The Todds’ civil rights activism and child welfare contributions improved Maryland

The obituary featured on Sunday, April 17, 2022 gave well-deserved testimony to the long and productive life of Mamie B. Todd (“Mamie B. Todd, an outspoken civil rights activist whose work as a social worker led to the founding of the state’s Child Protective Services Agency, dies”). Remarkably, she died at the age of 105.

Many may not recognize her name, but as a young juvenile probation agent and social worker, I came to know her through her husband Jerome Todd, who was my supervisor at the juvenile probation office of the Baltimore City Circuit Court. Their civil rights activism and contributions to child welfare inspired many young social workers and lawyers for decades.

Their names should be added posthumously to The Baltimore Sun’s Civic Hall of Fame for all they did to make Maryland a better place.

— Kathleen O’Ferrall Friedman, Baltimore The writer is retired from the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.