This week, the People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland held a community convening to discuss its interim report, review the successes and setbacks during the 2021 legislative session, and discuss priorities going forward. You can watch the convening here. OSI-Baltimore convened the People’s Commission to reduce the disparate impact of the justice system on people who […]
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People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland reports on progress and future work
Thursday, May 20, 2021 -
People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland to release interim report on progress and next steps
Tuesday, May 18, 2021Who: Members of the People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland Working Groups What: Release of Interim Report When: May 19, 10:30 a.m. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P1gMrmPeQfeGU9GDORBlGg BALTIMORE, MD – Members of the People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland (The People’s Commission) will gather for a community forum to discuss the release of the Commission’s 2021 Interim Report and […]
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B’more Invested announces first round of grants to 10 organizations led by people of color to support restorative approaches to community safety and healing
Friday, May 14, 2021New grantmaking strategy relies on community members and funders to make decisions on grants BALTIMORE, MD – Launching an innovative approach to community-driven grantmaking, the B’more Invested initiative is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 10 nonprofit organizations that are led by people of color and involved with promising efforts to promote community safety and […]
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OSI Community Fellow featured on WBAL
Thursday, May 13, 2021This week, 2019 OSI Community Fellow Marvin Hayes was featured in a WBAL segment about the Baltimore Compost Collective, a youth-empowered food scrap collection service that he currently runs. The Collective collects food scraps from residences in the Curtis Bay, Federal Hill, Riverside Park, Locust Point, and Mount Washington neighborhoods and composts the material at […]
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OSI Community Fellow Brion Gill Featured on MSNBC
Tuesday, May 11, 2021Last week, MSNBC interviewed 2015 OSI Community Fellow Brion Gill for a feature about the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District located in the Penn North, Druid Heights, Upton, and Sandtown-Winchester communities. Gill, who is a poet and teacher, is the founder and Executive Director and spoke to MSNBC about the importance of revitalizing the […]
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OSI Director joins CLLCTIVLY’s Jamye Wooten to discuss funding grassroots organizations
Friday, May 07, 2021On Wednesday, Jamye Wooten, CEO of CLLCTIVLY, “a place-based social change organization centering Black Genius, Narrative Power, Social Networks, and Resource Mobilization,” hosted an Instagram LIVE session on “The Importance of Funding Grassroots Organizations” with OSI-Baltimore Director Danielle Torain. Torain talked about the history of disinvestment, noting that, nationally, 8% of philanthropic investment goes to […]
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Future City focuses on trauma, harm reduction, and healing
Friday, May 07, 2021Last night’s episode of WYPR’s monthly show Future City focused on trauma. One segment included Mark Gunnery’s interview with Cam Kerr, Outreach Organizer and Syringe Service Provider for Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition (BHRC), which uses a trauma-informed approach to provide harm reduction services. OSI has worked closely BHRC and the BRIDGES Coalition, which advocates to establish […]
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Healing City work goes statewide with Healing Maryland’s Trauma Act
Tuesday, May 04, 2021Last week, Senator Jill Carter, City Councilman Zeke Cohen and other public officials held a press conference outside City Hall to celebrate unanimous passage of the Healing Maryland’s Trauma Act in the state legislature last month. The legislation, introduced by Senator Carter and Delegate Robbyn Lewis, expands the Elijah Cummings Healing City Act, and will […]
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2019 OSI Community Fellows “Close the Circle”
Tuesday, May 04, 2021On Friday, the OSI-Baltimore Community Fellows community gathered virtually to honor the 2019 cohort of Community Fellows, marking the official end of their 18-month Fellowships and the beginning of their membership in the 200-plus Community Fellowships Network. “As you know, once you are an OSI Fellow, you are always welcomed as part of the OSI […]
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OSI Community Fellow’s B-360 partners with State’s Attorney’s Office on diversion initiative
Monday, May 03, 2021Last week, Baltimore 360 (B-360), founded by 2018 OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow Brittany Young, announced a partnership with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office on a program to divert people away from the criminal justice system for dirt bike charges, traffic violations and other nonviolent offenses. As part of the initiative, the State’s Attorney’s Office will […]
