The Running Man

Freddie Gray ’s harried life was too typical of young black men in Baltimore—until it ended

Illustration by Pierre Bennu

Photographs by Noah Scialom

The Case for Reconciliation

In the wake of the unrest, Baltimore asks itself: Are we ready to come together?

Who Can Save Sandtown?

Violent crime, unemployment, and addiction plague Freddie Gray’s neighborhood despite a strong community and tens of millions spent on revitalization. What more is it going to take?

Photographs by Patrick Joust

Fix the City

We went in search of the best solutions to the problems that lie at the root of the unrest: poverty, racism, disempowerment. Here’s what we learned—from local luminaries, academics, and experts, and from Baltimoreans who took the time to share their thoughts at urbanitebaltimore.com.

Illustrations by Tom Chalkley

Why Local Media Matters

When violence erupted on the streets, the national news media descended on Baltimore—and blew the story

Songs In a Key Called Baltimore

What’s it like to raise two young black sons in a city like this? As Karsonya Wise Whitehead says, it’s often infuriating, sometimes terrifying, and ultimately inspiring.

The Fire Last Time

In 1968, Fred Harris and the Kerner Commission saw this coming.

Voices Rising Up

Illustrations by Stephen Towns

For nine years, Urbanite magazine told stories about the city—its people, its problems, and its potential. Its last issue was published in 2012. But in the aftermath of the civil unrest that gripped the city in the spring of 2015, several members of the staff reconvened to produce a special issue, both online and in print. At this critical moment in the city’s history, we’re convinced that Baltimore needs clear-eyed perspective on its most intractable issues: racial justice, economic opportunity, and public safety. And it needs inspired solutions for moving past them.

Residents have responded to April's unrest in lots of different ways—with anger, generosity, hope, and sometimes all of the above. We’re asking our former (and future) readers to share their experiences and contribute their best ideas on how to make this city work better. What actions have inspired you? And what do you think Baltimore needs now to move forward?

Our goal is the help change the discussion from one mired in frustration and despair to one that is both realistic and full of possibility.

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Contributors

Publisher
Tracy Ward
Editors
David Dudley
Lionel Foster
Greg Hanscom
Copy Chief
Robin Reid
Art Director
Jason Okutake
Production Manager
Belle Gossett
Web Designer
Kristian Bjørnard
Director of Business Development
Jean Meconi
Senior Sales Advisor
Susan Levy
Marketing Advisor
Erin Becker
Editorial Intern
Garrett Schaffel
Special thanks to:
The Abell Foundation
Carl William Struever
The Open Society Institute-Baltimore
American Communities Trust
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Contributors
Michael Anft
Lawrence Brown
Charly Carter
Michael Corbin
Rodney Foxworth
Brennen Jensen
Taylor M. King
Lawrence Lanahan
Chris Landers
Joe MacLeod
Myra Margolin
Jim Meyer
Wes Moore
Sean Morrissey
Douglas William Garcia Mowbray
Cara Ober
Donna M. Owens
Gus Sentementes
Stephanie Shapiro
Martha Thomas
Tanika White-Davis
Karsonya Wise Whitehead
Chin-yer Wright
Art and Photography
Pierre Bennu
Tom Chalkley
Donald Ely
Chris Hartlove
Neil C. Jones
Patrick Joust
Noah Scialom
Poetry Editors
Ailish Hopper
OluButterfly Woods