Happy Memorial Day, and welcome to Midday.
The poet Langston Hughes asked “What happens to a dream deferred?” “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load,” he observed. “Or does it explode?” Five years ago, Baltimore did explode in a paroxysm of violence that has come to be known as “The Uprising.”
Today on this encore edition of Midday, we reflect on The Uprising with six people whose roots are in West Baltimore, who work with those who were most significantly affected in 2015 and who have been part of the positive change that the community has experienced, even as it continues to confront long standing challenges. This show originally aired on April 27, 2020.
We begin with a focus on how community-police relations have evolved since 2015: Tom talks with Ashiah Parker, CEO of the Sandtown-based community development group, No Boundaries Coalition, and Sean Yoes, Baltimore Editor of the Afro American Newspaper and author of the book Baltimore After Freddie Gray: Real Stories from One of America’s Great Imperiled Cities.
Then, a look at the rich cultural history of Pennsylvania Avenue. Tom's guests are Brion Gill, executive director of the new Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District and Jim Hamlin, owner of The Avenue Bakery. Finally, Tom talks with Todd Marcus, jazz musician and executive director of the Intersection of Change, and Daria Baylis, coordinator for IOC’s Jubilee Arts training and cultural programs.
