of anxiety.  Below is an excerpt from my speech, which I'm sharing now because I know many good-hearted, rational folks shy away from politics.  I get it, it can be uncomfortable, and it's certainly been divisive of late.  But we've gotten to a point in our country where we can't afford you not showing up to cast your ballot.   So maybe my interpretation of politics helps you a little, or maybe it totally pisses you off — either way, I hope it nudges you towards the polls on November 6th.    *** I'm biased, but my name is pretty special. I inherited it from my grandmother, who was a pretty special woman.  Most people called the first Caroline M...

https://www.thestate.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212727544.html?platform=hootsuite LETTER TO THE STATE EDITORIAL BOARD LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST REDDIT PRINT ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY June 11, 2018 07:18 PM Updated June 11, 2018 07:18 PM COLUMBIA, SC  Did you know that May was Teacher Appreciation Month in South Carolina? Yes, indeed; proclaimed by every governor since 2012. The gesture, much like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (June 17, by the way), is an important reminder to acknowledge and celebrate a group of people who are pivotal in our lives. Of course, we all know that every day is Mother’s and Father’s Day, just like every month is Teacher Appreciation Month, right? I wish. Though South Carolina’s teachers have not staged walk-outs like their peers in other states, our educators are no less struggling with the burden of increasing responsibilities compensated by decreasing paychecks.  Contrary to popula...

https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/an-investment-in-the-minds-of-the-stewards-of-our/article_f4a0b39e-5236-11e8-bb39-2bb94bbb5fe8.html Opinion An investment in the minds of the stewards of our future BY CAROLINE P. MAULDIN May 13, 2018 The lights are low as 700 people collectively hold their breath. A drum rolls, followed by the crinkle of an envelope opening. “And the winner is ...!” Gasps and applause fill the room as people jump to their feet in pride, and the winner shuffles up to the stage in disbelief. No, this is not a scene from the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, but one much closer, and more significant to our state: it is South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year gala, held every May in Columbia. Just over 10 years ago, a group of business leaders recognized a simple fact: If we want to recruit top talent to teach in South Carolina’s public schools, we need to show that we value teachers. It was from this basic idea that South Carolina Future Minds,...

Dear friends and family: I am so excited to be writing you with this long overdue update.  Fair warning—it also includes a request for your help, but I promise  it is made with great joy and hope !  As you know, just about two years ago, I moved home to South Carolina.  Shortly thereafter, I became the head of  South Carolina Future Minds  (SCFM), a small statewide nonprofit working in public education.  SCFM was not new, but I certainly was.  New back to South Carolina; new to the field of public education; new, of course, to the organization and all of its stakeholders.  To put it mildly: I had a lot to learn.   Thus began my re-education at home.  In the past 18 months, I have driven nearly 40,000 miles, criss-crossing the state that raised me.  I have met with  hundreds of educators , witnessing their daily heroism in our classrooms.  I’ve spoken with parents who want the best...

1. I am crushed. 2. I am emboldened to work harder next time. 3. Bravo to Elizabeth for her courage, energy, and commitment.  Please run again. 4. Thank goodness Representatives are re-elected every two years. 5. Maybe Sanford will be an ardent supporter of immigration reform with his Argentine fiance by his side? 6. There are plenty of people in South Carolina who support progressive issues.  50,000 of those who live in District 1 voted for Elizabeth, giving her 45% of the vote.  That is not insignificant.   Please do not write us off.   7. If you are not from South Carolina, please refrain from making jokes about our state for at least a couple of days.  The wound is fresh. 8. Let's turn disappointment into action.  Donate: https://scdpsecure.ngpvanhost.com/form/contribute-now

I am not from Boston.  But, as the President said yesterday , I still claim it.  I claim its people, its values, and, yes, even its sports teams.  The winters may be long, but the springs are all the more beautiful.  I love thick Boston accents heard on the T, the view of sailboats and skyline from the Longfellow Bridge, and the fact that Sweet Caroline rings out from Fenway during every Red Sox home game.  Just as I have learned—and am learning—from Boston’s great universities, so have I learned from its people.  Bostonians are strong and proud—never more so than when provoked by senseless acts against our values.  We are an independent people.  We believe in community and service to others.  And we have an intractable faith in our ability to persevere—and to prosper, especially when others want to keep us down. I am writing these words of strength as much for me as for anyone else.  The truth is this week’s events in Boston have been c...