Race

Joan Walsh, editor-at-large for Salon and MSNBC political analyst, comments of the events of the past week in Boston and what effect the arrest of a foreign-born American could have on immigration reform. What's The Matter With White People, Walsh's book about American social and cultural divisions, has been updated since last November's election and republished in paperback. 

Our series "The Lines Between Us" has turned its focus from fair housing to economic opportunity, with a look last week at the various ways Baltimore’s minority entrepreneurs found support for their ventures when banks were denying them commercial credit.

The biggest challenge,

Do conversations about race become confrontational?

Harry Johnson on developing a new generation of civic leaders

Danista Hunte on developing young leaders for defunct neighborhood ass'ns

The full, unedited interview.

Lawrence Blum, acclaimed philosopher and professor at the University of Massachusetts, taught a course on race and racism over four years at an ethnically and economically diverse high school in Cambridge, Mass. He's written a book about his surprising and sometimes humorous conversations with uninhibited teenagers -- the new face of America. Blum, who speaks at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore Tuesday evening, is the author of "High Schools, Race and America's Future: What Students Can Tell Us About Morality, Diversity and Community."

“The Lines Between Us” series continues, with a look at neighborhood diversity. Edmondson Village in the 60s, Patterson Park in the 90s--how neighborhoods change in racial and class demographics.
Tom Hall talks with clergy from a white church and a black church who are joining forces to create racial reconcilation and extend "a radical welcome."

In the last segment of this "Lines Between Us" episode, Tom Hall speaks with two church leaders about the role of religious institutions in bridging divides within communities.

On Friday, Maryland Morning will premiere "The Lines Between Us," WYPR's year-long exploration of inequality in the Baltimore region. This Friday, we'll have stories on the air about how the federal government defines "communities of opportunity" in the region, how one Pikesville man's views on race were shaped by the revelation of a family secret in 1964, and how residential segregation took root block by block during the mid-20th century.

The patchwork of neighborhoods that we know in our region today was partly a result of government policies and the practices of banks and other institutions over the course of decades. It is a patchwork visibly divided by race and class.

Here's an essay from Maryland Morning producer Lawrence Lanahan about why he wanted WYPR to make a platform for a sustained conversation about inequality in the Baltimore region:

This segment originally aired on November 30, 2009.

Sea levels are rising around the world, but they're rising even faster on Maryland's shores. We talk with the lead author of a U.S. Geological Survey report to find out why.

Then, we revisit a piece from our "Across the Divide" series in which a young Baltimorean tells us her story of ethnic identity.

Tom Hall talks to University of Maryland professor Michael Olmert about his play on the University's fight to integrate their football team.

Plus, author Allison Leotta talk to Sheilah about her sexy new legal thriller, Discretion.