Katie Mitchell of Atlanta, Georgia, is a writer, reader, and researcher whose online bookshop Good Books ATL offers vintage and contemporary reads from Black authors. As of last month, Mitchell is the author of her first book titled, “Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores.” In March, I had the opportunity to speak […]
Posted inLetters From the Editor
Letter from the editor – Issue 61
When I heard that Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that an independent audit of Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that at least 36 police custody deaths should have actually been ruled as homicides, I immediately thought of Tawanda Jones. “Tawanda Jones, the sister of Tyrone West, […]
Posted inPhotostory
Photostory: Baltimore’s artists bring an urban oasis to the lot under the JFX
You wouldn’t know this just from looking at them, but the cement pillars under the Jones Falls Expressway downtown used to have murals painted on them. For this year’s Artscape, organizers commissioned 32 artists to bring life to the pillars again. While there was a suggested theme of “urban oasis,” artists had a significant amount […]
Posted inNews
After 616 weeks protesting her brother’s death, Tawanda Jones is vindicated by OCME audit
“My world ended on July 18, 2013,” says Tawanda Jones, of the night that police officers killed her brother near Morgan State University in Northeast Baltimore. Her brother, Tyrone West, had eaten dinner with Jones that night and borrowed her car. Within a couple hours, Jones recalls, she was overwhelmed by a feeling that something […]
Posted inNews
Maryland’s Sustainability Chief Reflects on a ‘Difficult’ Year of Legislative Setbacks
When Meghan Conklin became Maryland’s first-ever chief sustainability officer in 2024, the state seemed poised for rapid climate progress. With billions of dollars in federal funding available under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), decision makers were preparing to meet statutory mandates to […]
Posted inNews
Baltimore Beat story wins MDDC public service award
Baltimore Beat’s story “After bail reform effort, Baltimore residents are being held in jail at higher rates than before” won a public service award from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. The organization exists to provide support for local news organizations. This year, they received over 1,620 entries among 86 categories. The story, which was reported by […]
Posted inNews
Tyrone West’s death among 36 Maryland cases that should have been ruled homicides, audit finds
An independent audit of Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found three dozen deaths in police custody that should have been ruled homicides during the nearly 20-year tenure of Dr. David Fowler — including the high-profile deaths of Tyrone West and Anton Black in police custody. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office plans to review […]
Posted inArt & Culture
Your Pride, Your Story: An Open Call for Baltimore’s LGBTQIA+ Voices
As Baltimore commemorates the 50th anniversary of Pride, and in the spirit of the enduring declaration “We Will Not Be Erased,” Baltimore Beat is honored to dedicate our upcoming Pride issue to the diverse experiences and perspectives of our city’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. We invite you to share your reflections, stories, art, and insights on […]
Posted inNews
Trump DOJ eliminates funding from Baltimore violence interruption efforts
April in Baltimore ended with a historically low number of homicides. Five people were murdered that month, the fewest in any recorded month in the city’s history, ending a decade where the city regularly surpassed 300 homicides a year. “This is progress, but we aren’t stopping to celebrate,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. “Five homicides in […]