Unearthing Sugarland’s story
One day 26 years ago, Gaithersburg resident Gwen Hebron Reese visited the Maryland town where she was born in 1941 — at least what was left of it. Reese walked around the grounds of the shuttered church that had been the heart of Sugarland, established in 1871 by formerly enslaved people. “The church had been closed, and it was just sitting there. The door was nailed shut, and the ... READ MORE
Choral singers enjoying virtual technology
In March, when the pandemic hit, many members of a Washington state chorus fell ill after a rehearsal attended by a COVID patient, making it clear that singing in a group could be a dangerous, potentially fatal activity. So, Encore Creativity for Older Adults, which operates 22 choruses in the Baltimore-Washington area, cancelled all its in-person rehearsals and shifted to Zoom, the... READ MORE
Storyteller brings historical figures to life
When Janice Curtis Greene was growing up in north Baltimore, she often imagined herself portraying characters in Black American history. Fast-forward some 60 years, and Greene’s dreams have come to fruition. Now 72, she’s an award-winning Master Storyteller and author whose work focuses on the African American experience. Greene’s lively, rhythmic portrayals have delighted adult ... READ MORE
Conversations on race, culture
The new director of Maryland’s museum of African American history and culture has bigger things in mind than cataloguing or explaining events and artworks of the past. Terri Lee Freeman takes over as executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore on Feb. 15, at a time when the country is focused anew on the issue of racism. She hopes to involve the museum and its... READ MORE
Laughter yoga boosts health, connection
Four years ago, when author Slash Coleman was recovering from a collapsed lung, his surgeon gave him some advice: laugh more. Laughter would not only help Coleman move air into his lung, it would benefit his mental health. Coleman had stopped traveling the world for his one-man shows, moved back to Richmond, where he was born, and isolated himself for a year. Taking his surgeon’s... READ MORE
Women stitch love into blankets
They’re three feet wide and three feet tall. They’re colorful. Most importantly, they’re warm. They’re “love blankets,” made by the loving hands of Wilma Bowman, 87, and Shirley Wiest, 92. The duo sews them for residents of Richmond Children’s Hospital, the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, several cancer centers, and some nursing homes in the Richmond area. The... READ MORE
Appreciate tree bark during winter’s bite
“Winter has beautiful stories left to tell.” — Angie Weiland-Crosby Each of us has a favorite season and a special reason for choosing it. Winter is not often named by gardeners, however. In November, a gardening friend of mine was already talking about what she would plant in spring — she just bypassed winter altogether. This winter, I encourage you (and her!) to take the... READ MORE
Local author draws on her own childhood
In Richmond author Meg Medina’s latest children’s book, Evelyn del Rey Is Moving Away, two best friends face the sadness of separation but vow an enduring friendship. Daniela is a light-skinned Cuban American; Evelyn is a darker Cuban African. Their story, their ethnicity and their skin color are at the core of Medina’s mission: to bring to life the experiences of under-represented ... READ MORE
Radio host gives voice to new audiobook
“Afternoon drive host” Nicole Lacroix recently brought Classical WETA listeners Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dance #1. She then spent time in a shoe closet, recording a pandemic mystery novel. All in a day’s work for D.C. native Lacroix, 67, who for the past 20+ years has helped air the classics over WETA, 90.9 FM. She has also just completed... READ MORE
When someone nears a precipice, help
When his wife was alive, he was a rock. Government executive. Nonprofit board member. Husband/father/grandfather. Always willing to donate an hour or a dollar to someone in need. But then cancer took her. They had been married for more than 40 years. For a few weeks, he remained a rock: No, thanks, don’t need anything. Yes, going to stay right here in the house. No, won’t change a ... READ MORE
Arts 2024
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