Empowering Baltimore communities toward social change

Published: Oct 20, 2016

Humanities scholars, cultural organizers, and community representatives will gather on October 29 for a dynamic discussion about building democracy, fostering social justice, and improving Baltimore’s future.

The Dresher Center for the Humanities is leading “Baltimore Coalition Stories,” a community conversation about the importance of coalitions in the life of Baltimore. The event is part of the ongoing Baltimore Stories project, an initiative that shines a spotlight on collaborations of university, community, and non-profit partners in Baltimore neighborhoods.

The Baltimore Stories project has been made possible in part by a major $225,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is a partnership among the University of Maryland, College Park; Maryland Humanities; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Enoch Pratt Free Library; and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. The project includes a series of free, public programs that explore the way Baltimore citizens are thinking about the narratives that influence the life and identity of the city.

UMBC’s Dresher Center for the Humanities is a major partner on the grant and organized an interactive public event earlier this year that highlighted stories of identity, belonging, and activism from several Baltimore communities. On December 3, UMBC will host the project’s culminating event: “Reflecting on Baltimore’s Stories.”

“Now more than ever, it is crucial to consider the role of coalitions, forged across boundaries, in practicing public humanities and supporting the work of active and engaged communities,” said Jessica Berman, director of UMBC’s Dresher Center for the Humanities.

Complete event details can be found below. To register, click here.

“Baltimore Coalition Stories”
October 29 | 1-3 p.m.
Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church
1316 Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217
Light refreshments at 12:30PM

Building Coalitions Between Scholars and the Public: Shrinking Gaps Between Knowledge and Policies
Lee Boot, Director, UMBC Imaging Research Center
Lester Spence, Associate Professor, Political Science, The Johns Hopkins University

Internalized Oppression in the Classroom: Changing the Narrative
Jason Loviglio, Associate Professor and Chair, Media and Communication Studies, UMBC
Daria Baylis, Baltimore Speaks Out Media Instructor, Youth Photography Traveling Exhibit Assistant Coordinator & Instructor and Distribution Coordinator

Sexing the City: Building Conversations about Sexual Violence and Consent
Kate Drabinski, Senior Lecturer, Gender and Women’s Studies, UMBC
Kalima Young, Leadership Team for FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture; Lecturer, Electronic Media and Film, Towson University

Stories of Environment and Daily Life: Speaking to Science about the Legacy of Segregation
Dawn Biehler, Associate Professor, Geography and Environmental Systems, UMBC
Pauline Linthicum, Harlem Park resident
Yinka Bode-George, UMBC ‘16

Image: Baltimore Stories project logo.

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