Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C, is a new fan of heavy metal.
Not the music genre, though. Heavy Metal is a specially made piece of art that the clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) recently received when she accepted the 2022 Downtown Leadership Award from the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB) in recognition of her “grassroots efforts in the areas of social and economic matters.”
Kelly Sparks and Kyla Liggett-Creel.
It was presented to her by city leaders at DPOB’s annual meeting and awards ceremony, held at the Center Club. DPOB oversees the Downtown Management Authority, Baltimore’s oldest and largest business improvement district. The event is held yearly to honor award winners and release the organization’s annual report that details progress in the downtown’s residential, retail, hotel, office, and employment growth and density.
Liggett-Creel, who is also known as Dr. K, has over 20 years of experience building partnerships with community groups and working with underserved populations.
“Dr. K has been the driving force behind community-led and socially focused approaches with the Mayor's Office squeegee youth collective and with substance abuse and safety outreach plans in downtown and the west side,” according to a video highlighting the award winners.
In addition to her work at UMSSW, Liggett-Creel serves on the Squeegee Collaborative, a group formed by Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott that has convened weekly since mid-July to tackle the root causes of why some youth and young adults choose to squeegee on streets in Baltimore and what can be done to provide them with more options and resources for greater opportunities.
In March 2020, she founded the Healing Youth Alliance in partnership with UMSSW, and Baltimore nonprofits HeartSmiles and the Black Mental Health Alliance. Ambassadors — teens and young adults between ages 16 and 21 — receive 24 weeks of training to learn how to professionally facilitate discussions and advocacy for mental health wellness and healing from trauma through an Afro-centric framework.
Liggett-Creel also spearheads the Eutaw Street Initiative, collaborating with the nonprofits SONS (Saving Others Never Stops) of Phoenix and the Peace Team, along with the University of Maryland, Baltimore Police Department (UMBPD), to connect people, including returning citizens, to needed services.
“I feel incredibly honored,” Liggett-Creel said after receiving her award. “This is a reflection of the partnership with all of our community partners and doing the hard work with the University, which is an anchor institution in Baltimore City.”
The award, featuring crushed pieces of asphalt, silver leaf, and resin on a framed panel, is one of several original pieces created for the event by local artist Kelly Walker, titled "Heavy Metal.” According to Walker, the “Heavy Metal” series celebrates the uncommon marriage of two disparate mediums: asphalt, a common material, and silver leaf, a traditional symbol of opulence.
“These works express my metaphorical world: gritty and purposeful, polished and tidy with a twist of rebelliousness and a healthy dose of pushing the envelope,” the description reads.
Liggett-Creel said after the ceremony she is looking forward to building on the success of the Eutaw Street Initiative to other neighborhoods. “And we’re going to continue partnering with the community and the University, and returning citizens, and we’re going to get to work out there and do violence prevention across the city,” she said.
Kelly Sparks, founder of SONS of Phoenix, who attended the ceremony, said Liggett-Creel’s recognition was long overdue.
“You know, she’s been doing it for over 25 years,” he said. “She’s a strong grassroots organizer. She loves connecting the dots. She loves networking. But more than anything, she loves making sure that services get rendered to communities that she loves and that she’s got a heart for and is passionate about, and that’s all communities regardless of creed, class, or color.”
Added UMBPD Chief Thomas Leone, MSL, “I am so excited for her. It shows the fruits of all of our work. We are super proud of Dr. K. It means the world to us.”
University of Maryland, Baltimore President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, who is a DPOB board member, echoed the sentiment, saying he was proud of Liggett-Creel “not only for all the work she’s been doing over many years, but especially the work she’s doing right now. It’s just fabulous.”
“We are so proud of Kyla and the important contributions she makes to our school and to Baltimore,” said Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW, dean and professor of UMSSW. “Her tireless devotion to children and families has helped improve the lives of countless individuals in the city.”
DPOB President Shelonda Stokes, president and CEO of greiBO Entertainment, an award-winning collective that produces content and products for film, TV, radio, print, and the internet, said selecting the award winners was a challenging process due to the amount of passion shown for downtown Baltimore.
“This was hard for us. Selecting these award winners was tough,” Stokes said “So, part of what our team did, we went with our committees, we talked about who is investing in all of downtown. So, we selected these people, these businesses, these organizations, these leaders, and it’s been electrifying for us to watch.”
Additional award winners include: the Lord Baltimore Hotel; Lexington Market; LiveB (2 Hopkins Plaza); and Ed Brake, Ellin & Tucker.
“Thank you to all of the 2022 downtown Baltimore awardees for your leadership, hustle, and heart,” Stokes said. “We commend you all for truly doubling down on downtown Baltimore.”