I don’t think I use this space to talk about our calendar listings often, but I would like to do that now. Each issue of Baltimore Beat has two different calendars: one highlights events that the Baltimore City government is organizing (things like city council meetings, legislative town halls, or events organized by Baltimore City Schools). The other highlights cultural events and other fun things happening in the city.
I think as we move through the next four years and into our future, they are both very important resources. When things feel scary, it’s important to have fun. That might sound counterintuitive, but life is not easy and nobody can endure the tough stuff without indulging in things they enjoy.
Post-President Donald Trump’s inauguration, you might want to do something to make your world better. That’s why it’s helpful to know what elected officials are doing and also what regular citizens are doing. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to community service. Sometimes it just takes finding a group of people who might already be doing the work and joining in.
Also in this issue, I attended a very cold march the night of Trump’s inauguration. I asked some attendees what they thought their work was under Trump (spoiler: it actually isn’t very much different from their work under Biden).
Journalist Madeleine O’Neill is back and she’s again teamed up with the Garrison Project to examine the issue of bail reform in Maryland.
“Pretrial defendants, who are considered legally innocent, make up the vast majority of the local jail population in Maryland today. In 18 of Maryland’s 24 local jurisdictions, the pretrial population is higher now than it was in 2019.”
Angela N. Carroll writes about LaToya Ruby Frazier’s testament to Community Health Care Workers. Frazier’s exhibit, “More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022,” is now on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art. It was born out of medical racism the artist experienced when she tried to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine.
“If Black people are afraid of being racially profiled at these sites, if we’re afraid of the law enforcement at these sites if we have disabilities or don’t have access to get to these sites, who is the person that is the liaison that helps us get access?” the artist asked Carroll.
Film critic Dominic Griffin reviews “Mufasa: The Lion King.” He’s not a fan of CGI.
“Much craft and attention to detail are on display to make the animals feel as life-like as possible,” he writes. “But ‘real’ or ‘believable’ means nothing without emotional connection.”
Thank you for reading and please take care of yourself.
Correction: In a graphic published in print this week with the story “Bail remains a never-ending problem in Maryland. Is the state searching for a solution?” the line “Pretrial defendants, who are considered legally innocent, make up the vast majority of the local jail population in Maryland today.” was incorrectly attributed to Debra Gardner. We regret this error.
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