From small rallies on Harford Road to much larger much-larger youth-led marches that traveled from the Convention Center, past the city jail and on to City Hall, hundreds of Baltimore City residents have joined together to peacefully protest and mourn the violent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 as well as the countless other black lives taken by the hands of police brutality and misconduct. This incident was all to reminiscent of events in 2015 when Baltimore was roiled by weeks of tense protests after the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who […]
Conversation With Mimi Demissew from The Pride Center
In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, businesses are facing dilemmas due to quarantine restrictions, travel bans, event cancellations, and so on. Baltimore OUTloud sat down with the Pride Center of Maryland’s Executive Director, Mimi Demissew, to learn about the latest updates on services, plans for the Pride Center, the status of Baltimore Gay Pride 2020 and more. Charles Smalls: How has the Pride Center, specifically the populations you serve, been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Mimi Demissew: The way that it’s most affected us is that we’ve had to close down our center to the public. One of the […]
Local Woman on a Mission of Empowerment
Each year, in the US, March is designated as Women’s History Month. The month is set aside to honor the contributions of notable women in American history. Many people use this month to not only honor women but also to empower them as well. One such local woman from Ellicott City, Izabella “Bella” Levy, reached out to Baltimore OUTloud in an effort to better connect with women of all backgrounds as she begins her journey to become Mrs. DC America 2020. Charles Smalls: Your platform is women’s empowerment and “radiating your beauty inside and out.” Who are some women who […]
Meet the Candidate: Kahan S. Dhillon
Real estate developer and social justice advocate Kahan S. Dhillon is running as an independent in Baltimores 2020 mayoral primary. Dhillon has made strides in building a vast network of citywide supporters under his work with the Baltimore Renaissance project. Baltimore OUTloud caught up with Dhillon to ask him questions about his plans to revitalize the city, LGBTQ involvement, and his thoughts on the state of current leadership. Charles Smalls: Many Baltimore residents were introduced to you back in 2017 when your organization the Baltimore Renaissance introduced a $10 billion plan to revitalize the city. Tell us about your journey […]
Meet the Candidate: Mary Washington
Senator Mary L. Washington is running in Baltimore’s 2020 Democratic mayoral primary. Washington, who was first elected into the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, made history becoming the first openly LGBTQ African American elected official in Maryland. Now she’s trying to make history as Baltimore’s first openly LGBTQ mayor. Baltimore OUTloud sat down with Senator Washington to ask her for her plans on issues faced by the city. Charles Smalls: You’ve spent over 20 years working as a legislator and an advocate for public policy in the state of Maryland. What’s driving you to seek the mayor’s office? Mary […]
Meet the Candidate: Akil Patterson
Community activist and former All-State Athlete Akil Patterson may make history as Baltimore’s first openly gay person elected to city council. Often credited for his efforts to reform state statues around HIV criminal laws and perhaps the first person to bring sports into the national Marriage Equality movement, Patterson is no stranger to LGBTQ issues and legislation. With state primary elections quickly approaching, we caught up with the 13th district candidate, full of questions about about his plans for reforming the 13th district and his thoughts on LGBTQ involvement in Baltimore’s economic infrastructure. Charles Smalls: Some people in Baltimore may […]