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
Earth day is time to pause and embrace nature--and also to take stock of the health of the planet.
We hear about prescient observations from the woman who galvanized modern environmentalism--Rachel Carson--as told by living history performer and naturalist Colleen Webster.
And pollinator educator Heather Holm tells us why cultivating native plants in our yards ... attracts native insects … and plays such a vital role in our ecosystem:
“Everything that builds upon that foundation whether it’s birds or predatory mammals, if we were to pull out that bottom card, whether it’s native insects or native plants, then the whole house of cards would collapse.”
Links: Natural History Society of Maryland event; Heather Holm Instagram, books and posters, Colleen Webster Living History Performances.
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
With one out of 50 American children diagnosed on the autism spectrum these days, it’s easy to forget that in the middle of the last century the diagnosis was new--and rare. No one knew how to reach these children, locked in repetitive rituals, oblivious to relationships. A remarkable social worker named Jeanne Simons saw the power of attentive patience. She set up a school in Ellicott City.
Even Simons did not know then that she herself was on the autism spectrum. Her memoir, Behind the Mirror, unveils autism from the inside. We speak with her friend and colleague, Sabine Oishi.
“The most important legacy I think was that she proved that these were not children that had to be institutionalized. But these were children that could be treated.”
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 pandemic ushered in a new way of life as millions of Americans began working from home. Is this shift permanent? Dr. Nicole Coomber, assistant dean in the University of Maryland school of business, says many workers would welcome this move.
Then, the upside of remote work? Flexible hours. The downside? Emails at all hours. Anthony Vaughan, CEO of E1B2 Collective, gives tips on drawing boundaries and communicating effectively with coworkers. Read more from Anthony.
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
In his book, "The Black Butterfly," former community-health professor Lawrence T. Brown cites a century of policies and budgets he says sapped resources from Baltimore’s African American neighborhoods, forcibly uprooted Black families and triggered generations of trauma.
He calls it apartheid, and contends it was planned and deliberately maintained, "Once you understand that--that it was done intentionally, that it wasn’t random, that it isn’t just some order of natural order of things-- it can be undone intentionally.”
He says undoing it will take deep changes like dismantling the Baltimore police department and ending toxic lead poisoning. You cannot make Black Lives Matter, he argues, unless Black neighborhoods do. This interview originally aired on February 15, 2021.
You can hear more from Lawrence Brown on May 4th at a virtual event sponsored by the Baltimore Teachers Union and the Towson University Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity.
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
Artists and performers are admired for their imaginative takes on the ordinary. But making something special from nothing is more than an art, it’s an approach to life. Today we hear about ‘we make do//wit wat we got,’ an exhibit that celebrates that ability, especially in Black women.
We talk with multi-disciplinary artist and community caretaker Diamon Fisher, and with artist and exhibition curator Sharayna Ashanti Christmas:
“I always talk about making do wit what we got, it’s just a saying a lot of Black mothers say, is to really talk about just how we’re able to piece things together just from our brilliant imagination, just from the things that are sitting in front of us.”
Links: we make do//wit wat we got, Necessary Tomorrows,
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 Clarissa about resilience, love and commitment. You can hear her story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast.
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
More than 2,700 Marylanders died from fatal drug and alcohol overdoses last year--a record death toll forced up by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Steve Schuh, director of the Opioid Operational Command Center, says state and local agencies have been working around the pandemic’s hurdles to keep providing treatment: "We’re using telehealth, we’re using mail-order distribution of naloxone, and we are allowing people who are on medication assisted treatment to obtain 30 days' worth of their medication, so they don’t have to return to the medical practice to obtain refills.” Schuh describes who is at greatest risk, and how Maryland is coordinating its response to this alarming increase. Read the OOCC's 2020 Annual Report here.
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
For months now, people have been asking: when will it end? When can I see my colleagues, family and friends? When can I go on vacation? Now those activities are in sight--yet., many of us feel hesitant. Why?
Clinical psychologist Dr. Michelle Pearce, a University of Maryland-Baltimore professor, tells how behaviors learned during the pandemic become survival skills. They don’t just flip off like a switch:
“We just need to be patient with ourselves. Our brains are really quick to learn threats but we’re slow to unlearn them. So we’ve got to give ourselves a break as we go through this process.”
And we talk about her recent book: ‘Night Bloomers, 12 Principles for Thriving in Adversity.”
Links: Baltimore Sun Commentary, Night Bloomers
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
Retailers and consumers are navigating a challenge: looking ahead to buying and selling post-pandemic while keeping commerce alive now. The Baltimore Downtown Partnership is focused on both, with BOOST, which stands for 'Black-Owned and Occupied Storefront Tenancy.' It pairs Black-owned businesses with vacant storefronts and wraparound services like tech and marketing support.
Delali Dzirasa, himself a successful entrepreneur with his tech company Fearless, talks of the responsibility to nurture new ventures. And Shelonda Stokes, president of Downtown Partnership, describes the kind of business they want to boost: “We want organizations that are going to contribute to downtown, organizations that are going to thrive and employ other people in here. That’s a win. And that’s what we’re looking for.”
Plus, Tanisha Taliaferro, a bold shop owner, tells why she opened Style Haven boutique during the pandemic.
Links: BOOST, Style Haven boutique, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Fearless, Hutch, Hack 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
At midnight, the General Assembly will wrap up its 2021 session, with its Democratic leaders claiming they delivered on their most important promises: financial relief for families and businesses struggling through the pandemic, and a rewrite of laws aimed at making policing more transparent and accountable.
Over the weekend, lawmakers quickly overrode Gov. Hogan’s veto of part of the police package Senate President Bill Ferguson of Baltimore City, described the bills as a start.
Reporters Rachel Baye of WYPR and Charles Robinson of MPT walk us through highlights of the legislative session.
Check out WYPR News team's coverage of the General Assembly here.
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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