On The Record

Spring is on the way--daylight savings time starts Sunday! We’re marching toward the time of year to get outside and move. And we hear over and over from health professionals that spending time in the great outdoors is good for the body, mind, and soul.  What if you can’t get to your favorite state or national park easily … or if roughing it in the wild -- even MILDLY wild -- conjures up threateni...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Miriam Greenleaf Miller about her memorable experience in the great outdoors. Find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including live events coming up and the Stoop podcast - at the Stoopstorytelling.org 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/...

When you think of identity, what comes to mind? Gender … hometown … profession? For many of us the answer to ‘who am I’ can be complicated. But how often do we really think about what makes up our identity? Cori Dioquino has thought about it -- a lot. She’s woven her ideas, experiences and musings into a one-woman show that combines dance, movement, music and art. It’s called ‘Crisis Mode: Living...

Local gamers can now enjoy music from their favorite video games outside the screen. The Baltimore Gamer Symphony Orchestra and Choir covers music from a wide range of games, from horror and Mario Party to renowned classics and local independent games. Kira Levitsky founded the group in 2013. She talks about her personal connection to music, her favorite video game tunes and the reactions she sees...

Donated art supplies can find new purpose at SCRAP B-More . Executive director Nancy Hotchkiss talks about the site's mission to keep supplies out of the waste stream and to encourage artistic expression. Find information about donating or volunteering . Then, fiber artist Sandra Smith takes us behind the scenes of an exhibit of quilts at the Peale museum. " Quilted Connections: A Sisterhood in Cl...

Emily Keller was two years into a term as mayor of Hagerstown, MD, when Gov. Wes Moore tapped her to be the first Special Secretary of Opioid Response. The new position leads the state's efforts to counter the destructive opioid overdose epidemic.  Opioid overdose deaths in Maryland are down from pandemic highs. How does Keller plan to reduce them further? Find information about treatment and prev...

Here's a Stoop Story from Carl Harding about hard work, perseverance and making one’s place in the world. you can find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including live events coming up, and the Stoop podcast - at Stoopstorytelling.com . 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...

Eating disorders are not uncommon, but they are often invisible. The Renfrew Center works to raise awareness about how to recognize if you, or someone you know, is struggling -- and how to get help. Primary therapist Yosan Gebre Ab talks us through it. Plus, a recovery story from Lola Morales , who found help just in time. Links: We've Got the Power campaign and events , Renfrew Center . Do you ha...

Louis Diggs invested decades shining a light on what no one before had written much about: the history of African-American communities in Baltimore County. From an archived 2008 interview, we hear how churches were a big part of the story, and what it took to desegregate the Maryland National Guard. Diggs died last October at age 90.  An exhibit --”In Freedom’s Name”--co-curated by Diggs and Dr. G...

We’re already at the end of February! How are those new year’s resolutions going for you? The most common personal goals Americans commit to each year address a healthier lifestyle: like exercising more and eating better. If you need a nudge in that direction, today you’ll hear about three groups that provide options for people of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels -- to move more, gain friends a...

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women -- merely players.” … “If music be the food of love, play on.” … “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”   … A few of the most recognized lines penned by the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare. Many more familiar lines -- Actually ALL of the other plays in Shakespeare’s canon are jammed into the Vagabond Players’ production of ‘The Complete Wo...

For a decade, Bruce Goldfarb’s job was to be spokesman for Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner . In his new book, “OCME: Life in America's Top Forensic Medical Center,” Goldfarb traces the history of the office, its rise as a pioneering force for forensic science, and the challenges it faces today.  Bruce Goldfarb will be speaking about his new book on Wednesday, March 1st from 6:00-7:...

Households who qualify for SNAP food benefits got an increase as the pandemic started. That emergency allotment ends in March. Carmen Del Guercio , president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank, tells how it’s gearing up for more people needing help. Plus, Baltimore Banner investigative reporter Brenna Smith tells about the surge in SNAP theft.  Links: Maryland Food Bank donations and find food loca...

At least one of every seven children in Maryland lives in poverty. A new analysis says the real number might be higher -- maybe one in every five children. Whatever the number is, it’s too high. Gov. Wes Moore has pledged to end child poverty in Maryland. He joins us to tell us how he plans to do that, and how long it will take. Then Johns Hopkins sociologist Stefanie DeLuca tells how helping poor...

Historian David O. Stewart traces George Washington’s skills as a political operator, as well as the first president’s failure to speak out against slavery as he came to realize its evils. Stewart's biography is titled, "George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father." Stewart will be talking about the book in a virtual event for the Fort Ticonderoga Author Series on March 12th...

The origins of Black History Month reach back to 1926. From its from the outset, the emphasis has been on the coordinated teaching of Black American history in the nation's public schools.   Blacktastic , A children's festival of Maryland Black history and culture, carries that mission forward today -- and this year, with a special emphasis on Maryland’s Black history. It's interactive online cont...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Morgan State professor Charles Carter about what can come from dedication and believing in yourself. Hear his story and others at Stoopstorytelling.com . 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/...

Maryland set up a ‘truth-and-reconciliation’ commission to come to grips with the shameful history of lynching in the Free State. We talk to its chair, David Fakunle … and to Joseph Koper , author of the book-- The Isaiah Fountain Case --that asks when an execution after a trial could be called a lynching.  Links: Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission , The Isaiah Fountain Case . D...

Where would our country be,  what  would it be without Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman? Award-winning documentarian  Stanley Nelson  evokes new insights into how each pushed to freedom from slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. "Becoming Frederick Douglass" will re-air on MPT this Saturday at 10 p.m . Both "Becoming Frederick Douglass" and "Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom" are available to...

A change in state law required all jurisdictions to create a new process to review civilian complaints against law enforcement officers. How will Baltimore’s police accountability board function? What power does it have?  We speak with Dana P. Moore , head of the city's Office of Equity and Civil Rights, and Mariel Shutinya,   chief of the Police Accountability Division. Then, PAB member Jamal Tur...

Arias, librettos, divas! … big costumes and even bigger voices! The non profit Opera Baltimore builds community and conversation through the art that blends theater, music and storytelling. This weekend they take it to the streets! We hear a preview.  Links: Opera Baltimore , Opera on the Avenue , Anne Wiggins Brown history . Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch?...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Allison Brown about the trials and tribulations of unrequited love! You can hear her story and others at Stoopstorytelling.com . 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 4...

Pandemic burnout is building zeal for a four-day workweek. Maryland lawmakers are looking at offering a tax break to companies which give it a try. We speak with the bill’s House sponsor, Delegate Vaughn Stewart . Then, Boston College sociologist and economist Juliet Schor shares the results of an international pilot of four-day workweeks.  Links: HB0181: Four–Day Workweek Pilot Program and Income...

Each year, Baltimore’s Open Society Institute Community Fellows take on a project to improve city life. Devan Southerland , whose son has autism, talks about building inclusivity in McElderry Park. Over the next year and a half, she will develop  Brown on the Spectrum , to provide resources and cultivate work and other opportunities for young people with autism in Baltimore City. And engineer  Ani...

Climate scientist David Goodrich bicycled nearly 3,000 miles over paths navigated by enslaved people on the Underground Railroad -- including Harriet Tubman’s route to independence in Canada. Why? What did he learn? We ask about his book, "On Freedom Road: Bicycle Explorations and Reckonings on the Underground Railroad." Goodrich will be speaking at the bookstore Bird in Hand tomorrow evening at 6...