Stay Connected***No longer adding new episodes*** On The Record was co-hosted by Sheilah Kast and Ashley Sterner. Sheilah and shared conversations with audacious artists, intrepid scientists, community leaders and more. And of course, tales from the beloved Stoop Storytelling Series.
On The Record was produced by Melissa Gerr. Jon Ehrens created the theme music. Louis Umerlik designed the logo.
Copyright: © 2024 WYPR Baltimore
African-Americans living free in Baltimore before the Civil War were constantly testing whether the law and courts saw them as citizens, with rights to be respected. In a prize-winning book, Johns Hopkins Professor Martha S. Jones argues the free Blacks of Baltimore shaped the idea of birthright citizenship that made it into the U.S. constitution … and that their struggle still carries meaning for today’s immigrants.
“People had been permitted to labor in this country, to build families, communities, vocations. And yet they lived with a profound uncertainty about whether they would be permitted to stay, whether they had rights under the law.”
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
After a devastating motorcycle accident, Hopkins bioethicist Travis Rieder was prescribed high doses of opioids to stave off pain. When he began to taper off the drugs, he was immediately thrown into withdrawal.The advice Reider got from his doctors was to go back on opioids. His medical team had no plan for weaning him from the drugs.Reider’s book, “In Pain,” explores the history of opioids, why they are so addictive and how the medical system should be changed. Check out his Ted Talk here.This interview originally aired July 2, 2019.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
A small piece of cloth continues to spark big debate in the U.S. Some Americans believe mandates to wear a mask infringe on their personal freedoms. Turns out, this has happened before.
Marian Moser Jones, formerly of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, tells us about the ‘anti-mask league of 1918.’
Jones admits that today’s mask-wearing mandates can feel inconvenient, but says we can learn from the Spanish Flu pandemic:
“The flu tells us, and the response to the flu tells us, that the more restrictions you have for longer periods of time, the lesser the mortality and the morbidity is going to be.”
Plus, how did that deadly flu play out in Baltimore?
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
What sounds are deemed ‘Black’ or ‘White’? What values do we assign these judgments? How far back can these ideas be traced?We discuss the cultural politics of sound with English professor Jennifer Lynn Stoever of Binghamton University, author of “The Sonic Color Line.” She has sifted through slave narratives, music, and radio dramas to dissect the connection society makes between race and sound.We discuss efforts by White listeners to limit black voices, along with examples of Black resistance, and how the sonic color line affects Black and White lives today.Check out the Sounding Out! blog.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
Here is a stoop story from Alex and Erin about how, with a helping hand, you can conquer mountains. Plus, a stoop story from Elliot Wagenheim (Wagonhyme), about going the extra mile, even at a great altitude, for his son. You can hear more stoop stories at Stoopstorytelling dot com.
And tomorrow you can mark Women’s Equality Day--we’re still in the centennial of women getting the right to vote. In parks across the state, women and their families can celebrate with food, family-friendly festivities, networking, exhibits and information on healthcare, voting rights and the arts scene. In Baltimore, the event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. It’s free. Bring your own potluck, or buy from women-owned food trucks.
Links: Women’s Equality Day Celebration across Maryland.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
The National Park Service turned 105 this week! What better way to celebrate than visiting one of the dozens of local natural areas around Maryland. National, state and local parks across the country have seen record numbers of visitors during the pandemic, but there is still room for Americans to roam.
National Park Ranger Katie LYEming offers tips for those planning to spend time outside during the upcoming Labor Day Holiday:
“It has been a busy summer in local national parks and in national parks across the country. So it is more important than ever for visitors to plan ahead before they visit a national park.”
Links: Maryland National Parks and Historic Sites
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
Vaccine efficacy ... variants ... shifting mask mandates -- News about the coronavirus changes quickly. Today, an update.
Dr. James Campbell, principal investigator for U-MD School of Medicine’s pediatric vaccine trials, explains why young kids need a separate vaccine, and when it might be ready.
And Dr. William Moss, executive director of the ‘International Vaccine Access Center‘ at Hopkins, explains vaccine booster shots -- why they’re recommended and reasons not to rush third shots when many still wait for their first:
“Until we really get this pandemic under control in all countries around the world, the virus is still going to have opportunities to be transmitted, to develop mutations or worse to develop a virus that escapes vaccine induced immunity.”
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
The new school year is about to begin, and challenges lie ahead. Concerns about surging COVID infections are mixed with questions about how greatly the pandemic disrupted learning.Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, the statewide union, says the first place to focus is pupils’ mental health. Check out WYPR's education coverage. And Baltimore City principals Najib Jammal of Lakeland Elementary Middle School and Melody Locke of Westport Academy talk about a new partnership to support teachers’ professional development.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
As Jessica Anya Blau’s latest novel starts, Mary Jane has just turned 14. She’s starting a summer job as a nanny of an endearing five-year-old, just a short walk from her own traditional home in Baltimore’s Roland Park. Mary Jane’s conservative parents think it’s great their daughter will be working for a doctor. They don’t yet know he’s a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer schedule to treat a recovering drug addict who’s a rock star … and whose movie-star wife will also spend the summer:
“Mary Jane suddenly enters this world of chaos, confusion, rock and roll, group therapy, sex … everything is happening in this house. And it kind of changes her life.”
Coming of age .. in Roland Park … in 1975.
Links: Ivy Bookshop live music, LP exchange and reading event on Aug. 27, 2021 at 7pm.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
Experiencing delusions, Brian Bechtold shot and killed his abusive parents in 1992. The court ruled him “not criminally responsible,” due to mental illness, and sent him for treatment to Maryland’s maximum-security psychiatric hospital. He claims he’s restored to mental health. His psychiatrists point to his attempted escapes and original diagnosis to say he’s not safe to release. His efforts to prove he’s sane are construed as proof that he’s not. Psychoanalyst and MICA professor Mikita Brottman tells his story in the new book, "Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder."
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
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