Podcasts

Baltimore author and activist Kevin Shird chronicles his 2017 meeting with Nelson Malden, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s barber and confidante, in The Colored Waiting Room. The book, published in March, gives a historical context to more recent activist movements. Shird reads some excerpts from his book

The subject of famous quotes spoken by figures ranging from Ernest Hemingway to Homer Simpson, beer continues to play a major role in America’s social and cultural fabric. Did you know that beer’s central role in our culture began even before the United States achieved independence? Graduate student Emma Schrantz writes about the intersections between the craft brewing industry, historic preservation, and community development. She tells us more about beer’s history in America.

What do we learn when we look at our region’s criminal justice history? The Reverend Dr. E. Scott Winnette, Senior Pastor at Rockville United Church, talks about the important history of the Frederick City Jail.

Every year, Maryland Humanities presents One Maryland One Book, a statewide book club accompanied by an author tour. Libraries across the state host programming related to the book selection. Thomas Vose, Director of the Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, tells us about the One Maryland One Book programming at the Garrett County library.

How can we experience the emotional impact of history and pass on stories of heroes for younger generations? Ryan Kaiser is a Social Studies teacher at The Mt. Washington School, whose class participates in Maryland Humanities’ Maryland History Day. Through a program called Understanding Sacrifice, he traveled to the Philippines to learn more about World War II and read the eulogy of a fallen soldier.

Last year, Emily Wilson became the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey into English. Public high school students in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County will learn about Ancient Greek history and society and create their own poetry, history projects, and theatre pieces in response to this translation. Amy Bernstein, the Project Director, tells us more.

How can planning with a focus on automobile transportation impact residents of a city? Graham Coreil-Allen, a public artist in Baltimore, dives into the history of Druid Hill Park’s infrastructure and the effect on African-American and Jewish residents. He talks about the lasting effects of the planning in the neighborhood, the need for physical access to the park for people who do not drive, and his efforts to increase that access.

Published in LA Weekly and Ms. Magazine, Baltimore native Jordannah Elizabeth returned home to teach after the Baltimore uprising. She talks about the impact of her mother instilling a love for reading at a young age, her love for the humanities, and their value for a young person in Baltimore City.

How can we trace cultural history through dance? What can dance tell us about belonging to a culture or nation? Breai Mason-Campbell from Guardian Baltimore, a dance cooperative that performs, preserves and passes on African American folk traditions, tells us more.

We know archaeology connects us to the past, but how does it reveal the humanity of our ancestors? Jane Cox, Chief of Historic Preservation for Anne Arundel County and Board Member for the Lost Towns Project, an Anne Arundel County-based nonprofit and recent Maryland Humanities grantee, tells us more.