Opinion: With the Right Reforms, Baltimore Can Break With Its Troubled Past

Baltimore is a charming city with a proud past. Fort McHenry and the city’s railroad network were pivotal to the nation’s victories in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The first gas streetlamp was illuminated in “Charm City,” and the first American telegram was sent to … you guessed it, Baltimore. But for all its successes, the city has been marred by endemic corruption and the long shadow of segregation.