Author Archives: Roberto Alejandro

A bout with renal failure cost Stephanie Safiyatou her home and business, and almost took her life. Now recovered, Safiyatou has created a multi-media art exhibit that shines a spotlight on a number of issues women in Baltimore face, attempting to foster healing by bringing these issues into the light of day. “I was flying […]

More than 4,000 registered voters in Baltimore City have been removed from the voter rolls since the last federal election in 2012. But at Votefest 2014, an event sponsored by Radio-One to be held at Coppin State University on May 17, a number of organizations will look to register new voters as well as anyone […]

As mass shooting events occur with increasing frequency, experts are emphasizing the need for civilians and law enforcement to have plans in place to ensure the best possible outcomes. These situations, named “active shooter events” by law enforcement, have been on the rise since 2000, according to a study prepared by Dr. Pete Blair, M. […]

Fifty dollars. That is the principal assistance the formerly incarcerated receive when they are released from prison. It is the seed money they rely upon to reestablish housing, transportation, and employment, and an amount that has mostly disappeared by the end of one’s first day out. In Maryland, the rate of recidivism, defined as re-imprisonment […]

Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a think-tank run by five Baltimore natives under the age of 30, advocates for policy changes that challenge structural racism. The organization works to empower young Black people by providing the tools needed to address public policy from a race-conscious perspective. Originally founded as a student organization at Towson […]

On North Charles St., a studio space is helping aspiring artists and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into actions. By working with community partners and employing alternative economic models, The Living Well is serving as an incubator of dreams, and quietly helping promote the economic and social development of Baltimore City. The Living Well, situated at […]

(Updated 05/14/14) By the time Shanna Green was 15, she had lived in more than 25 group homes, seven foster homes, been confined by legal and state health facilities three times, and molested by three different men. Now, as she prepares to graduate from Morgan State University with a degree in sociology, Green wants to […]

Remembrances and vigils in the wake of the murder of Michael Mayfield two weeks ago are beginning to fade into memory. In the aftermath, leaders in the Baltimore community are calling for a more community-based and sustained effort to address the issues that drive violence. David Miller, chief visionary officer and a co-founder of the […]

Four Morgan State University Students arrived in Torrance, Calif. in April looking for a third consecutive title at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Quiz Competition, and another $50,000 grant for their university. While this year’s team did not quite live up to the results of its predecessors, the preparation for the competition and the […]

A new Maryland task force is seeking to create greater awareness of both the benefits of arts education as well as the current state of arts education in the state. Support for the arts ran high at a recent gathering put on by Governor Martin O’Malley’s P-20 Leadership Council Task Force on Arts Education in […]