On The Record

On average five times an hour, an American dies by suicide--and many, many more--more than a million adults each year--try to take their own lives, and fail. It seems epidemic. But an economist at the National Institute of Mental Health, Michael Schoenbaum, says some straightforward steps would make a difference. If emergency rooms just asked every patient whether they’re thinking of suicide, he s...

Linda Morris’s book is ----Cherry Hill: Raising Successful Black Children in Jim Crow Baltimore----. She describes the isolated community as a haven for African-American families, and tells how her family withstood the indignity of segregation when they traveled out of their neighborhood. Fellow contributor Sidney Ellis reminisces about the joys of mother-daughter banquets and Linda’s brother atto...

Here is a Stoop Story from Rick Wilson of the Maryland Zoo about the special bond between people and animals. You can hear his 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 Pr...

What lessons can a graphic designer apply to painting? How can abstract and descriptive styles compliment each other? Artist Andrew Gray tells how he uses his grasp of design to create works that celebrate diversity and African-American history. Check out Gray's work at Hotel Indigo's library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats through September 7th. Hotel Indigo is located at 24 West Franklin Ste...

At the Baltimore Community ToolBank, nonprofits can access almost any tool--from a chainsaw to a wood chipper--and expertise! Executive director Noah Smock explains that renting tools is a small element of the story: sustainability is built into the mission and collaboration is key. And we meet longtime ToolBank devotee Chenire Carter, senior manager of development and communications for Higher Ac...

University of Maryland neuroscientist Tracy Bale does advanced research in epigenetics--changes in gene activity that don’t actually alter DNA but can be passed along to offspring. Bale focuses on health disparities, like how stress affects the way a child’s brain develops … and how reading can be good medicine for a stressed brain. She describes one of the goals of the project she started at Call...

Decades before Victorine Q. Adams was elected the first African-American woman on the Baltimore City Council--in 1967-- she was a teacher. Then she poured her energies into political education, setting up the “Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign Committee” and other grassroots organizing. Morgan State archivist Ida E. Jones’ book, ----Baltimore Civil Rights Leader Victorine Q. Adams: The Power of...

Today is United Nations World Humanitarian Day. In that spirit, we’ll meet two people whose life’s work is serving others. Cindy Williams founded Loving Arms, a non-profit that provides shelter and resources for young people experiencing homelessness in Baltimore. And we hear from Lucy Steinitz, a ‘senior technical advisor for protection’ at Catholic Relief Services. She attends to populations tha...

Here is a Stoop Story from Stephanie Ybarra, artistic director at Center Stage theater in Baltimore, about learning to imagine a bigger future for herself. 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/he...

Poplar Island is a haven for diamondback terrapins. Some of the island’s residents arrive there from the Terrapin Education and Research on Poplar - TERP - program, which gives hatchlings a head start in classrooms across the state. Laura Baker, of the Maryland Environmental Service, explains that time in the classroom helps turtles grow and gives them a better chance of surviva. And Paul Taylor,...

Lack of insurance, difficulty finding bilingual medical providers, fear of being detained by federal agents--all these barriers push Baltimore’s Latino community away from adequate health care. To bridge these gaps, Centrol SOL at Johns Hopkins Bayview offers clinical care, advocacy, and education. Executive Director Monica Guerrero-Vazquez explains the importance of culturally competent care. And...

Just weeks after the Declaration of Independence had been signed, George Washington’s rag-tag Continental Army confronted an immense British military force. Washington needed to retreat from Brooklyn into Manhattan--but how to buy time to do it? Four hundred young fighters from Maryland engaged the redcoats to give cover to the escaping Americans. Author Chris Formant blends historic facts with in...

What does the future of warfare look like? What constitutes a battlefield? Who are the players? How can a nation protect itself from an enemy it cannot see? Quantitative futurist and founder of The Future Today Institute, Amy Webb discusses why the future of global security will be fought on virtual battlegrounds and how even the vocabulary of ‘what is considered combat’ is in question. Plus, Webb...

For many college freshman, the thought of a committing to a PhD is daunting. For students in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, it’s a chance to be a leader. With three decades’ of know-how increasing diversity in engineering and the sciences, the scholarship program is now expanding to two universities on the West Coast. We speak to Keith Harmon, direct...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Julie Hackett about her normal - not perfect - childhood. 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/h...

The barriers to homeownership seem insurmountable if you’re short of funds for a downpayment, and your credit score is low.. The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, NACA, is meeting with thousands of aspiring homeowners in Baltimore this weekend … to say, those don’t have to barriers at all. CEO Bruce Marks says NACA focuses on character, not credit score. And homeowner Robin Wright ex...

Heed this advice from first graders: If math scares you … just sing about it! We visit teacher Dawn Johnson and teaching artist Steve Cypher's class at the Young Audiences Summer Arts and Learning Academy to discover how 7-year-olds tame tough equations through song. We also hear from YA education director, Kristina Berdan. Plus, we meet pianist and composer Scott Patterson, who’ll perform his fut...

Opportunity Zones are the latest version of federal tax breaks for investors who put money into new businesses or housing in poor neighborhoods; the hope is the new projects will create jobs and revive stressed communities. When the investigative news operation Pro Publica looked at the low-income, high-poverty census tracts that had won the tax break, one in south Baltimore stood out--the one pla...

Each year millions of Americans get the wrong diagnosis from their doctor--a medical problem is seen as something else, missed entirely or identified late. Because of these errors, about 100-thousand patients die or are permanently disabled. Neurologist Dr. David Newman-Toker heads a center at Johns Hopkins to improve how diagnoses are made. He shares steps patients can take to improve their odds....

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has filed or joined more than 30 lawsuits against the Trump administration. A federal appeals court just threw out the big one that alleged the president violates the constitution when he gets profits from the Trump Hotel. Frosh argues many of the challenges have succeeded. And he contends they don’t keep his office’s lawyers from taking on big local problems,...

Here is a Stoop Story from Lynn McDonald about sharing the unconditional love of her furry companion, Bo. You can hear her story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast. This is a ceasefire weekend, and Baltimore Ceasefire and Hug-Don’t-Shoot are organizing “Hands Across Baltimore” tomorrow from 6 to 7 pm along North Avenue, from Hilton Street in the west to Milton S...

It’s Baltimore. It’s August. It’s hot. In times like this, locals head to their favorite snowball shack to beat the heat. The icy, syrupy, slurpy summertime treats are a beloved tradition in Charm City. The first stop is with Richard Weiss, owner of Koldkiss. For more than 40 years it's offered everything one needs to set up a snowball shack. Then an historic delve into snowballs with Baltimore fo...

Today, two conversations about the power of food to unite people. Kwame Onwauchi, executive chef of the Afro-Carribean restaurant Kith and Kin in Washington DC, tells us about growing up in the Bronx and Nigeria, the dishes he grew up with, and his favorite snack. Onwauchi will be at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on August 8th. Details here. Then, the Market at Montebello aims to build community in...

For millions of Americans, higher education just doesn’t work. Of all those who start college each fall, barely more than half graduate with a degree or certificate in six years. And many leave campus saddled with huge debts. Dr. Peter Smith, who has started several innovative colleges and now teaches at University of Maryland University College, says the system ignores the persistent, purposeful...

The number of jobs in newsrooms has dropped by one-fourth in the last decade. Local reporters are trying to cover the stories that matter with fewer resources. Lucy Dalglish, Dean of the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, tells about recruiting diverse students and preparing them for new challenges. And Lisa Snowden-McCray, editor of Baltimore Beat, points to the mismatch between...