(Left to right) Bret McCabe and Lester Spence After taking a moment of silence to mark Prince’s birthday, Johns Hopkins University political science professor Lester Spence kicked off last night’s Talking About Race event, “Neoliberalism and Black Politics,” by quoting Jay-Z: “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” The hip-hop encapsulation of the neoliberal ethic helped […]
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OSI Education and Youth Development director on WYPR’s Midday
Wednesday, June 08, 2016Karen Webber, director of OSI’s Education and Youth Development Program recently appeared on WYPR’s Midday discussing the importance of soft skills in the professional world. Soft skills, also called “emotional intelligence” or “character” can include a range of abilities, from leadership or problem solving abilities to written and oral communication skills. Soft skills can also […]
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OSI’s Tara Huffman appointed to Maryland State Advisory Committee on Civil Rights
Wednesday, June 08, 2016Recently, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced the appointment of 16 members of the Maryland State Advisory Committee which included Tara Huffman, director of OSI’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program. The committee serves a vital role as protectors of civil rights at the state level, advising the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about discrimination […]
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2015 Grants and Donors
Tuesday, June 07, 2016Our beloved Baltimore is a vital American city with a grand history and a wonderfully diverse population. But it faces tremendous challenges. The Baltimore uprising that began in April 2015 brought many of the city’s deeply rooted problems to the surface and created a unique opportunity to address them and bring meaningful, lasting change. We believe in a renewed Baltimore, where opportunity is abundant and all […]
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Advocates, community discuss adolescents, addiction, and juvenile justice
Thursday, June 02, 2016Last night, a wide range of advocates, activists, families touched by addiction, and other community members packed Red Emma’s for a Talking About Addiction event focused on youth, addiction, and the juvenile justice system. The speakers included Evan Elkin (with the microphone, above), executive director of Reclaiming Futures, a Portland, Oregon-based organization established to build, run and test […]
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OSI Community Fellows Network gathers for summit
Tuesday, May 31, 2016By Emily Smith Last week, OSI invited connectors from our OSI-Baltimore Community Fellows Network to a two and a half day Fellows Network Summit at the Tidewater Inn in Easton, Maryland. The connectors were identified through the network analysis process undertaken last year and span every cohort year from 1998-2015. The Summit, crafted with input […]
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Heart of the School awards recognize outstanding principals
Wednesday, May 25, 2016The first annual Heart of the School Awards took place at the Hippodrome Theatre on Monday. Among the 11 finalists and 5 winners was Christopher Battaglia (pictured), principal at Benjamin Franklin High School, one of OSI’s “High Value High Schools.” As part of the High Value High Schools program, Battaglia’s school is working with the […]
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New OSI report details buprenorphine program in Baltimore
Tuesday, May 24, 2016OSI-Baltimore is very pleased to share a new report, “Using Buprenorphine to Treat Opioid Addiction.” The report describes OSI’s approach and experiences in introducing and establishing buprenorphine as a new treatment modality to address the public health crisis of addiction. As part of this effort, begun in 2006, OSI and its partners succeeded in making buprenorphine […]
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Talking About Race: Black Politics and Neoliberalism
Tuesday, May 24, 2016June 7, 2016 at 7:00 p.m., at Turpin-Lamb Theatre at Morgan State University’s Murphy Fine Arts Center (directions and parking info) In his recent book, “Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics,” Johns Hopkins University political science professor Lester Spence charts the negative effects of the capitalist “hustle harder” mentality on African-American […]
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OSI-Baltimore Statement on the Acquittal of Officer Edward Nero
Monday, May 23, 2016As people who live in and love Baltimore wrestle with the outcome of the second trial in the death of Freddie Gray, many may question whether the door is closing on our collective opportunity to advance justice in Baltimore. The answer is a resounding no. It’s important to demand that each officer answer for his […]
