Letter from the publisher – Issue 78
This city has always been a literary one. Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, and W.E.B. Du Bois all called Baltimore home at one time or another. This is also the city that gave us contemporary brilliance from people like Ta-Nehisi Coates, D. Watkins, and historian Martha S. Jones. So it only made sense that our team has put together an issue dedicated to books, just in time for the The AWP Bookfair and Conference here from March 4 through 7. Read more.
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News
The Abortion Fund of Maryland prioritizes dignity and empathy for people seeking abortion in Maryland and out of state
As reproductive rights are under threat around the country, the Abortion Fund of Maryland provides assistance and privacy.
‘Remember me as you saw me’: Ursula Ricks, a Baltimore blues gem, insists
As her health declines, the singer says she wants to be remembered for her voice, the thing that saved her.
Red-light districts, Gamblers’ Row, Prohibition, and segregation: A brief history of The Block’s early years
Right in the heart of the city, surrounded by City Hall, BPD headquarters, courthouses, and the Inner Harbor, The Block may be diminished, but it has, against all odds and obstacles, persisted.
The life of Baltimore’s midnight ballerinas
The story of The Block has always been a labor story. But amidst an economy stretched thin by unemployment, the rising cost of living, and a decline in alcohol consumption and in-person gatherings, there are problems that organizing and collective bargaining may not be able to fix.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has cleared cops of wrongdoing in 95% of police-involved death cases his office is responsible for investigating
Anthony Brown’s office declined to bring charges against any of the 10 officers who stood around as Dontae Melton died in June 2025, the 37th out of 39 cases evaluated by the office which cleared cops of wrongdoing.
How Baltimore organizers are preparing to fight back against ICE
For months, anticipating a heightened ICE presence in the city, Baltimore activists and immigrant rights groups have been quietly building local capacity to respond.
Arts & Culture
Black urban romance deserves to be taken seriously
At this point, the question isn’t whether Black urban romance has an audience. The real question is whether the industry is willing to stop treating Black love like it’s only worthy when it’s conveniently packaged for white comfort.
Young Baltimore writers share their favorite literary spaces in the city
Ahead of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs annual Conference & Bookfair, students from literary arts organization CHARM built a Baltimore Youth Literary Map to document the spaces that have shaped them.
Some of the many events happening during AWP 2026
From Wednesday, March 4 through Saturday, March 7, expect to see readings, parties, games, open mics, poetry, dancing, and more all over the city.
February Night Lights
February started off with a fantastic two-band lineup at Creative Alliance featuring Micah E. Wood and Landis Harry Larry.
‘Love Beats Rhymes’ is a strange time capsule
Less than a decade has passed since its release but this RZA directed drama about the intersection of hip-hop and poetry remains as out of time now as it was then.
Bria Edwards’ figurative paintings answer the question ‘There are Black people riding horses in this area?’
“What We Do, We’ve Always Done,” the latest exhibition by emerging artist Bria Edwards, now on view at the Julio Fine Arts Gallery at Loyola University MD, chronicles the intergenerational practice of Black equestrians in the region.
OP-ED: Shared mobility options like scooters and bikes are a growing transportation solution in the Black Butterfly
“It’s time for the city to act on our recommendations to keep users safe and continue to expand ridership, increasing access to opportunity for all Baltimoreans,” Omar Faison, shared mobility coordinator for Bikemore, writes.
March 2026 Tarotscopes
Find out what’s in store for you this March with Iya Osundara’s Tarotscope forecast. Take what resonates and leave the rest.
Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 2/25/26 – 3/11/26
Here’s our list of arts and culture events around the city.
Baltimore Government and Community Events 2/25/26 – 3/11/26
Here’s our list of government and community events around the city.
Community Resources
This Baltimore Beat section aims to help the community with resources and support they may not know are…
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