Event Three: Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Baltimore Museum of Art
20th Anniversary Speaker Series with Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard
At the third event in the series, we accepted a Mayoral Salute on our 20th anniversary from Mayor Catherine Pugh, presented Justice For All awards to Kurt Schmoke, former mayor of Baltimore and current President of the University of Baltimore, and Lois Feinblatt, therapist, activist, and philanthropist, introduced the 2018 cohort of OSI-Baltimore Community Fellows, presented a performance by storyteller, dancer, educator, and 2004 Fellow Maria Broom, and featured a keynote address on “Challenges to Open Societies Around the World” from Patrick Gaspard, president of Open Society Foundations. See the full event video and photos from the VIP reception and event below.
Event Two: Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Making Sure Every Person Counts: The Census, Advocacy, and Civic Participation
Open Society Institute-Baltimore held the second of three events in its 20th Anniversary Speaker Series on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. The centerpiece of the event was a timely conversation on “Making Sure Every Person Counts: The Census, Advocacy, and Civic Participation” with two of the country’s foremost experts on these subjects: Barbara Mikulski and Rashad Robinson.
Honored that night:
- Caryn York, Executive Director of the Job Opportunities Task Force
- Ray Kelly, CEO of the No Boundaries Coalition
The audience also enjoyed performances by:
- Drummer, educator, and 2015 OSI Community Fellow Menes Yahudah
- Readings by students from Writers in Baltimore Schools, founded by 2008 OSI Community Fellow Patrice Hutton
Event One: Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Bold Thinking on Racial Justice in America: A Conversation With Vanita Gupta and Taylor Branch
Open Society Institute-Baltimore held the first of three events in its 20th Anniversary Speaker Series on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The keynote conversation, “Bold Thinking on Racial Justice in America,” featured Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, talking to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and OSI Advisory Board member Taylor Branch.
Honored that night:
- Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner
- Dr. Lawrence Brown, Morgan State University Professor and 2012 OSI Community Fellow
The audience also enjoyed stirring performances by:
- Poet and 2015 OSI Community Fellow Lady Brion
- Baltimore Dance Crews Project, founded by 2015 OSI Community Fellow Brian Gerardo
Young people from Wide Angle Youth Media, founded by 2001 Open Society Institute Community Fellow Gin Ferrara and a current OSI grantee, recorded the event. Watch the full video here:
OSI: Baltimore 20 Years from Wide Angle Productions on Vimeo.
Photos of the event by C. Ware Photo.
Open Society Institute at 20
Still Serious. Still Optimistic. Still Not Satisfied.
For 20 years, Open Society Institute-Baltimore has worked to make Baltimore stronger and more equitable, focusing on some of our city’s toughest issues. We work to reduce the over reliance on incarceration, to increase access to addiction treatment, to keep young people engaged in school, and to support a corps of social entrepreneurs revitalizing Baltimore’s neighborhoods.
We are proud of our accomplishments and optimistic about Baltimore’s future—but we know that much remains to be done.
