In his 1982 stand-up special “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip,” the comedian addressed stories of an accident he had with a pithy joke. In 1980, it had been reported that Pryor accidentally set himself on fire while freebasing cocaine. On stage, he referenced the many people who made light of the incident by […]
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Letter from the editor – Issue 64
It was always going to be just a matter of time before another interaction involving the police and a Black person in Baltimore ended badly. We’ve just seen three happen, all within the span of a few weeks. Bilal “BJ” Abdullah died on June 17 in a chaotic incident in Upton community. Police bodyworn cameras […]
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Dreaming is a movement for New Generation Scholars
In 1964, composer, pianist, and jazz royalty Duke Ellington was interviewed by Byng Whitteker for the CBC, who asked him where he gets all his ideas. Ellington responded, “Oh, man, I got a million dreams. That’s all I do is dream all the time.” His interviewer quips, “I thought you played the piano.” “No!” Ellington […]
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Best Beats 7/2/25 – 7/16/25
Pretty – “Chops 4 Breakfast” West Baltimore producer Shantele Pretty has gifted fans of golden era-hip-hop with a brand new beat tape: “Chops 4 Breakfast.” For those unfamiliar with hip hop, a beat tape is a project of instrumentals from a producer, usually given to a rapper for them to have a selection of sounds […]
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Baltimore residents are mobilizing to protect their immigrant neighbors from ICE
On June 11, as the sun bore down on an uncomfortably hot afternoon in Baltimore, four neighbors met under the shade of a tree on Ellerslie Avenue, a quiet road that divides Waverly from Ednor Gardens. Most were meeting for the first time, brought together by outrage over a Mother’s Day ICE raid just a […]
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Investigation into WNADA director Chad Williams’ misconduct quietly completed after Baltimore Beat reporting
A third-party investigation into workplace misconduct at the West North Avenue Development Authority has been completed, Baltimore Beat has learned. The investigation was launched after the Beat in April revealed numerous former employees’ allegations of misconduct against Executive Director Chad Williams dating back to 2023, including stalking and harassment. The article also unearthed that Williams […]
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Mother of Dontae Melton Jr., man who died in police custody, says the system failed her son
Dontae Maurice Melton Jr. died in the custody of Baltimore Police officers June 25 after he was restrained on the night of the 24th during a mental health crisis at the intersection of Franklin Street and Franklintown Road, where he asked a police officer for help. The 31-year-old father of two suffered from mood disorders […]
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City’s crisis response system under scrutiny after three police-involved deaths in eight days
Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen is calling for a hearing to examine the city’s crisis response systems after three Baltimore residents died or were killed during interactions with police officers “while experiencing behavioral health crises.” “The City Council has fought for years to increase funding for Baltimore Crisis Response Inc because we know that […]
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Before BPD killed a 70-year-old woman in crisis, a relative who sought court intervention was hindered by fees
Less than a month before Baltimore police fatally shot a 70-year-old West Baltimore woman who was experiencing a mental health crisis, one of her family members began the legal process to take over her medical and financial decisions — only to be stymied when the court denied his request to waive a filing fee. Court […]