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
If you loved one of the 1,549 people who died in Maryland of an overdose in the past twelve months -- if you’re a brother, a parent, a daughter, a friend -- it may be small comfort that that number is 30 percent lower than the year before … and has been trending downward since 2021. It’s still too high. Emily Keller, Maryland’s ‘Special Secretary of Overdose Response, is charged with leading Maryland’s fight against overdose deaths. We ask her about the state’s anti-overdose strategy and about getting resources into the hands of local groups engaged in the fight.
We have come a long way since dial up internet access. Today, almost anything can instantaneously be done online — like checking in for a flight, transferring funds, communicating with family, applying for a job. We depend on that digital connectivity. It’s become a lifeblood. But what happens when dependable access to the internet isn’t a given? Kenya Asli, director of the Mayor’s Office of Broadband and Digital Equity, is working to level the playing field for Baltimoreans. We learn how.
When schools and businesses started closing their doors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore communities were clamoring for information they could trust. That prompted local health leaders to launch a series of group phone calls with the community. Five years later, those calls have transitioned into a weekly podcast: “The Community Calls with Dr. G and Kimberly,' hosted by Dr. G. and Ms. Kimberly Hailey-Fair. For a look at the evolution of the podcast and how it’s keeping communities informed, we talk with Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-Director of Medicine for the Greater Good, and with Reverend William Johnson Jr, Pastor of Sharon Baptist Church and Community Chaplain of Johns Hopkins Health System, who provides spiritual closings for each episode.
The violence and uprising after Freddie Gray died in police custody ten years ago shook Baltimore to its core. We ask executive director Todd Marcus and Rikiesha Metzger, interim director of the Jubilee Arts program at Intersection of Change, a community center in Gray’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, what’s changed, and what hasn’t. On April 30 from 7-9pm Intersection of Change will host Remembering Freddie Gray: This Too Shall Pass Details: Jubilee Arts program will be hosting a memorial show to honor the life of Freddie Gray and the aftermath of the Baltimore Uprising. If you have artwork of all forms (painting, music, poetry, dance, and more) that reflects upon this moment in time and the movement surrounding its events, our team wants to hear from you! TO SUBMIT: Contact JAManager@jubileeartsbaltimore.org OR call 410.728.1199 FOR DROP OFFS/IN PERSON SUBMISSIONS: Visit us at 1947 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217 through April 24 between 10am-5pm. Artist Statement for “Remembering Freddie Gray: This Too Shall Pass” While this may seem like a contradiction in language, the title reflects a greater truth: that in this life, we will face moments of joy and moments of pain. There will be heartache. There will be suffering. Yet in all of this, we must remember that this world is not our final destination. 'This Too Shall Pass' reminds us that life moves in seasons. No one knows how long we will be here, but what matters most is what we choose to do with the time we have been given. This commemoration honors the life of Freddie Gray and the injustice he endured. It is not meant to dismiss the pain or erase the tragedy, but to call us to action. To remember is not only to look back, but also to ask where do we go from here. In a world where the human spirit is suffering, a world in search for love, justice, and healing, how do we hold on to hope? How do we build peace, nurture joy, and stay rooted in our shared humanity, even as this world continues to pass away? Though our time on this planet is brief, our impact can be lasting. Let us reflect not only on the good or the bad, but on the fullness of life such as the life of Freddie Gray and the lives of so many others who have been taken too soon. Let us carry their names not as burdens, but as seeds. May their memory plant something righteous within us. Something enduring. Something true. And may we do this knowing that there is an everlasting love that can heal us all. Dr. Rikiesha Metzger
Here's a Stoop Story from Jason Newton about seeing Baltimore through new eyes, the day after a fiery, violent night in Sandtown-Winchester in April, 2015. Freddie Gray died in police custody, April 19, 2015. His death ignited a range from peaceful protests to clashes with police in Baltimore. May his memory, and what it came to stand for, live as inspiration for solidarity and caring community.
The events surrounding the death of West Baltimore resident Freddie Gray 10 years ago were a focus of national and international news. Images of a city united in protest, clashes with police, and grieving family members and friends were seen around the world. One of the most quintessential images of that time was captured by local photographer Devin Allen. It depicts a Black man running away from dozens of charging policemen. Allen at the time was an amateur photographer; yet his photo landed on the cover of Time Magazine’s May 11, 2015 issue and it sparked Allen’s photojournalism career. Many of his rarely-exhibited images from 2015 are on view now through June 22 at the Baltimore Museum of Art in ‘Heavy With History, Devin Allen and the Baltimore Uprising.’ Baltimore Beat editor-in-chief Lisa Snowden curated the show, Tracey Beale, BMA director of public programs organized it. We hear from them, and from Devin Allen who shares his memories of that time, how it shaped his work, and the power that comes with controlling the narrative.
Ten years ago this week, protests filled the streets in Baltimore. They were the continuation of protests that had ignited even before the April 19th death of Sandtown-Winchester resident Freddie Gray, from injuries inflicted in police custody. Baltimore was in the national focus. Images of peaceful marches, fiery violence, armed national guardsmen, and clashes with police filled news programs across the country. In many ways, that period changed Baltimore forever -- yet in many other ways, the City has not changed. We talk with Lisa Snowden, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the digital and print-based Baltimore Beat, to explore the effects those events had on journalism for her, and how they uplifted Black creatives and activists in Baltimore.
Author Rosalia Scalia is out with another collection of short stories. It’s called “Under the Radar” and includes tales that catch people at their most vulnerable. Sometimes, because of death, and loss. Sometimes, it’s just because people are complicated. Complicated characters anchor every story in this book. They’re characters who will not leave your head — including a pig named King Charles who you will fall in love with. Scalia will read from her book at Books and (Meat) Balls, a Benny's in Little Italy, Tues. April 22 at 6:30.
Ten years ago this week, Baltimore streets were filled with peaceful protests, clashes with police and fiery violence following the death, in police custody, of Sandtown-Winchester resident Freddie Gray. We hear from Dr. s. Rasheem, the director of the documentary “Baltimore Still Rising," which features accounts of the city’s response to the injustice and unrest that followed. It's the first episode of the documentary series, Baltimore Legacy Project. We also hear from Justice Georgie, Wide Angle Youth Media social media intern, about why learning about Baltimore's grass roots legacy is important for future generations.
Vaunita Goodman was diagnosed with end stage renal failure in 2016. Twelve hours a day on home dialysis made her feel isolated and trapped. Life was all about medical care, not living. Through sailing she found belonging and adventure again. In 2021, she received a kidney transplant. Now, with Dialysis to the Docks she helps other kidney patients find joy and freedom on the water.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
