A day of silence

Imagine visiting your doctor’s office because you are ill, but not being able to receive a diagnosis. Going to court, but your lawyer on this day will not defend you. Why are they silent, you ask? It’s an act of protest. The Day of Silence (this year on Friday, April 15th) is a day of […]

Leadership of counting sheep

G. has consistently led his team members to complete projects on time. In the Festival Committee, he helped to organize his peers to accomplish the production of promotional videos and prepare for public speaking events. –Taken from a Verified Resume issued by Wide Angle Youth Media. “Give me 8 sheep and then we will have […]

Ensure that our schools teach democracy

In January, Governor O’Malley released a budget which cuts out Maryland’s high school government exam. While I am no fan of standardized tests, eliminating the government exam communicates one clear message: it is not important to teach democracy in schools. In a country where corporate contributions can limit the voice that the average citizen has […]

A better place for city kids to play

For many of Baltimore’s vulnerable young people, games and sports will be played in the streets if Baltimore follows through in closing over half of our Recreation Centers. With the projected closings, we need to re-examine how and where Baltimore’s youth are recreating, and plan ahead to meet their needs with realistic and cost effective […]

Ready or not!

There has been a lot of talk lately about the failure of 20-somethings to launch as demonstrated by a recent article in the New York Times magazine. Buoyed by mounting evidence of delayed marriage and childbearing, more years of education, and higher reliance on parents for economic support and shelter, some social scientists have theorized […]

Surrounding our children

“Your children need your presence more than your presents.”  -Jesse Jackson Since 2006, I have been actively involved in the lives of young girls in the West Baltimore community of Sandtown. As I hear stories from hundreds of girls across Baltimore, a common strand appears: the absence of parents. This problem of parental absenteeism is […]

Rate Your Ride

Complaining about public transportation is almost a national pastime.  While not quite cocktail party chatter, transit often comes up in conversations “around the water cooler” and invariably the discussion descends into who has had the worst experience. And also invariably the conversations end with at least one “why don’t they just…” Unfortunately, water cooler conversations […]

A garden in every school

Elementary School children gather around a table in their Food Education class. The teacher brings out a pomegranate, which she cuts in half and opens to the waiting eyes of the children, one of whom lets out a delighted “ooooooh. It looks like jewels!!” Kwan, age 10, picks up a shovel as community members gather […]

A Dream in Cherry Hill

“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” -James Baldwin Imagine a Baltimore city where we care for our children as powerfully as we care about the winner of the big game or the latest gossip about neighbors or television personalities. Imagine a Baltimore city where we collectively work […]