Twins Hassa Blake '00 and Hussa Blake Mumford '00, P’34 say they found their bold voices at Bryn Mawr. Now they are using them to benefit others in Maryland after being appointed to positions by Governor Wes Moore. 

Hassa was appointed as a commissioner for Baltimore County on the Maryland Health Care Commission where she will work with policymakers, residents and providers to improve access and health care for all Maryland residents.  Hussa was appointed to the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center Governing Board (MLDSC), examining education data to address challenges in the Maryland education system.  

Through their work Hassa will work with policymakers, healthcare providers and residents needing resources, and Hussa works to improve the education system through data understanding.  “We have constantly been in roles that are truly imperative to everyone’s everyday lives.  That impact what you do and how you function,” Hussa said, “but most people don’t understand what we do, until it is very necessary to understand.”  

While the Maryland Health Care Commission can appear more straightforward in that it deals with healthcare, “It’s not just providing access to a service or a health resource,” Hassa said, “It’s also looking at policy.”  The MLDSC might be less well known, but no less important.  It collects data on student performance across the state from kindergarten through higher education to guide policy and improve the education system.  As a board member, Hussa will be helping to approve the budget, establishing policies and serving as an expert with understanding of the intersection of education and technology.  

The twin sisters were talking on the phone when Hassa saw an email from Governor Moore’s Office, prompting Hussa to check her email as well.  “We know that [Governor] Wes Moore and his team in general have made a concerted effort to really make sure that all of the commissions, offices and boards are representative of Maryland,” Hassa said.

Both sisters were involved in conversations with Governor Moore’s transition team prior to him taking office and have built careers in fields where they have often felt they haven’t always been heard. “We understand how underrepresented youth are, how underrepresented women are, we understand how underrepresented immigrants are,” Hussa said, “Because these are all a part of our identities.”

Born in Cameroon, they were raised in Baltimore and joined Bryn Mawr as freshman. “When we entered Bryn Mawr in 1996 as ninth graders, we were quiet and shy kids,” Hussa said. “We found our voice at Bryn Mawr in ways we didn’t anticipate.”

While at Bryn Mawr the sisters were a part of the Diversity Committee, working with administration to help students transitioning from public school as they adjusted to the Bryn Mawr curriculum, setting and culture.  They also worked with the administration to recognize inequities impacting students on campus and how policy and procedure can be adjusted to consider all students.

Through all their work on campus, the sisters learned that their voices matter but also “make sure that you are helping others find their voice too,” Hussa said.

Hassa stresses the importance of Bryn Mawr as a safe place to learn activism. “You’re never too young [to use your voice,]. Start now. Bryn Mawr is the best place to start, and then work together moving forward.”