‘She cared about us’: Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard, a thoughtful mentor, dies at 87

Carolyn J.B. Howard, a public school teacher and administrator who represented Prince George’s County for nearly 30 years in the Maryland House of Delegates, died Sept. 19 at age 87. No cause of death was given.

Howard, a Democrat who represented District 24, rose to serve as deputy speaker pro tem from 2007 until her retirement in 2019. Colleagues in recalled her as a kind and even-keeled presence in the legislature and a prolific mentor to up-and-coming lawmakers.

“She has, probably, a posse of mentees that are competing,” said former legislator Melony Griffith. “We all think we were her favorite.”

Howard was unafraid of helping younger generations learn the ropes in the state capital, said Maryland Treasurer Dereck Davis, who represented District 25 in Prince George’s from 1995 to 2021.

“[Some] want the young people to wait their turn. But she never had any problem watching the younger people advance,” Davis said. “She helped to push us along.”

Born in DeLand, Florida, in December 1938, Howard “developed a lifelong commitment to education and public service at an early age,” according to an online obituary shared by Hyattsville’s J.B. Jenkins Funeral Home.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University, a master’s in educational administration and supervision from Bowie State University and an honorary doctorate in humanities from Sojourner Douglass College.

Howard worked for more than 30 years in the Prince George’s County school system, as an educator, principal, administrator and director of the Department of Federal Programs, according to the online obituary.

During her time in the legislature, Howard was a persistent advocate for children, said Del. Anne Healey (D- Prince George’s).

“She was an educator her whole life, and even as she was in the legislature, she always put the children first,” Healey said.

In the General Assembly, Howard was a chair of the Legislative Black Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus. She served on the House Ways and Means Committee from 1993 to 2019.

Griffith, who represented District 25 in the House from 1999 to 2015, and then in the Senate from 2019 to 2023, said Howard was among her closest allies and friends in the legislature. She remembered one session when she was fighting particularly hard for a bill that appeared unlikely to pass, and Howard gently suggested that she take a more cautious approach.

“She said basically: ‘You have a choice. It doesn’t look like this is going to pass, and you’re putting people in uncomfortable positions with your strong advocacy for it,’” Griffith said.

Griffith admits she largely ignored that advice, and continued to push ahead with her fierce advocacy for her legislation. But when the dust settled, she realized she might have frustrated some of her colleagues along the way. Howard had been right all along.

“She was very patient. She allowed me to stumble, and without judgment,” Griffith said. “When the next issue came, she didn’t say, ‘I told you so.’”

Davis, who arrived in Annapolis as a new legislator at age 27, said Howard quickly took him under her wing.

He said Howard’s chair on the House floor was close to his. Her advice was wide-ranging, but she often urged Davis to be exceptionally prepared any time he rose to speak to the body.

“She always wanted me to make sure that I was ready — that I was the best person that I could be,” Davis said.

In a way, Howard was an “unsung hero” of the legislature, Davis said.

“She wasn’t the type that would call a press conference every time she did something or every time she had an achievement. She didn’t look for the spotlight,” Davis said. “She just wanted to do the work.”

Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery) said one particular interaction with Howard has stuck with her. A political event was drawing to a close when a politically thorny issue unexpectedly came up, and Wilkins and then-Del. Wanika Fisher (D-Prince George’s) were discussing how to respond.

Howard, by then retired from the General Assembly, overheard and offered to help the pair. Determined not to bother the veteran legislator, Wilkins and Fisher tried to dissuade her from stepping in, but before they knew it, she had stepped in and skillfully resolved the problem.

“We were speechless,” Wilkins said.

Then, Howard uttered a phrase that the pair have often repeated ever since: “When the horse is dead, dismount.”

“She was letting us know that she had handled it. It’s OK to take help. And that we could just move on,” Wilkins said. “She just had this grace. She just had this, also, firmness and kindness.”

The moment was touching, said Wilkins, who now serves as chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

“It’s not always in politics that someone just comes in and handles that situation,” Wilkins said.

Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) remembered Howard working especially hard to guide new Black delegates, who may face additional scrutiny because of their race. During one-on-one meetings, Howard encouraged Wilson to focus on professionalism, to vote with his conscience and stay true to himself.

“She cared about us as individuals,” Wilson said. “She told me early on … You’re not always going to be a delegate, but you’re always going to be C.T.”

Howard was “learned and level-headed,” said Wilson, who was first elected in 2011. And sometimes, she’d chime in if Wilson was “boiling over” with passionate remarks on the House floor, he said.

“All right, young brother,” she’d say from her seat on the floor.

It was motivating, Wilson said — but also a good reminder to keep the anger from his voice.

One session, Griffith recalled that Howard was pushing for a particularly controversial bill — an alcohol tax increase. But she came prepared, having met with various affected groups and amassed plenty of data, Griffith said.

“She didn’t need sharp elbows. She just made her case,” Griffith said.

A “people person,” Howard “celebrated life by spending time with people,” Griffith said. Healey said Howard was known for hosting a popular fish fry campaign fundraiser in her backyard.

“People came from all over the state to go to it. Her husband actually cooked some of the fish,” Healey said. “It was a lot of fun. She was very outgoing and hospitable.”

Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, who served as a state delegate from August 1994 to January 2003 representing District 22B, said Howard’s fish fry was one of the few events “the whole Baker clan” would attend.

“It was a really community event, which is not typical of what you see for fundraisers or for events like that,” he said. “The whole neighborhood would get involved.”

And at the Newton White Mansion in Prince George’s County, Howard hosted a winter holiday event, including carols and prayers, and attendees decked out in red and green holiday attire, Griffith said.

“It was just a reflection of who she was,” Griffith said. “You’d leave feeling good.”

Baker called Howard “one of the best public servants I have ever met.”

“What I liked about her was that we didn’t always agree on policy, but she was never disagreeable and was always willing to explain her position and to hear me out,” Baker said.

After Baker served his first four years in Annapolis, he was able to give a speech on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on the House floor. It was Howard who encouraged him to do it.

“It was a big chance for me to elevate my public persona. She didn’t have to do it,” Baker said. “It wasn’t like I was in her district. But that’s just the kind of person she was.”

Services are set for Tuesday, Oct. 6, at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover. with visitation at 10 a.m. and the service at 11 a.m.