Join us in this episode of the Free to Bmore podcast as we welcome Jack Dwyer, CEO of CFG Bank, the largest bank headquartered in Baltimore. Jack recently introduced the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong High Yield Money Market Account to support Key Bridge recovery efforts, with CFG Bank matching donations up to $500,000. As the founder of CFG, Jack…

In this episode, we welcome Jasmine Allen and Chabria Hill, founders of the Charm School Project for Girls. This program is dedicated to empowering young black and brown girls in Baltimore. Through dance and mentorship, they aim to inspire confidence and help girls reach their full potential. Join us as they share their journey and discuss the impa…

In this episode, we welcome Jake Day, Maryland's Secretary of Housing & Community Development and former Mayor of Salisbury, known for his dynamic urban redevelopment efforts. During his tenure, Salisbury saw a dramatic decrease in homelessness and crime, and revitalized its downtown, contributing to its status as Maryland's fastest-growing city. A…

In this episode, we're joined by Al Hutchinson, President and CEO of Visit Baltimore, who has played a crucial role in positioning the city as a top destination for conventions, meetings, and leisure visits. With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality and destination marketing industry, Al shares his insights into Baltimore's tourism sector…

In this episode of #FreeToBmore, we connect with Laurie Schwartz, President of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. Known for her instrumental role in city planning and development, Laurie's leadership has transformed Baltimore's waterfront into a thriving recreational hub and a magnet for tourism. Tune in as we explore her innovative projects,…

In this episode, we're joined by Annie Milli, the Executive Director of Live Baltimore, an organization dedicated to showcasing Baltimore as an amazing place to live. Annie's diverse background in marketing and her passion for Baltimore shine through as she shares insights into Live Baltimore's innovative programs and experiences living in the vibr…

In this episode of #FreeToBmore, we connect with Mike Galiazzo, President of the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland. Join us as we explore the dynamic landscape of manufacturing and delve into Mike's vision for Maryland's future. Tune in for a captivating conversation about the future of manufacturing in Maryland!…

Meet Kory Bailey, a true pioneer in Baltimore’s tech and startup scene! As the Relationship Development Director at UpSurge Baltimore, he is at the forefront of driving change and equity through innovation. Tune in to be part of the conversation, and let's ignite Baltimore’s innovative spirit!By Enoch Pratt Free Library

In this episode, we're honored to have Shelonda Stokes, the President of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, as our guest. Join us as we dive into Ms. Stokes' background, and her incredible work, and gain insights into her vision for the future of Downtown and Baltimore City. Her dedication to the city is truly inspiring, and her perspective is …

In this episode of Free To Bmore Podcast, we delve into the inspiring journey of Mark Anthony Thomas, the newly appointed CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC). Mr. Thomas shares his background, vision, and strategies for steering the GBC toward a brighter future, championing diversity, promoting economic growth, and uplifting Baltimore's di…

Discover the incredible talent of BSO Conductor, Jonathan Heyward in this episode of Free To Bmore Podcast! From his beginnings as a cellist to becoming Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Jonathan's commitment to education, community outreach, and innovative concert programs shines through. Tune in for an inspiring journey!…

Tinku Bhattacharyya of the Creative Alliance joins the Free to Bmore podcast to talk about how the organization supports local artists and their recent expansion of the new Creativity Center.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

On this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast we feature Chin-yer Wright, a Baltimore-based artist, educator, and community organizer, and founder of The Baltimore Scene, the Baltimore Crown Awards, the Black Mall and more. She is an accomplished poet, fiction writer, essayist, and musician, with numerous awards and accolades to her name. In additio…

On this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast we feature Evan Woodard, a Baltimore-based explorer, photographer, and historian who documents his search for lost and forgotten relics.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

On this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast, we feature Jenenne Whitfield, the recently appointed Director of the American Visionary Art Museum. Her work with the Heidelberg Project in Detroit has achieved international recognition as one of the most influential arts movements in the world.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

Baltimore artists and arts organizations use their talents to positively impact their communities and the world. Today on the Free To Bmore Podcast we talk to the interdisciplinary artist Soledad Salamé about her work exploring environmental and human rights issues, and how Enoch Pratt Free Library plays a role in her research. Salamé’s recent work…

Baltimore artists and arts organizations use their talents to positively impact their communities and the world. Today on the Free To Bmore Podcast we talk to the founder and executive director of Art with a Heart, Randy Pupkin. Art with a Heart provides equitable access to visual art experiences to the Baltimore community.…

Baltimore artists and arts organizations use their talents to positively impact their communities and the world. Today on the Free To Bmore Podcast we talk to members of the West Baltimore Re-Imagining and Redevelopment Project to explore its pioneering approach to economic development and how culture and the arts are playing a significant role.…

Baltimore artists and arts organizations use their talents to positively impact their communities and the world. Today on the Free To Bmore Podcast we talk to Tia Hamilton, publisher, writer, and entrepreneur, about her passion for helping those formerly incarcerated, find their second chance in life.…

On this episode of the Free to Bmore Podcast, we talk to SHAN Wallace, an award-winning visual artist, photographer, and educator, about her rise as an acclaimed visual artist and photographer and her passion for creating social impact through her work.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

Celebrate the finalists in the 2022 Poetry Contest with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Little Patuxent Review! The three finalists, Maryland's Poet Laureate, and LPR’s head editor read. Caitlin Wilson, the winner of the 2022 Poetry Contest, is a Maryland poet. She holds an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her writing has appeared in ENT…

Young people in Baltimore are facing more and more trauma, but health experts are looking at ways to introduce practices that could have an impact on their future. Today on the Free To Bmore Podcast we talk to Dr. Tamar Mendelson, Director of the Center of Adolescent Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health about one program that’s…

Healing Youth Alliance Ambassadors, Sydney Johnson & Jima Chester join the Free to Bmore Podcast to share the trauma-related challenges that our youth face today and the work they are doing to break the cycle of generational trauma for the future of Baltimore.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

Dr. Kevin Daniels is a professor at Morgan State University, the Pastor at St. Martin’s Church, and a licensed social worker and counselor having worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the Community Psychiatry Department. He joins the Free to Bmore Podcast to share the work he’s doing to rebuild communities in Baltimore, one seed at a time.…

She started helping others as a teenager when she created a special club in her garage. Now, Tee Scott is helping people overcome addiction as a recovery specialist. In this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast, we take a look at what’s being done to overcome the stigma of addiction and help people move towards a path to recovery.…

She suffered as a victim of human trafficking as a young adult, now Donna Bruce has dedicated her life to other victims of trauma. In this episode, she speaks out about how she became an advocate, overcoming her past and inspiring her purpose.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

His difficult childhood gave him a passion for helping children. Now, Dr. Malik Muhammad is working to change lives in Baltimore City. On this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast, we talk to Dr. Muhammad about the impact he’s making in our city and his hopes for the future of Baltimore.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

From clippers to coping strategies, Troy Staton has expanded what it means to be a barber shop. His program called More Than A Shop provides literacy help, health screenings, art shows, and more at a dozen barber shops and salons, making Baltimore better one haircut at a time.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

In this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast we welcome scholar of historical trauma, Dr. Lawrence Brown, author of The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space In America. In his book, he lays bare the negative impact of politics in Baltimore and what he thinks should be done to make black neighborhoods matter.…

Join us for a reading by Lori Jakiela, who won the 2021 Wicked Woman Poetry Prize for her manuscript, How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen?, and the contest judge, Nancy Naomi Carlson. Lori Jakiela is the author of the memoir Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe (2016), which received the 2016 Saroyan Prize from Stanford University. She is also the …

For fourteen years Roberta's House has provided a safe space for Baltimore families to come together to deal with the loss of a loved one. On this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast, we speak with Roberta’s House founder Annette March-Grier to explore the history of the family grief support center and the impact it’s had on the community.…

In this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast we welcome Raguel Broy, Director of Trauma and Training Services at the Baltimore City Health Department, to find out what’s behind the push to make Baltimore a “Healing City” and the impact that could have for the future of our community.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

Poets Sylvia Dianne “Ladi Di” Beverly, Patrick Washington, Diane Wilbon Parks, and Hiram Larew with Cliff Bernier on harmonica present and discuss poems, music, and artwork about America’s history of slavery. This powerful, all-too-timely 60-minute program reimagines the voices and legacy of those enslaved at the historic Woodlawn Plantation Estate…

Celebrate the finalists in the 2021 Poetry Contest with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Little Patuxent Review! The three finalists, another contributor to the summer issue, and LPR’s head editor read. Steven Hollies, the winner of the 2021 Poetry Contest, is a Rockville native living mostly inside his head, a 2019 graduate of Howard Community Col…

Leslie Gray Streeter is in conversation with Melanie Hood-Wilson about her book, Black Widow. Looking at widowhood through the prism of race, mixed marriage, and aging, Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title redefines the stages of grief, from coffin shopping to day-…

Presented in partnership with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Annette Gordon-Reed is in conversation with Lawrence Jackson about her new book, On Juneteenth. In ON JUNETEENTH, Gordon-Reed combines her own scholarship with a personal and intimate reflection of an overlooked holiday that has suddenly taken on new significance in a post-George Floyd wor…

Join us for a virtual reading by Virginia Crawford, E. Doyle-Gillespie, Meg Eden, Brian Gilmore, Joseph Harrison, Christine Higgins, and Michael Salcman, seven local poets with recent books. Virginia Crawford, author of questions for water (Apprentice House Press, 2021), is a long-time teaching artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. She has c…

Alec MacGillis is in conversation with Jesse J. Holland about his new book, Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America . Alec MacGillis is a senior reporter at ProPublica. MacGillis previously reported for The New Republic, The Washington Post, and the Baltimore Sun. He won the 2016 Robin Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting,…

Presented in partnership with AARP Maryland. Justin Fenton is in conversation with Clarence Davis about his book, We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops, and Corruption. In this urgent book, award-winning investigative journalist Justin Fenton distills hundreds of interviews, thousands of court documents, and countless hours of video footage…

In this episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast, we welcome Hieu Truong, Clarissa Chen, and Seema Shah-Nelson from Baltimore Asian Resistance in Solidarity to examine anti-Asian discrimination and what we can do as a City to be a true ally to our Asian neighbors.______For More Information Visit These Links- PBS' Asian Americans documentary series on A…

Audrey Clare Farley is in conversation with Carrie Callaghan about her work and her newest book, The Unfit Heiress. For readers of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Phantom of Fifth Avenue, The Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt is a page-turning drama of fortunes, eugenics and women's reprod…

Presented in partnership with CityLit Project. Morgan Jerkins is in conversation with Teri Henderson about her work. In this talk, Jerkins discusses her literary journey, culminating in the release of her newest work, Caul Baby. Following the critical and popular success of her first two books of nonfiction, New York Times bestselling author Morgan…

Join us for readings and discussion inspired by the Washington Writers' Publishing House's new anthology, This Is What America Looks Like: Poetry and Fiction from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, 111 works by 100 writers. Editor Kathleen Wheaton describes this anthology as "a picture of our time, our shared losses, our shared life." The event features a…

Do spirits return, and can we communicate with the dead? Baltimore’s Spiritualists thought so, but magicians worked to disprove them. Learn about spirit mediums, the Ouija Board, and Baltimore’s group of amateur magicians, the Demons Club. Presented by Maryland Department librarian Julie Saylor. Q and A with Julie Saylor and Mike Rose. Mike Rose is…

She’s a fixture in Annapolis and he is a fresh face on the political landscape. Delegate Maggie McIntosh and Councilman Zeke Cohen talk to the Free To Bmore Podcast about how they’re trying to lead Baltimore forward.By Enoch Pratt Free Library

Poets Joseph Ross and Michael Torres read from and discuss their new books. Joseph Ross is the author of four books of poetry: Raising King (2020), Ache (2017), Gospel of Dust (2013), and Meeting Bone Man (2012). His poems appear in many places including The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Poet Lore, Xavier Review, Southern Quarterl…

CityLit Project joins the Enoch Pratt Free Library in presenting the CityLit Festival - Reimagined: a virtual celebration of the literary arts In an exhilarating tale of colliding worlds, Emily St. John’s The Glass Hotel paints a breathtaking portrait of greed and guilt, love and delusion, and the infinite ways we search for meaning in our lives. I…

Are you interested in getting your writing published? Do you want tips and tricks on how to become a published author of Africanfuturistic novels or short stories? Or learn how to self-publish in the genre? Then join us for a panel discussion and Q&A on how the genre reflects the societal and cultural struggles of African people and their descendan…

The event is also part of OSI-Baltimore’s Talking About Race Series. Lawrence T. Brown is in conversation about his book, The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America. Presented in partnership with AARP Maryland and OSI-Baltimore Fellows Advisory Board. The world gasped in April 2015 as Baltimore erupted and Black Lives Ma…

A health crisis, the financial fallout, and a lack of trust in government are all challenges currently facing leaders in Baltimore City. This episode of the Free To Bmore Podcast we go one-on-one with two familiar leaders who are trying to move Baltimore into the future.By Enoch Pratt Free Library