In this issue, journalist Madeleine O’Neill partnered with the Garrison Project to take an in-depth look at the state of bail reform in Baltimore. The Garrison Project is an independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing. What she found is concerning.
“The population at Baltimore’s main pretrial detention center has actually risen since 2017, even as arrests have declined during the same period,” she writes. “People who are held in jail before trial can wait months or longer before their case concludes, even though they are presumed innocent and criminal cases in Baltimore often end without a conviction.”
O’Neill’s story examines what bail is, who ends up being held the longest before going to trial, and why. Her reporting shows what many already know: that there is so much more work to be done to change what we think of as justice in this country and in this world.
Also in this issue, writer Bry Reed went to see “Queens Girl: Black Girl in the Green Mountains,” performed for the first time live at Everyman Theatre. The one-woman play stars Deidre Staples as she assumes a variety of identities.
“The result is a collage of characters with dynamic personalities where no interaction or chronological detail is taken for granted,” Reed writes. “Each conversation, whether aloud or within the confines of Butler’s inner monologue, is evidence of the strife that comes with building a self in a world dominated by U.S. imperialism.”
You’ll also find vibrant photos captured by E. Brady Robinson of this year’s Baltimore BLAQ Pride Royal Pageant. Baltimore BLAQ Pride has been going on for over 20 years. It’s a necessary celebration of all that is Black and gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer and happens in October which happens to be Black LGBTQI+ Pride Month in Baltimore.
Be sure to also check out our monthly Tarotscope offering, our community and arts calendars, our community listings, and the poem on the backpage (this one is written by Writers in Baltimore Schools participant Zoe Saunders).
I am writing this letter as we head into Election Day. By the time this issue hits Beat Boxes, coffee shops, and goes live online, we’ll all be dealing with the reality of whatever this country has decided to be for the foreseeable future.
I hope, in whatever that future looks like, this issue offers a bit of information, entertainment and solace. And no matter what, our team will be here writing it all down.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
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