Around Maryland

In 2018, Angela Banks received bad news from her landlord: Baltimore officials were buying her family’s home of four decades, planning to demolish the three-story brick row house to make room for a beleaguered urban renewal project aimed at transforming a historically Black neighborhood. Banks and her children became homeless almost overnight. With nowhere else to go, they spent months sleeping in her aging Ford Explorer.

A store owner in Baltimore City accused an African American shopper, who was with his children, of theft and called the police. A security tape showed no theft and the parties later agreed to a monetary settlement. In neighboring Baltimore County, a man claimed his employer fired him after he failed a physical. Both parties agreed to settle the dispute for $75,000.

A young Colombian woman was told being an au pair was a “wonderful opportunity” in the United States — she could take classes and improve her English skills while working as a live-in nanny for an American family. However, after being matched with a family in Prince George’s County, the couple forced her to work long hours doing heavy housework, she alleged. She said they also gave her only cheap, mostly processed foods without permission to eat fresh fruits and vegetables they had purchased for themselves, and monitored her every move through a network of surveillance cameras throughout the house.

Just hours after family members gathered at a news conference to support an investigation into the murder of 16-year-old Deanta Dorsey, someone shot up their home in Baltimore early Saturday, their attorney said. Thiru Vignarajah, the family’s attorney, said four or five gunshots were fired into the home after midnight. No one was hurt, but several children were inside. Within hours, the family moved into police protection, Vignarajah said. It’s not immediately known whether the shooting was an attempt to silence the family as police search for additional suspects.

A new academic building on the University of Maryland campus will be named in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The college’s School of Public Policy will go by “Thurgood Marshall Hall” following a naming ceremony to be held later this month. The name pays homage to the civil rights advocate and litigator who successfully argued that segregation was unconstitutional in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. “This recognition serves as a testament to his legacy as an unapologetic trailblazer for justice and equality,” the Marshall family said in a statement shared by the university. “The inspiring work the school does every day to create the next generation of students embodies what was at his core —ensuring a more just and equitable world for all.”

A new audio-visual exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Industry is shining a light on the work of Baltimore City schools’ food service workers. The “Food for Thought” exhibit is a collaborative effort between The Office of Food & Nutrition Services for Baltimore City Public Schools and The Baltimore Museum of Industry, who teamed up with WYPR producer Aaron Henkin and award-winning photographer J.M. Giordano. At an opening reception last week, folks munch on free samples of actual cafeteria food like chicken teriyaki, mini PB&J sandwiches and cookies – all welcome departures from the Cold War frozen patties of yesteryear that many remember from their childhood lunches.

Before Alejandra Flores gave birth to her son, Creative Alliance was just a name in their neighborhood. Over a decade later, the Highlandtown-based organization’s classes and events have shaped Joaquin Miller’s young life. From his very first Great Halloween Lantern Parade to after-school programs and weekend art classes, 11-year-old Joaquin has grown up with Creative Alliance. “When he was born and we went to the first Lantern Parade, we fell in love,” Flores said of the procession of illuminated, handmade lanterns through Patterson Park that’s become one of Baltimore’s most anticipated Halloween traditions. “After that, we haven’t skipped one.” Despite Creative Alliance’s emphasis on the arts, the nonprofit considers itself a service organization centered on building community, especially in — but also beyond — Southeast Baltimore.

Maryland is widely recognized for its blue crabs and Old Bay seasoning, but if research into a local plant yields promising results, the state could become known for its spin on another classic: beer. The University of Maryland Extension, with help from farm brewers in the state, is testing whether a native Maryland hop plant discovered on a Frederick County farm can be grown at commercial scale. If successful, the project could be a game changer for Maryland craft brewers and other breweries up and down the East Coast, industry experts say. “We want this whole thing to grow,” said Bryan Butler, who is spearheading the research as director for the University of Maryland Extension in Carroll County. “My dream is that there will be a beer that people refer to, one day, as ‘the’ Maryland beer.”