The demonstrations and violence that followed the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody took some by surprise. But to others who have lived in many of Baltimore’s neglected neighborhoods, the uprising felt inevitable.
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Succeeding in Baltimore for fifteen years
Monday, April 29, 2013For the last fifteen years we’ve helped launch programs, some that have floundered and many that have flourished. Given the urgency of the issues we address, we’re very willing to take on risk and, with our partners, try new approaches. We’re here to test what’s possible and create new pathways to opportunity and justice. Fifteen years is a blip in time for our undertaking. We’re in it for the long haul—because, sometimes, it’s not until years later that the change for which we advocate is proven as the right road taken.
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Reading beyond comfort
Tuesday, January 08, 2013Finding levers of change is a tricky business—they are often drawn from a combination of existing knowledge, pure instinct and imagination. As OSI-Baltimore works to find solutions to persistent problems relating to education, criminal justice and addiction, it is critical to keep our thinking fresh and expansive. Given that, I’ve made a 2013 New Year’s resolution to take the time to read in more depth and to read more widely, particularly by exposing myself to different points of view.
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Maryland DREAMERS give me hope
Monday, November 12, 2012“So happy all my friends get to go to college!” This is what my daughter, a sophomore at Trinity College, texted me when it became clear, late on election night, that 58 percent of voters had approved the Maryland DREAM Act, which will help thousands of undocumented students access higher education in the state over the next several years. A rush of tears came to my eyes, surprising me. It was a mixture of parental pride, patriotism, and hope.
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Michael Bloomberg Gives $5 Million to OSI-Baltimore
Friday, April 13, 2012During his visit to Baltimore yesterday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a gift of $5 million to the Open Society Institute-Baltimore for its Accelerated Pathways Initiative. This five-year initiative will create rigorous, supportive and accelerated high school options in Baltimore that will significantly increase graduation rates and post-secondary success, particularly for the city’s African-American […]
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Moving ahead with the youth jail will cost the city more than just money
Wednesday, January 18, 2012Just before the holidays, the Governor quietly submitted a letter to chairmen of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Committee on Appropriations. The letter includes a new recommendation that the State spend millions of dollars to build a 120-bed facility for youth under 18 charged as adults rather than a 180-bed facility, as originally planned.
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Sometimes, just showing up is key
Monday, November 07, 2011I hope you’ve heard the good news about our Baltimore City Schools. It’s really something to celebrate. According to the most recent release of high school performance data by the Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore City public schools have again increased their graduation rates. But it is the dramatic gains of African American boys […]
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Our Audacious Ideas get even better
Monday, September 26, 2011Today we are launching a brand new version of Audacious Ideas. With its new features, we hope it will become a versatile and easy way for us to interact with each other. As has been the case since 2007, each week you will still receive a new “audacious” idea aimed at changing Baltimore for the […]
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Announcing the 2010 class of Baltimore Community Fellows
Monday, November 08, 2010What makes a crisp fall day even better? The announcement of the newest class of Baltimore Community Fellows! Each year, I get a double-espresso shot of inspiration as we interview the 20 top candidates—from a pool of over 225 people who begin the process every year, attending orientation sessions as early as February. Once again […]
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City Council still has time to act
Monday, April 13, 2009Over the last 11 years, the Open Society Institute-Baltimore has worked hand-in-hand with the city to build a comprehensive public drug addiction treatment system. Since opening our doors in 1998, we knew that addiction treatment had to be one of our chief concerns if we were to help revitalize Baltimore and improve the health and […]
