"I always thought of the ACLU as being focused on the courtroom. And here, they were in working communities and also working to advocate on behalf of communities."
Father, advocate, economist, and strategist, Corey Stottlemyer uses his skills and experience of more than 20 years to advocate for racial justice and equity at the federal, state, and local levels. He is motivated to create a more equitable and just world for all Marylanders and for his children as well. Corey wants to ensure that he is helping to pass pass off the baton to his kids and future generations of leaders.
Fun fact: Corey’s daughter’s name is Liberty.
Corey is a person who has looked for many opportunities and avenues to make an impact in society. His work has not just focused on policy, but also strategies for improving engagement. In fact, Corey joined the RISE Coalition of Western Maryland when it was first forming in Frederick, where he lives. RISE is a community driven coalition, committed to serving, elevating, and empowering the immigrant community in Western Maryland.
Corey said, “I always thought of the ACLU as being focused on the courtroom. And here, they were in working communities and also working to advocate on behalf of communities. And it really opened my eyes to the power of the ACLU’s mission.”
Corey has co-authored studies and analyzed the economic impacts of immigration reform and access to health care, with the goal of advocating for change and better systems. Currently, he is an adjunct instructor of economics and public administration at Hood College.
A favorite ACLU case of Corey’s is the Federalsburg voting rights lawsuit. His mother grew up in the Eastern Shore. Now while Corey had some idea of the racism there, this case caused him to examine in greater detail the history and the environment there. Corey was excited to see the recent victory in Federalsburg. This powerful voting rights case on the Eastern Shore has opened the door for Black people in Federalsburg to finally have representation in their local government for the first time in 200 years.
While these are awesome achievements, Corey feels that we still have a lot of work to do to uplift the humanity of all Marylanders who we show up for every day. He said, “It just really reemphasizes how much more work there is to do, how we need to focus on our long-term goals about raising up humanity.”
Corey spoke about our need to reduce the number of incarcerated Black people in our state. Maryland shamefully incarcerates the highest number of Black people in the nation. We also have work to do for the educational rights of our children, particularly Black and Brown children from schools that are being systemically disinvested in.
We have much work to do with voting rights across Maryland as well. Corey knows we can’t just stop at Federalsburg. The work must continue. Corey cannot wait to play an even more vital role in implementing this racial justice work. Congratulations to Corey and welcome our new board president!
