There have been whispers about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (also known as ICE) expanding their reach into Maryland for some time. Under President Donald Trump, the agency, which has existed since the early 2000s, has more power and a much larger budget.
According to the American Immigration Council, there have already been six deaths in ICE custody and two fatal shootings this year. They have also broken up families, separating children from their parents.
As the power and reach of the federal agency only grows, so arises the moral choice we all must answer: are you willing to help your neighbor, or do you choose to stay silent?
“Failing to hold the line against fascism and authoritarianism only ensures more harm,” Matt Parsons, a community lawyer at Baltimore Action Legal Team, told reporter Jaisal Noor in his story for this issue. “You can’t assume putting your head down will prevent confrontation.”
Noor’s story explores the way Baltimore institutions are readying themselves and their staff for increased ICE presence.
“Advocates say workplaces have a responsibility to ground their policies in defending the communities they serve — not simply complying with enforcement,” Noor writes. “And many are still searching for ways to support their neighbors in the face of increased enforcement.”
Life has never been easy, but music makes things more bearable. In this issue, writer and photographer Shae McCoy documents the meditative nature of Basement Selector’s “The Evening Ritual.”
The listening series, founded by John Canale, creates space for attendees to ingest and interact with soul and R&B classics like Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall,” Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions,” and Solange’s “A Seat at the Table.”
As the power and reach of the federal agency only grows, so arises the moral choice we all must answer: are you willing to help your neighbor, or do you choose to stay silent?
“Canale says that the most rewarding part of this experience is the post-listening discussion,” McCoy writes. “Hearing attendees unpack lyrics, production choices, and emotional connection they have to the particular album. The conversation shows that people weren’t just present, but they were also engaged.”
Baltimore has always known how important it is to dance your pain away. A trio of DJs are growing an event that makes it easy to do just that.
Tromac, DJ-SUN, and Flotussin’s BREAK A LEG revels in the power and energy of Baltimore Club music.
“As the genre continues to expand and speak to people around the world, Club music remains forever connected to the authenticity and realness of Baltimore, something a large part of the world is now yearning for,” writes Kylynn Couture.
In Best Beats, we review a few new Baltimore Club releases. Couture writes about Baltimore-based producer Ron James’ “I Love Baltimore Club, Vol 1,” Chinarose Riley reviews Girlypop Princess’ “FEMME FATALE CLUB KIT VOL.1,” and Derick Little Jr. listens to Ducky Dynamo’s “Feathers 2.0.”
Also in this issue, Bry Reed and Alycia “Web” Webster tell us which Maryland players to watch during this year’s March Madness basketball tournament.
“As a shameless champion of Baltimoreans and Marylanders who ball, watching the world fall in love with a hometown kid is what the NCAA tournament is all about for me. I’m not a bracket fanatic, but I prioritize my monthlong loyalty based on which teams have the biggest hometown factor,” Reed writes.
Film critic Dominic Griffin takes us back to the 90s and a time when MTV was king for his review of Hype Williams’ first and only film “Belly.”
Often dismissed as a piece of art that’s better to watch with the sound off, Griffin says the film gets better with age.
“The effort and resources that went into the opening sequence alone reap enough dividends to outweigh any other gripes,” he writes. “‘Belly’ opens with a black-light lit heist in a night club meticulously arranged to the acapella of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” immediately establishing the film’s unique energy. Throughout the film, Williams and cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed capture production designer Regan Jackson’s moodboard-worthy environs with the kind of vivid framing that’s still being rediscovered on Tumblr and Pinterest by young creatives who’ve likely never seen it.”
In this issue, you’ll also find April tarotscopes, our takes on the best events happening in the area, and photos of live music from all around Baltimore.
Thank you for reading.