Archive

OSI-Baltimore, along with Disability Rights Maryland and Behavioral Health System Baltimore will host a two-day community conversation, “Decriminalizing Disability: The Case for Crisis Response Services,” on November 21st and 22nd at Coppin State University. Participants will be able to learn about, prioritize and identify next steps to implement strategies to decriminalize disability and increase capacity […]

On Saturday, about 40 community members from CASA, Black Leaders Organizing for Change, the No Boundaries Coalition, and Baltimore Votes came together at the University of Maryland-Baltimore campus for training to become Data Fellows who will administer the Blueprint for Baltimore survey. This week, these Data Fellows will begin administering  the survey by canvassing door-to-door, […]

On November 1, Black Yield Institute, founded by 2017 OSI Community Fellow Eric Jackson, will celebrate four years serving the Cherry Hill community with “Black Excellence: Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future,” featuring live music and an art showcase.  More information here.  As part of his Fellowship, Jackson, organized a community-controlled cooperative food venture in […]

Earlier this month, Inside Philanthropy published a lengthy story looking at the 20-year history of OSI-Baltimore, titled “Soros in Baltimore: Lessons from 20 Years of Place-Based Giving.” The article is only available to Inside Philanthropy subscribers. Here is an excerpt of the opening: Place-based giving has long been a cornerstone of the American philanthropic tradition. […]

Last night, Reginald Dwayne Betts read excerpts from his new poetry collection, Felon, and answered questions from fellow poet Lady Brion at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in a Writers LIVE event co-sponsored by the Pratt and OSI-Baltimore. (Listen to the podcast here.) Among the poems in Felon are several that take legal documents and […]

Karen Webber, director of OSI’s Education and Youth Development Program will participate in a panel on “Restoring Schools and Healing Communities ” as part of the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s symposium on Schools, Prisons, and Concentrated Poverty (agenda). The symposium announcement includes a data packed Call to Action: Generating Strategies that Promote Nurturing, Justice, […]

All this week, the Baltimore Beat is featuring work from Writers in Baltimore Schools (WBS), a program founded by 2008 OSI Community Fellow, Patrice Hutton. Hutton kicks off the series with her lovely and personal reflections on writer/Johns Hopkins professor/mentor Richard Macksey, who was, according to Hutton, the inspiration for WBS. Hutton started WBS as […]

Darlene Crider, a former Baltimore Police Officer, 2015 OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow, and founder of “Sisters-in-Law,” was included in the Baltimore Sun’s list of “25 Women to Watch in 2019,” released over the weekend. As the Sun wrote, “Crider retired in 2008 from the force but is still mentoring youth. She’s opened Sister in Law Inc., […]

Yesterday, OSI grantees including the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition, BMORE Power, and Charm City Care Connection joined Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and City Council President Brandon Scott at an event to encourage city and state officials to further pursue Overdose Prevention Sites (SPSs) in Baltimore City. At SIFs, drug users can use drugs in […]

Last week, the Baltimore Orioles honored 2014 OSI Community Fellow Van Brooks and 2018 OSI Community Fellow Ciera Daniel as Community Heroes, telling their stories on the big screen at Camden Yards during home games (see Van’s story here) .  Brooks, who was paralyzed while playing high-school football, founded Safe Alternative Foundation for Education (SAFE), which […]