2023 marks the 25th anniversary of OSI Baltimore and our final year of operation. As we wind down, we asked our grantees and partners to share their reflections about our collective impact and lasting legacy.
OSI-Baltimore: 25 Years -Celebrating Our Shared Impact
Grantees and fellows, from across OSI-Baltimore’s history share their thoughts on the lasting legacy of the organization.
Reflections from Current and Former Open Society Leaders
Aryeh Neier, Gara LaMarche, Diana Morris, Laleh Ispahani, Jamar Brown, and Danielle Torain reflect on the history and impact of OSI-Baltimore.
Thank You for Celebrating with Us
Thank you to those who joined us to celebrate 25 years of OSI-Baltimore and its lasting legacy for our shared community. We hope you enjoyed eating, dancing, and connecting with others who were an integral part of our organization’s history and purpose. For those who were unable to attend, we missed you!
Here are just a few photos from the evening. A gallery of photos from the celebration can be viewed here and the evening’s program can be read here.
Behind the Scenes – Preparing for the Celebration
Take a look behind the scenes to see how we transformed the Baltimore Museum of Industry into an OSI-Baltimore-themed destination in preparation for our event.
CLLCTIVLY Founder and CEO Jamye Wooten shares how OSI- Baltimore helped his organization support black-led businesses during the pandemic.
David Miller – Dare to Be King
Dare to Be King Founder and OSI-Baltimore Fellow David Miller talks about the access and opportunity provided through OSI-Baltimore.
Nykidra Robinson – Black Girls Vote
Nykidra Robinson shares how collaborating with OSI-Baltimore was groundbreaking for Black Girls Vote.
Karen Webber – Former OSI-Baltimore Staff
Karen Webber, a former OSI-Baltimore staff member, shares how the organization went beyond funding and truly partnered with grantees and fellows.
Walter Lomax – Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative
Social justice advocate Walter Lomax shares how funding and support from OSI-Baltimore helped his organization get two key pieces of criminal justice reform legislation passed in Maryland.
Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition
Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition leaders discuss how OSI has shaped their work and their organization.
Andres Gonzalez – Holistic Life Foundation
Holistic Life Foundation Co-Founder shares how OSI provided both funding and mentorship to ensure sustainable action.
Shriver Center Executive Director Eric Ford reflects on OSI-Baltimore’s support to dismantle the school to prison pipeline and how the organization helped him grow as a leader.
Pascha Lee – 2012 Community Fellow
So many words come to mind when I think of OSI – relentless, methodical, strategic, trajectory, “real” change, innovative impact, and my favorite, “a true friend to Baltimore.”
I remember like it was yesterday, the day I opened the envelope and saw that I was going to be a 2012 Baltimore Community Fellow! God had answered my prayer! The opportunity to become an OSI fellow served as a catalyst for me to focus on the vision and mission of Imagine Me in ways that I didn’t know that I needed. To be in a community with so many like-minded people with the sole intention of serving Baltimore, my native city, was exactly the space that I needed to solidify the foundation of Imagine Me. Imagine Me would not be where it is today without the support of OSI. The fellowship set a standard and gave me accountability that continues to carry many of our organizational practices to this day. I will always be proud to say that I am an OSI Baltimore Community Fellow alumni.
And then there is the essential connector for OSI Baltimore Community Fellows, Ms. Pam! When I think about Ms. Pam, I always smile. She always knew what to say, what direction to point me in, and was always available several years after my fellowship ended. Her accessibility and wisdom always amazed and inspired me. Her strong voice draws your attention because you always knew what she was sharing was important and relevant.
What OSI has accomplished in the past 25 years will forever leave an imprint on the heart of Baltimore City. What I most admired is that OSI exercised its right and gave itself as an organization the autonomy to do away with all the red tape and do what was right and impact change because it was the right thing to do even if others were not!
My prayer is that as OSI closes, the alumni will make intentional efforts to continue to build upon the incredible foundation that has already been laid. OSI has more than done its part to selflessly pour into Baltimore and provide an abundance of human capital and financial resources for us to carry on the work and the legacy of Open Society. Thank you! You will be missed!
Spenser Villwock – The CPCU Society
As a former OSI-Baltimore staff member, Spenser Villwock reflects on the impact the organization had through the drug addiction treatment program and the fellowship program.
Mary Louise Preis – OSI Leadership Council Member
I was enriched and learned from OSI’s presence in Baltimore that the challenges that face us are often best solved by trying a daring solution, selling it to the community and expanding or resetting it as needed. Juvenile justice in Baltimore, pre trial detention, truancy, drug use solutions, racial justice and so many more issues have been influenced in Baltimore by OSI like no other organization. It’s the leadership and daring that have done it. And it is sustained by the Fellows that have given it extra life and longevity. As part of the Leadership Council for many years I watched the efforts and successes and will miss OSI and its work. But I am thankful for it personally and on behalf of all Baltimore. May the effort live on.
Patrice Hutton – Writers in Baltimore Schools
Community Fellow and Writers in Baltimore Schools Executive Director Patrice Hutton explains the transformative impact of OSI and its staff.
Vincent Demarco – Maryland Health Care for All
Improving health equity and supporting community engagement to improve public health in Baltimore drove many of our investments. The work of groups like Maryland Heath Care for All reflects the lasting legacy of our commitment.
Susan Leviton – OSI-Baltimore Board Member
OSI-Baltimore was audacious. We tackled issues others were not willing to touch, brought them into the mainstream, and often created real change.
One notable example was our approach to the issue of substance abuse. When I became involved in the 1990s, substance abuse was treated as a crime and advocacy efforts were minimal. Some public health experts were trying to impact policy, but they were not making significant progress. OSI-Baltimore approached the issue holistically, recognizing that change would take a long time. The goal was to shift to a public health approach, which included treating substance abuse as a disease. The first step in the strategy was to create advocacy positions within organizations that historically limited their missions to the provision of services. OSI-Baltimore developed and supported concrete solutions, such as advocating for the use of buprenorphine, which could be prescribed by a doctor. We also advocated for peer counseling, a systematic way to link resources to people and to increase funding. This trajectory of change positively impacted the lives of many individuals in Baltimore.
Another example of OSI-Baltimore’s impact is the creation of the Baltimore Urban Debate League. This program engaged students, some of whom did not like school, and taught them that they had a voice and could use it to solve problems and as a real alternative to engaging physically to resolve disputes. Many youths have told me that the Urban Debate League was the single thing that changed their lives and they sought out colleges where they could continue to hone their skills on debate teams.
Janet Felsten – 1998 Community Fellow, 2012 Alumni Grant Recipient
When I think of OSI’s grant-giving impact, I focus on its demonstration of “Reward for Risk,”
especially its willingness to take a chance on individuals with ideas for making Baltimore a better place for everyone. Our city has reaped the rewards. As one of the 1998 “pioneering” Community Fellows, I’ve made it a priority to stay involved in the Fellows Network for two decades beyond my own fellowship. Why? For the boundary-crossing dynamism and ideas embodied in each new class of Fellows; for opportunities for collaboration; and for a matchless overview of the systems that both oppress and enable residents to realize their potential, to thrive in a difficult environment. I am grateful for the flexibility and support that OSI has given my own journey (HUGE shout-out to our beloved Pamela King!) from my fellowship to creating Baltimore Green Map’s education programs and maps, and beyond. I look forward to engaging as a member of the Fellows Collective. Thank you, OSI!
Shantay McKinily – Positive Schools Center
Education and youth development have been foundational to our work over the last 25 years. We are so proud to support programs like The Positive School Center that are making a real difference for students
