Baltimore—Chronic problems with the Baltimore City election process and the profound lack of transparency about them pose a serious risk to voter trust and have further disenfranchised residents in marginalized communities. The lack of clarity about the process for choosing voting locations, delayed delivery of ballots to Baltimore City, voters receiving incorrect ballots, errors on […]
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Baltimore to run independent contact tracing program with funds from Pepsi, Rockefeller Foundation
Thursday, June 04, 2020By Hallie Miller Baltimore is launching a coronavirus contact tracing operation separate from the state that will employ up to 300 individuals who have lost work due to the pandemic, officials announced Thursday. The $12 million public-private program — supported by the mayor’s office, Baltimore Civic Fund, Baltimore Corps and a host of foundations and corporations including the Rockefeller [...] -
OSI-Baltimore Statement on Recent Police Killings
Tuesday, June 02, 2020CONTACT: Evan Serpick, Open Society Institute-Baltimore evan.serpick@opensocietyfoundations.org 410-234-1091 Recent police murders of Black Americans George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery continue a long and shameful tradition in U.S. history, dating back to slave patrols, which morphed into police units after the Civil War. This dark history encompasses the killing of Freddie Gray, who died […]
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Mayoral Candidates Tell Stories at Blueprint for Baltimore Stoop Forum
Thursday, May 21, 2020Last night, 12 Baltimore City mayoral candidates, including Jack Young, Sheila Dixon, Brandon Scott, Thiru Vignarajah, Mary Miller, and Catalina Byrd, shared true, personal stories about overcoming adversity at last night’s Blueprint for Baltimore Virtual Stoop Mayoral Forum, which was viewed by more that 2.6 thousand people. You can watch it in full here: It […]
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Baltimore Votes, Black Girls Vote, and OSI-Baltimore Statement on the Delay of Baltimore City Ballots
Tuesday, May 19, 2020Baltimore — COVID-19 has presented unprecedented challenges to many aspects of American life, not least the orderly execution of elections. Across the country, state and locals boards of elections have struggled to quickly pivot to plan for elections conducted primarily by mail. In Maryland, the challenge of preparing and mailing ballots to about 4 million […]
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New PSA encourages Baltimore residents to vote by mail
Monday, May 18, 2020Ballots are expected to arrive in Baltimore City voters’ mailboxes this week and this new PSA, which OSI created in collaboration with the Baltimore Votes coalition, starts airing on local TV stations today! The 30-second spot features Erricka Bridgeford of Baltimore Ceasefire, Marin Alsop of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Thomas Scalea, chief physician at […]
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Youth Activist Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions
Thursday, May 14, 2020What is an “open society”? Popularized by philosopher Karl Popper, the term “open society” refers to a society based on the recognition that nobody has a monopoly on the truth, that different people have different views and interests, and that there is a need for institutions to protect the rights of all people to allow […]
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OSI-Baltimore’s Response to COVID-19
Monday, May 04, 2020The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted not only in COVID-related illness and deaths in Baltimore, but widespread quarantines, job loss, food insecurity, economic insecurity, the suspension of in-person public education, and many other challenges. OSI-Baltimore has been working with our national and international colleagues, our many local partners, and community-based leaders to identify […]
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COVID-19 exacerbates digital divide, demands response
Monday, May 04, 2020The COVID -19 pandemic has raised alarming concerns for students – especially poor students in Baltimore. These children lack digital equipment and Internet connectivity, while also facing food scarcity, due most recently to an inability to access the regular meals provided by schools. In spite of being situated in the richest state in the United […]
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OSI-Baltimore Community Fellows Respond to COVID-19
Friday, May 01, 2020Some of the most vibrant social entrepreneurs in Baltimore City are also OSI-Baltimore Community Fellows. They’re a corps of more than 200 activists, artists, leaders, and conveners dedicated to serving underserved communities in Baltimore. Not surprisingly, many are pivoting, adjusting, or refocusing their mission to respond directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mariah Bonkowski (2019 Fellow), […]
