Issue 87

Tired of walking by the vacant housing problem, students at Carver Vocational learned how to fix it

West Baltimore nonprofit Requity paired student interns at Carver Vocational Technical High School with professional contractors to renovate a vacant house next door to their school — helping students get valuable work experience while solving problems in their neighborhood.

by Briahnna Brown

Photostory: A weekend of live music in Baltimore

Photos from Subscape, the Love Groove Festival, and ArtFusion. Subscape took place from August 28 to August 30. The Love Groove Festival was held on August 29. The first-ever ArtFusion festival was held August 29.

by Valerie Paulsgrove, Jeremy Collins and Faith Spicer

Baltimore Police add 200 Axon license plate cameras as part of $153 million deal

As local leaders embrace expanded automated surveillance, legal experts question the data retention policies and privacy impacts.

by Maria Eberhart, Technical.ly

A life deserves more than a line item: Baltimore Beat launches $5 online obituaries

Publishing an obituary online often costs more than a family expects, and the tribute ends up wrapped in advertising and upsells. A family grieving a death should not have to shop for the least expensive way to say goodbye. The Beat built this option for the people that pricing leaves out.

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News

Excerpt from ‘Baltimore’s Black Arts Then & Now: Behind the Scenes of a Collaborative Public Humanities Project’

“We use Chicory to catalyze intergenerational civic dialogue around social justice, place, and race through a traveling exhibit titled ‘Soul of the Butterfly: Chicory Magazine and Baltimore’s Black Arts Activism,’ writes Mary Rizzo.

by Mary Rizzo September 9, 2026September 14, 2026

The Baltimore Baby Fund hopes to give city parents of newborns an economic jumpstart

Nate Golden, president of the Maryland Child Alliance, said the language of the amendment leaves plenty of options for the city: it could be “universal, means-tested, cash, in-kind resources, paid leave,” or something else, as long as it “enhances the economic stability of parents with newborns.”

by Sarah Bregel August 21, 2026September 9, 2026

Cambridge’s Bethel AME Church carries on a long legacy of activism

As a young woman, lifelong member Guinervere Banks witnessed history firsthand, attending civil rights meetings led by Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee leader Gloria Richardson in the church’s sanctuary and observing negotiations for the Treaty of Cambridge.

by Allana Haynes August 26, 2026September 14, 2026

Arts & Culture

Best Beats Issue #087

Best Beats highlights some of the best local music that has caught the attention of Baltimore Beat’s staff.

by Eze Jackson and Rhea Ramakrishnan September 9, 2026September 9, 2026

Center Stage opens its season with Preston Crowder’s hilarious and profane ‘Bocking’

“Bocking” is the first in a series of productions meant to foster a “cross-pollination of cultural experiences.”

by James Cobb September 3, 2026September 3, 2026

What’s Poppin’ Issue #087

Baltimore Art. Alive. Thriving. And waiting for you.

by Baynard Woods September 9, 2026September 9, 2026

The ‘Sacred Science’ has another way to deal with death

Kent McKinney’s new documentary, “Sacred Science,” explores an alternative to this illusion of immortality — confronting mortality through the therapeutic usage of psychedelics.

by Dominic Griffin September 9, 2026September 9, 2026

Baltimore Beat’s pay-what-you-can ads program

We know that algorithms make the internet a less reliable way of publicizing the great work local businesses do. We also know that people here in Baltimore are looking for ways to keep their money in their communities.

We hope this is a way that small businesses can feature themselves in the paper, keeping their services at the front of readers’ minds.

Suggested pricing:

Small businesses: $50 per ad

Medium businesses: $150 per ad

Large businesses: $300 per ad

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