This section highlights those cultural moments you can’t understand if you don’t live, work, and love in Baltimore.
Best Place to Learn: Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center
It’s no wonder Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr. looks to this historic building (once the elementary school of civil rights great Thurgood Marshall) as the “hub” of its West Baltimore community. The Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center, which opened its doors this July, has education opportunities for visitors of all ages, with hopes of making learning more accessible to locals. In addition to guest lecturers and first-run movie showings in a state-of-the-art theater, visitors can take advantage of free courses on the likes of public health and aviation, among other things.
Best Cultural Hub: City Of Gods
City Of Gods, run by Mashari Ingram and Keshia Newman-Ingram, has been a staple in the Hollins Market neighborhood since 2009. More than just a clothing store, City Of Gods is a place to build community and meet new faces. You’ll never know who will come through. From rappers like T Savage to two-time Time Magazine cover photographer Devin Allen, City Of Gods has a very diverse community full of all the who’s who in Baltimore.
Best: The Kids Are Alright Award
In our current semi-apocalyptic-hellscape, finding hope and finding joy isn’t easy. Many folks have negative things to say about Baltimore (See Dietz further below) and Baltimore’s young people.
We wanted to highlight the work of five Baltimore-based youth groups and organizations, which illustrate the talent, creativity, and promise of the next generation of Baltimoreans.
If you are ever searching for moments of brightness and hope, look no further than the existence and work of Charm Lit Mag, Writers In Baltimore Schools, Wide Angle Youth Media, New Generation Scholars, and The Community School.
Having faith in humanity can leave you feeling pretty jaded; these young people are working to ensure we have a future. Support them if you can with donations!
Wide Angle Youth Media
You might recognize WAYM from the work that they’ve done with our Youth Voter Guides and various Beat photostories (and the cover of the issue you are holding!). According to its mission statement, the organization, founded in 2000, collaborates with and amplifies the voices of Baltimore youth through media arts education to engage audiences across social divides.
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth is a literary arts organization founded on the belief that young people’s contributions and choices matter. Their mission is to help young people develop as writers and amplify their voices through publication.
Since 2014, they’ve published 10 Lit Mag yearly anthologies featuring student writing and artwork edited by a youth editor. They also offer workshops, classes, and digital publications.
Their summer publishing internship places local young people at local publishing, media, and bookstore sites across the city. The Beat was happy to host an intern this year.
New Generation Scholars
New Generation Scholars is a youth-led leadership program aimed at empowering a dynamic cohort of Baltimore City youth, ages 13 to 21, who are the next generation of thinkers, educators, scholars, artists, activists, and social entrepreneurs.
The New Generation Scholars Young Artist Archival Fellowship is a program of Muse 360, an intergenerational organization founded by Sharayna Ashanti Christmas in 2004 to radically develop Baltimore youth’s use of their voice and creative talents in pursuit of knowledge of self.
You can read more about NGS’s Young Artist Archival Fellowship here. When we return from our printing break, look forward to additional content from the 2024 cohort.
The application for their Young Artist Archival Internship is now open!
Writers In Baltimore Schools
Writers in Baltimore Schools (WBS) produces authentic, insightful, and creative poems from young people that are frequently printed on the back of the Baltimore Beat. WBS provides a community of support for young writers by building literacy skills and empowering them to express themselves. As a teaching newspaper, in the words of our Editor-in-chief, we are honored to partner with WBS here at Baltimore Beat.
The Community School (TCS)
The Community School is a unique academic and mentoring high school for young people in Baltimore. Since its founding, TCS has worked with hundreds of students, helping them stabilize their lives, advance their education, and go on to college. Many donate their time and energy to TCS in recognition of the students’ promise and brilliance.
There is a multimedia studio that produces an impressive weekly newscast. TCS students are critical thinkers who are intellectually curious and creative because of their safe, supportive, and comfortable yet rigorous environment. With an enrollment of under 20 students and led by Tom Culotta, who started the school in 1982, it represents a beacon of community education in Baltimore; each TCS class comprises students who will be diligent, thoughtful, and engaged leaders.
Best Comeback: Stem & Vine and Viva Books Temporary Hybrid Retail Location
On September 29, a terrifying boom erupted through downtown Baltimore. An underground explosion and fire left over 3000 customers without power, Wi-Fi, or cable. The blast also decimated the interior of Viva Books on the 300 block of N. Charles Street and caused structural damage to Stem & Vine.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and many worried about the block of retailers that were the most impacted by this freak accident. What would become of Viva Books and Stem & Vine specifically?
But not too long ago, a ray of hope emerged from the corner of N. Charles and W. Madison Street. A display of greenery, books, and bottles of spirits adorned the space that formerly held Studio 7, a hybrid location that had arisen like the ashes of a phoenix.
Stem & Vine, the Black-owned plant and retail concept store owned by Quincy Goldsmith, and Viva Books, had trellised a new temporary venture together. Although the new space was temporary, it reflected the resiliency of our city’s creative community.
Best People To See At A Party: Celestial Spaces Harm Reduction
Celestial Spaces is a volunteer-run Maryland-based harm reduction group. If you’ve been to an event with a DJ, a rave, or our Summer Jam Fundraiser, you might have seen their display, a white presentation board with bowls of candy, condoms, and Narcan. Their mission is to provide harm reduction, making sure that partygoers who choose to use illegal substances do so in a safer way.
With Beat staff having personally lost friends to drug overdoses and knowing that this group exists and is working to provide “celestial spaces where the community can flourish through overdose prevention and education,” we feel a bit of optimism and faith.
Biggest Sigh of Relief: Artist Charles Mason III Has a New Kidney
It takes courage to reach out for help. But when doctors told Charles Mason III that his kidneys were failing and that he would soon need a transplant, the Baltimore artist was forced to be vulnerable. In March, after beginning the evaluation process to receive a living kidney donor, Mason penned a moving open letter to explain the situation to his network. They were instantly supportive. Within five months, he received a living donor. And by August 14, 2024, he had a new kidney. We couldn’t be more thrilled for the young artist, who has plans to be a further advocate for those in need of transplants in the future.
Best Stationary Store: The Paper Herald
The Paper Herald’s tagline, “stationary for the modern life,” evocatively describes the feeling you get when you step across its threshold. There are stacks of paper day planners, multicolored pens, other writing instruments, stickers, candles, cards, and more. The displayed items indicate days of a more analog past that we can revisit in our highly digitized existence.
Located in Mt. Vernon, the shop has been offering a curated selection of goods inspired by the owner’s travels, from stationery to books and other gifts, since 2021. It is the perfect place for stationery, journaling, and writing enthusiasts.
The shop will host its first planner retreat in January and frequently offers workshops and classes. In the meantime, we recommend you stop by and peruse the shop. It will be hard to leave without purchasing something.
Best Love Story: Keith and Kelly Davis
This resilient Baltimore couple is proof that true love conquers all. Eight years ago, Keith Davis Jr. was wrongfully accused of shooting and killing a Pimlico Race Course security guard. Early last year, after four trials and seven-and-a-half excruciating years behind bars, he was able to walk free when Baltimore’s newly-elected State’s Attorney Ivan Bates dismissed all charges against him.
Through everything, his wife Kelly remained his fiercest advocate. Since Keith came home last winter, Kelly’s followers on X have been ecstatic to see snippets of their life with their four children. We’re excited to see what the future holds for these two lovebirds, and we wish them all the happiness.
Best “We Got This”: Tendea Family
Elijah Miles, aka “Chairman Elijah,” was raised on Monument and Glover Street. He knew early on that, starting with himself, it would take members of his community to create the change needed to protect women, reduce violence, and change the cultural narrative of low-income Black neighborhoods often exploited by most mainstream media outlets and HBO fetish trauma. Tendea Family can be found doing everything from block cleanups to serving as violence interrupters with their after-school patrol to mediate conflict. In a day where most are waiting for elected officials and a historically corrupt police department to make change, Tendea Family is a shining example that we can all boldly Be The Change. We’re loving watching them grow right now.
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