On The Record

Baltimore’s pervasive gun violence both inflames the trauma that shadows many residents … and is caused by that trauma. Dr. Tracy Bale of the University of Maryland med school researches how adverse experiences shape the way our brains work--why, for instance, a child on high alert after gunshots in the neighborhood is not focusing in school. She said she and other scientists are:&nbs...

Three decades before he was elected Bowie’s first Black mayor three years ago, Tim Adams started a government-contracting company that now employs hundreds of workers. He contends his experience in business, procurement, and overseeing a municipality give him insight into making sure businesses owned by minority members, women and people with disabilities get a fair shake in state contracts...

Howard Cooper was just 15 when he was lynched at the Towson jail in 1885. Historians say the mob feared the Supreme Court would void his conviction by an all-white jury … for assault of a white girl. Why will the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission hold a hearing tomorrow on Cooper’s murder? Commission vice chair Charles Chavis says the pattern of racial terror &hell...

Here's a a Stoop Story from Baltimore City’s first Chief Equity officer, Dana Moore , about having the courage to believe in yourself … the way others believe in you.  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 Ger...

Music can soothe, motivate and stir feelings. Can music heal? Dr. Alexander Pantelyat , who runs the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, develops therapies and conducts research with patients who have Parkinson’s disease and other ailments. He says it’s not one-size-fits all, and can be tailored to each patient just like other medications. Plus, Senior Music Therapist Kerry Devlin , who w...

At 184 years old, Upton Mansion in West Baltimore is a rare example of the Greek Revival style. It’s about to be redeveloped--and to prepare, archeologists explored the site last spring, uncovering artifacts to piece together the lives of people who used to live there. University of Maryland anthropologist Adam Fracchia describes what it takes to preserve this history. Tammie Gillums , an Ar...

The nation is united in grief after mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde.  Last week, President Biden called for change, "I am sick and tired of it. We have to act.  And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage." The Gun Violence Archive counts more than 200 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. Will recent tragedies spur action?  Daniel Webster co-directs t...

On Memorial Day, as we remember men and women who gave their lives in military service, we also consider efforts to help veterans re-integrating into civilian life. We speak with Shanita Burch,  who oversees the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Community Resource and Referral Center, located at the Baltimore VA Annex . Tyrone Johnson , a U.S. Army veteran, went from homeless to living i...

D. Watkins is tired of the lies. Lies about being tough, about not feeling pain … or loss … or rejection.  In his latest book, ‘Black Boy Smile: A Memoir in Moments,’ he shows how he learned to face those lies and push through to the truth. He hopes everyone, especially young Black men and boys, find that strength from his stories: “I want them to understand th...

Here is a Stoop Story from Michael at Pressley Ridge, about his gratitude for the community that raised him and the importance of paying it forward. Find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including upcoming live events 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: Senio...

How much of Baltimore’s economy depends on tourism? As the summer season gets started this weekend, Al Hutchinson , president and CEO of Visit Baltimore , discusses reenergizing the city’s hospitality and tourism industries. “Based on the trend line to date, we’re trending up,” he says. “So if we can achieve that 27 million in visitors at the end of the summer o...

We get a picture of the complexities long COVID from pediatric neurologist Dr. Laura Malone , who co-directs Kennedy Krieger’s Pediatric Post-COVID19 Rehabilitation Clinic . Malone says everyday life can change dramatically for patients: “They can no longer play the sports they were doing. They’re having difficulty just walking the dog around the neighborhood. And they’re f...

The pandemic has taken its toll on all of us - mentally, physically, emotionally.  Yet its impacts have been especially brutal on some: Andrea Brown , executive director of the Black Mental Health Alliance , talks about particular ways Covid-19 is hitting communities of color and what the alliance is doing to help. Then psychologist Dr. George Everly, an expert in dealing with disasters, revi...

Today we Pass the Mic to host  Sharayna Ashanti Christmas . She talks with photographer  Solomon Ade  and writer and archivist  Bilphena Yahwon  about the ‘New Generation Scholars Intergenerational Institute,’ and why sharing knowledge across diverse age groups is critical for Black history … and Black future: “The Black elders are not able to...

Cemeteries offer a physical space to remember relatives and friends … They also hold clues to the past. What happens when this sacred ground falls into disrepair, or worse … is plowed over?  The Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project hopes to recreate a picture of the vibrant nineteenth and early twentieth century Black community in Baltimore. Cultural Anthropologist Elgin Klugh of Co...

Here is a Stoop Story from Darnell Henderson about what really makes a marriage. You can get more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including upcoming live events 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 she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org...

Daniel and Mary Bell tried to use the courts to win freedom for their family, so history shows us more details about them than many other enslaved people in the 19th century. We know that Francis Scott Key, who wrote our national anthem, was one of the whites who lined up against freedom for enslaved people like the Bells. A new film tells the Bells’ story; we talk to director Kwakiutl Drehe...

Baltimore is set to give 200 young parents $1,000 a month over two years as part of a “guaranteed income” pilot program Robin McKinney of the CASH Campaign of Maryland explains how the pilot will work. She says data will be collected to measure the project’s effects, " What we’re really trying to understand here is what is the baseline that people have, what are the needs t...

That creative restaurant seating that popped up during the pandemic? There’s a logic behind it. Jennifer Goold , of the Neighborhood Design Center , tells us about ‘Design for Distancing’ and how people all over the world have replicated their concept.  Plus, some Baltimore intersections are getting a colorful makeover. Projects called “Made You Look” blend beaut...

Two women, driven to defend France from the Nazis - one, a young British spy and the other, an American collaborating with the underground resistance. Erika Robuck’s latest novel “Sisters of Night and Fog,” weaves the true stories of these World War II heroines together until they meet in one of the darkest places of the war. Check out this interactive map and photos of settings...

May is reserved to highlight the dedication, courage and sacrifice of men and women serving in the armed forces. So we’re commemorating ‘Military Appreciation Month’ with two special Stoop Stories: Executive Naval officer Thomas Dotstry  values the power of human connection, especially in tense times and close quarters. And US Navy Lieutenant Sylvia Jordan talks about what i...

Our skin is our biggest organ; its proper care can be lifesaving. What if healthcare providers don’t have evidence to draw on for treatment? Dr. Chesahna  Kindred , a Howard University dermatology professor, and owner of Kindred Hair & Skin Center in Columbia, talks of life-threatening situations that show up because Black skin is rarely included in dermatological research trials &h...

When the pandemic canceled concerts and postponed recitals, musician Brendan Slocumb had time to try something new. What resulted is a gripping mystery about a stolen violin and a dark family secret that threaten to thwart the dreams of classical violinist Ray McMillian.  Like Slocumb, Ray is African American. While writing Ray’s arduous path to success, Slocumb drew on his own experien...

Children under age five are the only group still without a COVID vaccine. That may change next month, when the FDA reviews versions from Moderna and Pfizer. University of Maryland pediatrician Dr. James Campbell discusses why it took so long to develop a vaccine for young children. Then, Baltimore moms Bethan McGarry and Nora West both have toddlers. We hear about the challenges they have faced du...

Marcus Jerome Williams wants to help your garden grow. The University of Maryland Master Gardener and home horticulture educator gives tips about where, when and what to plant -- And encourages experimenting with hydroponics and vertical gardens. Williams is happy to note a positive outcome of pandemic gardening: “People have taken a heightened sense of wanting to know how to grow their own...