On The Record

Of the millions who came to America during the Age of Revolution, three times as many were African as European, and free Africans reached these shores before the English. Historian and sociologist Christina Proenza-Coles argues Africans were key to each chapter of American history. Her book is, ----American Founders: How People of African Descent Established Freedom in the New World----.We talk ab...

We hear stories about young, apparently healthy athletes who suddenly die after an intense performance. What’s going on? For some, about one in five thousand, a heart disorder known as ARVD is to blame. It’s a genetic condition that affects heart tissue, causing fat and scar fibers to build up, interfere with electrical impulses, and disrupt the heart’s rhythm. Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Hugh Calkin...

Former Secretary of State John Kerry, a key negotiator of the Paris Climate Accord from which President Trump pulled the U.S., is clearly frustrated that greenhouse gas emissions are still rising around the globe. Kerry is putting forth his own environmental initiative, to highlight science and refute those who deny climate change. Also, ahead of Kerry’s visit to Baltimore, we also ask about the S...

It’s a mysterious disease: tiny collections of inflammatory cells ... that can form in any part of your body. It’s called “sarcoidosis.” Dr. Mark Lamos of GBMC explains the complexity of the disease and the difficulty of diagnosis. Then we meet Toni Robinson, who tells of her experience living with sarcoidosis … . Sean Hull, founder and president of the Life and Breath Foundation,’ a non profit de...

This morning scores of students in Baltimore are marching in solidarity with the Global Climate Strike: a worldwide walk-out to underscore the urgency of climate change and to demand action from political leaders around the globe. We talk with two local organizers: Trinity Eimer, a senior at The Bryn Mawr School, and Helen Schott, a senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, who says the event’s p...

Here's a Stoop Story from Robyn Stegman about finding her true voice -- by becoming the voice -- of Mr. Trash Wheel in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. 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 mhar...

ALS is incurable -- it’s a progressive attack on nerve cells that control voluntary movements--like breathing. We meet two men diagnosed with ALS: Ed Rapp, and Peter Warlick, who are raising awareness and millions of dollars for ‘Answer ALS,’ an unorthodox way to crowdsource research. And we talk to the research director, Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein, about how the Answer ALS approach mimics research on...

One tool in the fight against overdose deaths is mentors who can share their stories of recovery from addiction. Known as peer recovery coaches, these individuals are trained to offer a helping hand and listening ear to patients who might be struggling with drugs or alcohol. Social worker manager Cassandra Dobbs gives us an overview of the peer recovery program at Saint Agnes Health Institute. And...

Lawrence Lanahan’s book, ----The Lines Between Us,---- introduces us to a white suburban businessman and his wife, who felt a religious call to move to Sandtown in solidarity with its disenfranchised residents … and to an inner-city African-American mother, who believed her son would have a better life if they moved to a more affluent community in Howard County. Along the way, Lanahan shows us the...

From his childhood home on Light Street in Baltimore, Marc Tanenbaum grew up to become a rabbi who fought for human rights all over the world. He defended Jews in the Soviet Union. He negotiated an important document of reconciliation between the Vatican and Jews. He stood with Holocaust survivor Eli Weisel to protest the genocide of Cambodians. Though he died 27 years go, Tanenbaum’s widow George...

Here's a Stoop Story from interfaith scholar and educator Homayra Ziad about the powerful combination of protest and prayer. You can hear her story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast. And watch for the upcoming season of live Stoop shows that begin next month. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Seni...

Open Works, a makerspace in Baltimore, attracts both hobbyists and entrepreneurs looking to rent studios, tools, and equipment. As Open Works finishes its third year, Dr. Ron Williams of Coppin State University tells us about a new study tracing its impact on the city and state economy. Executive director Will Holman says job creation is a top priority. Read the report here. Plus, Dominique Hellge...

Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makary says American health care is broken. He makes the case in his new book, ----The Price We Pay,---- with tales of doctors talking patients into surgeries they don’t need, air ambulances hiding steep fees, and hospitals suing patients into bankruptcy over bills that were inflated to begin with. Makary says people without good insurance often are hit with huge bills...

The Enoch Pratt central library was designed nine decades ago to beckon passersby, and not alienate them from the knowledge within its walls. Now, after a sweeping renovation, there will be a huge party this weekend to welcome visitors back and celebrate its grand reopening. We talk with Heidi Daniel, president and CEO of the Pratt, about how libraries are changing. Plus, Carla DuPree, executive d...

The disappearance of the Lyon sisters from a mall in Montgomery County in 1975 shocked the public and mystified police. Four decades later, an overlooked tip led police to a new suspect - Lloyd Welch. Clip: “What they learned to do with Lloyd, over time, was to ignore the stories that he told them, but to pay attention to the little details in those stories that kept recurring, no matter how often...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Azya Maxton about the power of listening. 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@wy...

Many good jobs don’t require a college degree. Many employers are looking for workers with a solid ethic. How to connect them? Year Up Baltimore does it with half a year of community-college classes for hard and soft skills plus a half-year internship at a business. We meet Roland Selby, Year Up Baltimore’s executive director, and Fatma Abker, a Year Up graduate now employed in construction manage...

Light Rail. Bus. Train. ... monorail ... commuter rail … They’re all different modes of the same thing: Moving people from where they are ... to where they want to go. We hear from transportation expert Christof Spieler, who emphasizes that transit systems should be designed to serve riders, not the egos of savvy, well-intended urban planners. Plus, Don Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Comm...

An upcoming exhibit at the Maryland Historical Society will present clothing and accessories from across four hundred years. What can we learn from clothing designed and worn by Marylanders of the past? Dress historian Nora Ellen Carleson tells how seamstress Lottie Barton built a thriving business, styled First Lady Frances Cleveland, and evaded smuggling charges. Carleson will be speaking about...

Do you remember the name of your childhood best friend? Turns out, it’s harder to initiate those solid bonds of friendship as we grow older. Dr. Andrea Bonior, clinical psychologist and advice columnist, explains why and says the feeling is universal. Plus, Carolyn Walton Lynch tells us about Mixolo, a service that helps individuals, regardless of their relationship status, step out on the town an...

Baltimore; summer 1966. Tensions between white and black residents. Some women testing expectations. And then: a woman’s decomposed body turns up in Druid Hill Park lake. Laura Lippman latest novel, ----The Lady in the Lake,---- unscrambles multiple mysteries. A week from tonight, Sept. 9, at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Theater, Lippman will speak to the Women’s Daily Post about the novel,...

This weekend the past will embrace the present in West Baltimore during the first annual Billie Holiday Arts and Music Festival. Organizer Michael Johnson tells us about the live music, artist exhibits and marching bands planned for the event. 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...

Here is a Stoop Story from author and artist Violet Levoit about going to great lengths and depths to find a soulmate. You can hear her story and others at Stoopstorytelling.com or on 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 Prod...

The non-profit Civil Justice believes every citizen deserves his or her day in court. That’s why they line up legal counsel to represent people with low or moderate incomes in non-criminal cases. Executive director Eden Forsythe talks about why there is a direct connection between fair representation in court and restoring faith in democracy and civic engagement. Plus, we meet Civil Justice lawyer...

A new pilot program uses Medicaid funds to afford housing for the homeless. In Baltimore, 155 formerly homeless people are now living in apartments and rowhouses. Lawanda Williams, of Health Care for the Homeless, tells about building lasting relationships with clients. And Christopher Thomaskutty, of Mercy Health Systems, describes the potential of this approach to reduce emergency room costs. Th...