I suspect that there’s a collective level of exhaustion with politics right now (I know there is with me), but I thought I’d share with you some news about the little noticed Baltimore City Council 7th District election. The winner of that election was James Torrence, who is a father, husband, relatively newly minted lawyer and irrepressibly impressive in every way. Simply put, he’s the kind of person who makes you feel hopeful about the future no matter how much cynicism you might have acquired over the years.
He’s also someone whose past is a mixture of hardship and triumph, fueled by incredible determination, intelligence, grace and a little help from the Y.
When we first met James Torrence as a middle school student, he was struggling in school and in many other ways. He grew up having to deal with the grinding burdens of poverty, without his father in his life and his mother passing away due to substance abuse. While being raised by his grandparents, his grandfather died as well.
This would be enough to topple any human being (much less a child), and it seemed to be getting the best of James too. He was often in fights and angry.
Enter the caring and capable Y youth development professionals in his Y after school enrichment program at Dunbar Middle School. They recognized both the signs of trouble he was facing along with his unique talents. Through their efforts, James gradually became connected to Y activities including chess and debate clubs. Seeds of confidence and self-esteem were planted.
In high school, James joined Y Youth & Government, where he quickly excelled as a leader and was voted by his peers from around the state as “Youth Attorney General,” the first African American student in Maryland ever to earn this honor. I suspect that his peers in Y&G saw in him a leader, a young man who wasn’t going to let the circumstance of his life become his life.
The Y’s former Chief Operating Officer, Bob Brosmer, struck up a friendship with James and became a mentor, meeting regularly with him to check on his progress and adding to the cadre of caring Y associates who told James he mattered.
In the summer of 2006, James was hired as a Y camp counselor at the Druid Hill Y. There he met fellow counselor, Orlett Hasket. As I noted, James is a smart guy. Today, they are husband and wife and have a wonderful young son, Jace.
James graduated from Carver Vocational Technical High School, received a Merit Scholarship to Towson University, where he graduated with honors as a double major in Communications and Political Science. He then went on to earn a Master’s degree from the University of Baltimore, followed by his law degree there as well. On November 3rd he became Baltimore City’s 7th District Councilman-elect!
Look up grit in the dictionary, and you’ll see a picture of James Torrence.
On James’ campaign website he writes about “making Government work for all of us, not just the few;” about how real change comes about “when principled leaders engage in collaborative problem-solving that empower communities and protect vulnerable neighbors.” None of that is theoretical to James.
Congratulations to James on his victory! Something tells me that this is the first of many, and that while he’s guaranteed to make a big impact on the Baltimore City Council, I suspect that bigger things lay ahead.
Let’s also congratulate and thank all the many Y associates over the years who have helped James along his journey. His determination to overcome adversity, his compassion and recognition of the importance of service to others sounds a lot like the Y’s mission. We exist to help unleash the powerful potential that exists in all of us. To be, as was clearly the case for James, the extra dose of support so many people, of all ages and backgrounds, need at various times in their lives.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland