Baltimore Beat

Baltimore Beat is a nonprofit newspaper and media platform that is both Black-led and Black-controlled. Our goal is to uphold the legacy of the Black press while embracing the essence of alternative weekly journalism. We provide reporting that concentrates on community issues, challenges existing power dynamics, and values meaningful interaction with our audience. We strive to reach everyone in Baltimore City, especially those with limited internet access and individuals from marginalized communities. Our organization is committed to fostering a future for journalism that is more fair, responsible, and thorough, ensuring that the narratives of all our residents are represented.

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Extreme heat in Baltimore prompts ‘code red’ alert, eviction pause

5 days ago | baltimorebeat.com | Logan Hullinger

Baltimore agencies have activated emergency heat protocols and halted evictions in response to dangerously high temperatures this week, marking the beginning of another scorching summer. Heat index values are expected to reach up to 110 degrees this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an extreme heat warning. The Baltimore City Health Department’s first Code Red Extreme Heat Alert of the year went into effect on June 22 and will last through June 26.
In Baltimore's drug war, 'public safety' comes before public health. Nearly everyone impacted is Black

1 week ago | baltimorebeat.com | Logan Hullinger

At first glance, it may seem that the War on Drugs has all but disappeared in Baltimore. The decades-long campaign decimated Black neighborhoods and fueled mass incarceration in the city under the guise of public safety. From more than 7,000 arrests in 2015 to less than 2,000 in 2024, the number of people being arrested for drug crimes has plummeted.
Letter from the editor - Issue 62

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Lisa Snowden- McCray

Welcome to our Pride issue. At a time when LGBTQ+ people endure further marginalization and even more inhumane treatment, we are especially proud to dedicate this space to all things Pride. In these pages, Baltimore Beat Arts and Culture Editor Teri Henderson writes about the “rapture and refuge” of spaces dedicated to queer life. “They are sanctuaries where folks on the fringe of society — the marginalized — can congregate, find community, and locate kinship,” Henderson writes.
Baltimore Government and Community Events 6/4/25-6/18/25

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Lisa Snowden- McCray

Wednesday, June 4West Wednesdays: Hear about the ongoing fight for police accountability in the Tyrone West case and for all victims of police misconduct. This event happens every Wednesday. For more information, go to westcoalition.com or follow @westwednesday on Instagram and Justice for Tyrone West on Facebook. Board of Estimates Meeting: 9 a.m. at City Hall in the Board of Estimates Chambers, 100 N. Holliday Street.
Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 6/4/25-6/18/25

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Lisa Snowden- McCray

Wednesday, June 4Wu Wednesday: Sounds of Baltimore DJs present ‘’80s through early 2000s hip-hop, R&B, and reggae music. 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at The Point in Fells, 1738 Thames Street. For more information, follow @wuwednesdaysbaltimore on Instagram. The Art of Comedy Open Mic: Join Comedian Ivan Martin, Dark Mark Rules, and Alejandro Labrada along with some of Baltimore’s funniest comedians for an evening of laughs. 8 p.m to 11 p.m. at Motor House, 120 W. North Avenue.
‘Naz & Maalik’ is a charming look at the intersection between homophobia and Islamophobia

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Dominic Griffin

While it might have been a more potent dramatic exercise as a short film, 2015’s “Naz and Maalik,” the feature directorial debut from documentarian Jay Dockendorf, milks much mileage from its central conceit — that to a nosy FBI agent, two young Muslim men ducking into an empty alleyway to steal a secret kiss look a lot like terrorists. The titular characters, Naz (Kerwin Johnson Jr.) and Maalik (Curtiss Cook Jr.) are initially presented as platonic best friends, just guys being dudes.
Finding Rapture and Refuge at Leon's of Baltimore

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Teri Henderson

In 2009, the former location of Fort Worth’s oldest consecutive gay bar, The 651, reopened as the Rainbow Lounge. Just over a week later, on June 28 — the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots — Fort Worth police officers and agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission stormed the bar. I remember seeing news reports of the raid on TV, another instance of violence against my various intersectional identities.
Moore Vetoes Key Maryland Climate Studies, Reversing Course on Environmental Justice Commitments

3 weeks ago | baltimorebeat.com | Lisa Snowden- McCray

Maryland legislators and environmental advocates expressed dismay after Gov. Wes Moore vetoed a series of widely supported climate and environmental study bills last week, actions they believe not only mark a sharp departure from his climate promises, but also reflect a breakdown in communication between the governor and members of his own party in the legislature.
Baltimore Braces for A New Artscape Experience

1 month ago | baltimorebeat.com | Grace Hebron |Logan Hullinger |Aaron Wright

A new date is just one of many changes to expect this year at Artscape. This weekend’s festival will have new installations, a divisive new location, and a redefined approach under new leadership. Unlike with iterations past, Artscape will take place this year on Memorial Day Weekend underneath the Jones Falls Expressway, its columns freshly painted with new murals to commemorate the festival’s new home downtown.
A second opinion on ‘Sinners’

1 month ago | baltimorebeat.com | Dominic Griffin

By the time you read this, “Sinners,” the new film from “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, will have made it through its sixth weekend of release, having crossed the $300 million mark at the global box office. It’s not just a rarity for an R-rated film or one predominantly created by and featuring Black talent, but one based on an original idea and not some piece of pre-existing intellectual property.