From Passion to Advocacy | The Power of Community Leadership

Annie Byrd, a 2023 graduate of UMBC’s Community Leadership program, shares how her path through equity work, gender and women’s studies, and community partnerships led her to meaningful social impact. 

In this episode of UMBC Mic'd Up, she reflects on unlearning, building relationships, and discovering how leadership shows up in everyday life. Annie also discusses her work with the Doula Alliance of Maryland, the first funded doula advocacy group in the state, formed during her capstone experience to advance Black maternal health and expand access to doula care. 

If you’re curious about a graduate program rooted in real-world skills, strong community connections, and lasting personal growth, this conversation offers an inspiring look at what’s possible. 

Learn more about UMBC’s Community Leadership graduate program.

Transcript

Dennise Cardona: [00:00:00] Hey, welcome to this episode of UMBC's Mic’d Up Podcast. I'm Dennise Cardona from the Office of Professional Programs here at UMBC, and I am joined by Annie Byrd, a graduate in 2023 of the community Leadership graduate program. Annie, it's so great to have you on the podcast today. 

Annie Byrd: Hey Dennise. It's so great to be here.

Annie Byrd: Thanks for having me. 

Dennise Cardona: Yes, you're welcome. So let's, if we could have you tell us a little bit about your path, like what inspired you to pursue the community leadership graduate program here at UMBC. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah. Okay, so I guess we'll go back in time a little bit. I started working in the Office of Equity and Inclusion around 2019 and I really got like firsthand exposure to like UMBC, trying to develop like better understanding of social justice and like the role that higher education plays in that.

Annie Byrd: And so I think that really inspired me to wanna further my education in this field. [00:01:00] And then also to use my tuition remission benefit that UMBC offered. So I started actually in gender women's studies classes where I really learn, unlearned a lot of white supremacy culture, a lot of social justice things.

Annie Byrd: And from there, I actually connected with a student in my gender women's studies classes who was like, you gotta try community leadership. And I was like, I looked into it and I was like, wow, this is really for me. I was just really inspired and moved to promote. Social justice in like my area of influence I guess.

Annie Byrd: So it was really an evolution to find community leadership actually. But once I was there I was like, I'm in. So 

Dennise Cardona: I love how you used the term unlearn. Because that is such a powerful term. I'm, I also graduated in 2023 from Learning and Performance Technology here at UMBC, [00:02:00] and that's one of the, one of the things that I learned, the biggest lesson I learned from that was unlearning what we already have learned in life so that we can learn other things and grow as human beings.

Dennise Cardona: I really like how you put that. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah. Yep. It really makes space for. W other people's experiences and a world that's, different than I grew up in. So it was a very awesome experience. 

Dennise Cardona: How would you describe community leadership in your own words? 

Annie Byrd: Yeah community leadership I think is.

Annie Byrd: Really about generating transformative social change and doing it in partnership with people whose lived experiences are like directly affected by social injustice. One of the really cool things about community leadership is that it elevates the voices, of folks who maybe haven't really historically been at the table or who have been [00:03:00] marginalized and helps to bring to light real like system inequities.

Annie Byrd: And it helps I think, community leadership also. Allows you to find the space where you can contribute to that. It like the things that you're really passionate about. So it's partnering with people in the community and bringing your gifts and talents and connecting them with. Those folks and being able to really make some change.

Annie Byrd: It's a very powerful, 

Dennise Cardona: powerful statement. A follow up to that is how do you think leadership shows up in everyday life? So not just in titles or roles. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah, for sure. So I think leadership is I don't think it's like what people sometimes typically think of as like this. The stereotypical leader.

Annie Byrd: I think we have to make choices in our lives every day that [00:04:00] like either lead people closer to being, their best selves or sometimes we, are, we have to struggle with leadership. So I think it's really about collaborating with folks and. Seeing that each person really has the potential to lead in whatever kind of sphere of influence they're in.

Dennise Cardona: I love that. One time I had a position at UMBC. I've been with UMBC since 2007, and I've had many different roles, wore many different hats, and one of the things, I had a really great conversation with somebody in, I would say, upper management about leadership. And although at the time I did not have a title that encompassed leadership per se, we talked about how leadership is not about a title.

Dennise Cardona: It is about how you do, like you said, show up in the world and it can be lead, it can be leading [00:05:00] processes, but also leading people in a sphere of influence. And it can be somebody who is a student who has that leadership role. It doesn't, it has nothing to do with title. It has to do with how you show up in the world and the value that you bring into any kind of a situation.

Annie Byrd: Yeah, and I like to, to that point, I think community leadership helps, like the program helps you to see. Where you can just naturally step into that. And it's not like a it's not a pain point, right? So like they help you to see like where you're already contributing as a leader and then develop that quality.

Dennise Cardona: That's very cool. Now, graduate studies, as we know, it takes a lot of commitment. What made UBC's community leadership program the right next step for you? 

Annie Byrd: That is a really great question. I think partially I am like a lifelong learner, so I love to learn new things. I love to try [00:06:00] new things. And I had been dabbling in classes here and there at UMBC, but I never really felt like I was finding like the, a good fit for me in terms of what I wanted to do, like maybe for my masters.

Annie Byrd: But then when I found community leadership, I was like, yep, this is it. I'm ready to jump in. And take the plunge, so to speak. And I think one of the things that's really important about community leadership is that one, the classes are really skills based. And so for me that seemed very approachable.

Annie Byrd: Okay, I'm gonna gain real life skills not just. Theoretical, abstract, academia kind of things. So I really was as a, adult learner. I'm in my early forties, so I, I had done my undergrad and all that kind of stuff, and I really wanted to kind add to my skills. And so that was one thing that community leadership really brings to the table.

Annie Byrd: The other thing [00:07:00] is that. Community leadership, the program is in a way, can be self-directed. So you can align what you're already interested in terms of social justice or community. So you can align your pathway, your academic pathway with the things you're already interested in. And so for me, I was already really interested in maternal health equity.

Annie Byrd: And it's always been really something that's especially important to me because I am a trained and certified birth doula. And I wanted to connect that part of my life to, facing that inequity to improve black maternal health in Baltimore. So it was really a very cool connection between skills, my interests, and my background.

Annie Byrd: And I think that's really what drew me to the community leadership program. Sounds like a perfect fit. It was. It's, [00:08:00] 

Dennise Cardona: can you share a memorable moment or experience a project from your time in the program that really left a mark on you? 

Annie Byrd: Yeah. I think the, probably the. I don't have a, one of those like moments.

Annie Byrd: I think the most impactful part of the community leadership program for me was just the relationships that I built during the classes. So whether it was with my actual classmates that was going through the same program as me or with my community members it's really the people that make any sort of.

Annie Byrd: I guess program meaningful. And so I was not expecting to make such like really meaningful connections. I think, when you're an undergrad student, maybe you're just trying to get your degree. And the relationships really made a lasting impact. The other thing that's more like experiential as well is that this.

Annie Byrd: Program [00:09:00] really helps you to get to know Baltimore in a way I never knew it before. So we would take tours around Baltimore, we'd visit like members of the community and hear their experiences of what it's like to live in a place that, sometimes it's really difficult and i, that really helped me to internalize the importance of community, the community process of making change.

Dennise Cardona: Absolutely. Right there in the heart of Baltimore, it's exactly. Now, as you look to the future, how do you see this program shaping your professional journey? Especially as leadership and technology continue to evolve as we see. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah, that's a really great question. So I will say that this program has already shaped my professional journey just through my partnerships that I made during my capstone project.

Annie Byrd: We have the group of us that have been working on this for a couple years. [00:10:00] We have formed the first funded doula, a advocacy group in Maryland, which is really. Awesome. And so for the past three years my community partners and I have worked really hard to advocate for higher reimbursement rates for doulas through the Medicaid program.

Annie Byrd: And we're really working to create better access for Medicaid beneficiaries too. We are working, we're working like ultimately for the goal is to reduce the maternal mortality disparities for black birthing people in Maryland, through greater access to doulas. And so I guess.

Annie Byrd: As things are changing and technology and leadership, I think that we need to just keep centering voices of those folks in the community that are particularly affected. And so raising, continuing to raise up leaders to. Be able to share their experience to make change. And I think also we've already seen like within the doula [00:11:00] Alliance of Maryland just us being able to like leverage technology to be able to, I guess to be able to meet with more groups at a time and to have a greater impact. And so we've already seen great strides in partnering with other leaders in this space and making new connections. And then we just continue to hope, to advocate for doulas and their clients.

Annie Byrd: Really? 

Dennise Cardona: Yes. That's very powerful. What is the name of the organization that you that you work with for this? Yes. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah, so a few of us I think there's four members of, right now it's called the Doula Alliance of Maryland, and it's the first funded doula advocacy group in Maryland. And we've been doing this work.

Annie Byrd: For three years. It truly is grassroots. It's just four or five of us got together and we're like, we're all doing these separate things in these silos. Let's come together and have like more voice. And really, we're all doulas. So we're all [00:12:00] it's four doulas by doulas. And so we really understand the doula experience and we really want to create more opportunities for doulas to.

Annie Byrd: To A access Medicaid funds and B. For doula to get connected with black birthing people in particular because we know those maternal mortality disparities are so high for that group of folks. 

Dennise Cardona: When you were in the program, did you take the grassroots advocacy class? 

Annie Byrd: Yes, I did. I took so many skills class, I took the grassroots advocacy course.

Annie Byrd: I also took the I think it's called community organizing. And so those two courses were like directly connected and to, i, basically how we formed the Doula Alliance of Maryland. Like I said before, the really great thing about community leadership is the, those skills classes, like tangible skills that you take away and those two courses in particular.

Annie Byrd: Had a great impact on [00:13:00] the formation of the Doula Alliance of Maryland. 

Dennise Cardona: That's great. Now every graduate journey has its surprises, right? What has been something unexpected about yours? 

Annie Byrd: I did not expect this to continue past my Capstone project. I really thought maybe I would, part of my Capstone project was to create a recommendation.

Annie Byrd: Report for in conjunction with my partner for the Maryland Health Department, just outlining what what we recommend for improving the Medicaid program for doulas. And through that we just really kept in contact and we kept building our network and it snowballed for the, from there.

Annie Byrd: And we were all just doing it. As our like side passion our heart passion, we weren't getting paid. And I really also then didn't expect for our group to be funded. And then I work, I have now I have a little side hustle that I, I'm doing [00:14:00] what I love, but I'm getting, it's not a ton of money, but it helps, to keep that going.

Annie Byrd: Yeah. And then just those long lasting relationships, it was, I will say it was pretty. At the beginning of my capstone. Pretty hard to like, get connected with my partner. But then once we connected, we, we've been friends ever. We've been friends. We both work on the dual alliance of Maryland.

Annie Byrd: And then we also, we just like each other and we hang out. And so I think that's been the most unexpected thing that it just. Continued and grew into something really meaningful for Maryland. 

Dennise Cardona: Those capstone experiences I had a similar thing happen to me and it springboarded into a side hustle.

Dennise Cardona: I call it a consultant business on the side to be able to then put all the skills I learned through the program and the curriculum, and then the capstone and then it's, it was a surprise. Like you said. It's not something you set out to do, but it's just something that evolved [00:15:00] from all the knowledge and the great experience of that applied.

Dennise Cardona: Type of environment that, that our programs thrive in really. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Now for those who are weighing a decision to go back to school, 'cause it is a very big decision, what kind of personal or professional value have you gained from this experience? 

Annie Byrd: So I always advocate for the community leadership.

Annie Byrd: Program especially to my colleagues at UMBC who are potentially thinking about getting their master's degree, as maybe part of a benefit of working at UMBC. I'm like, let me tell you about community leadership. And so I, what I tell them is that it really allows you to curate a path. That is aligned with your passions, but also has community impact.

Annie Byrd: So you can do something that you love, but for good. And so [00:16:00] that is one thing I would say to folks. You. Yeah. So do something you love and get your master's at the same time, do good. The second thing I'll say is to it's really helpful in developing those tangible skills. Okay. So we talked about a little bit about community organizing and grassroots community advocacy.

Annie Byrd: I also took classes like grant writing restorative practices, things that I wouldn't normally have access to in I guess my regular life are. I added those skills. And I actually work really closely with the, one of the the professors for the grant writing class. And, she has me on a grant writing contract.

Annie Byrd: So you just never know how those. Connections are going to affect your future. And I guess that leads to my next point, which is it really helped me to build my network. I made a connection for the Dual Alliance of Maryland. I made many connections for that. And then I also [00:17:00] was able to really hone my skills as a grant writer and build my network that way.

Annie Byrd: And ultimately, like I got paid to do something that I really care about. I know that's not for everybody, but, for me, that was a very unexpected benefit of, having my stable job at UMBC and then also being able to do some of these really interesting good projects on the side.

Dennise Cardona: Yeah, and this is a side comment really, is. Ai, right? It's like the big elephant in the room when it comes to people making decisions about their future and what they want to contribute to the world. And it's a concern for some, but I would say I would I'm gonna guess here, but community leadership, you have to be physically involved in the community.

Dennise Cardona: It's very difficult to have an AI robot to take over what you're doing. 

Annie Byrd: Yeah, a hundred percent I would say for [00:18:00] this. Master's program in particular, it's really about relationships. It's about connecting with communities. It's about connecting with leaders. And yes, AI can't do that now. We can certainly leverage AI technologies to help us do our work better.

Annie Byrd: There's definitely times where I'm using, AI to help me do some brainstorming or. Help me think outside of the box about this, leadership challenge. So it can certainly help you, but there's no, it will not take the place of that human one-to-one connection that really is embedded in community leadership.

Dennise Cardona: That's great. Great way to explain it. What kind of ripple effect would you like your work to create? 

Annie Byrd: Wow. Ripple effect. Yeah. Huh. I think ultimately, there's a lot of things that the Doula Alliance of Maryland is doing and a lot [00:19:00] of things that has come out of my community leadership program, but I think ultimately we want to really have an impact on.

Annie Byrd: Black maternal health, just frankly like black families, black birthing people are over two and a half times more likely to die from birth related complications. And there is a solution, and a lot of these disparities are rooted in systems of inequity. If any of our work, like that's what our ultimate goal is, I guess to say like our work is, yes, to improve the experience of doulas and increase their funding and things like that.

Annie Byrd: But ultimately we want to have a, we wanna have equity in birth outcomes for all races. And so that's something that we're really focused on. And so I guess that would be the hope of the ripples, right? One day. We can see how that doula connection that we advocated for is improving the lives of black [00:20:00] families.

Dennise Cardona: Yeah. Now, if somebody came to you considering the community leadership graduate program at UMBC. What would you tell them? In other words, what's maybe one thing you wish you had known before starting, or how can they best get the most out of their UMBC experience? 

Annie Byrd: Yeah, I would say. First, I'd say go for it.

Annie Byrd: If you're considering it, maybe start with a skills course and dip your toe in that way. But you will gain hands-on experience, like it's not just going to be in the clouds. Higher theoretical thinking. You'll gain tangible skills. You will gain relationships that really stand the test of time.

Annie Byrd: And you will be able to do it with a group of professors and directors and just staff and faculty who care about [00:21:00] what you care about and help you along the way so you don't feel like you're alone. And you really are able to have. Concrete, you are able to make concrete change in the community in Baltimore.

Annie Byrd: So I guess that's what I would say. Go for it. You'll be supported. You'll, you're, you'll gain skills and you're, you'll build like relationships that will really last. 

Dennise Cardona: Wonderful, positive way to close out this episode. Thank you very much for saying that, and thank you everyone for listening to this episode of UBC's Mike dot podcast.

Dennise Cardona: If you'd like to learn more about our offerings, look at the show notes. There's a link in the description. Thank you so much.