United by Birmingham childhoods
When Freeman Hrabowski was 12 years old, in 1963, he was so inspired by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that he not only marched in the Children’s Crusade for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama, for three days, but he went to jail for five. When Hrabowski reached the steps of city hall, ardent segregationist and Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor spat in his face, picked him up and ... READ MORE
For Jayne Miller, the beat goes on
She “retired” last year after 40 years in front of the WBAL-TV cameras, but award-winning investigative reporter Jayne Miller says she’s continuing her “conversation with people involved in the news” via her weekly radio broadcasts. Being in front of the mike rather than the TV cameras “isn’t really reporting as much as it is informing through conversation,” said the... READ MORE
Finding joy again after a loss
Rebecca Gregory fell in love with ballroom dancing after she became a widow. It took her four years after her husband’s death to find a passion, but she’s glad she did. “I started the next chapter,” she said, and it has been “very therapeutic.” Gregory’s advice to others who have lost a partner: “Don’t get stuck. Try things you’ve never tried before that maybe you... READ MORE
Tutors help students succeed
Six years ago, retiree Marilyn Garcia moved to Columbia. Hoping to get more engaged with her new community, she heard about a local tutoring program called AOK Mentoring and Tutoring. “In my previous residence, I had been involved with a school and public library that paired volunteers with reluctant students,” Garcia said. “I absolutely loved working with the kids and seeing... READ MORE
Self-taught artist’s commission
Today, a former Baltimore mansion where enslaved people once toiled houses part of the Walters Art Museum. Inside, a huge mirror-and-ceramic mosaic honoring one of those workers has become part of the permanent collection. The Walters announced two major acquisitions last fall, one of which is this collaborative mosaic created by celebrated Baltimore artist Herbert Massie, 64. The... READ MORE
From circus to Broadway to jazz
In the beginning, at the age of 20, “The Big Broadcast” emcee Murray Horwitz spent three years as a circus clown. No, Horwitz didn’t run away from home to join the circus. During his senior year at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, while majoring in English and drama, Horwitz won a spot in a five-week Ringling Brothers circus course and convinced the school and his parents to... READ MORE
A second chance behind bars
Neil Roland’s students aren’t your average college kids. Instead of dorm rooms, they live in prison cells. Roland, 71, has tutored incarcerated people for eight years, starting at a maximum-security prison in Jessup, Maryland. Today, the Silver Spring resident teaches world affairs at the District of Columbia Jail through Georgetown University’s Prison Scholars, a program of its... READ MORE
From standup to news anchor
Some people enjoy a challenge. News anchor Tony Perkins — who started his career in standup comedy — is one of them. The first time he stepped on stage at a comedy club 40 years ago, the crowd erupted in laughter and applause. But the second time was another story. “I went back two weeks later with all new material and bombed,” Perkins, now 64, recalled in an interview with... READ MORE
Retired admiral tells her story
Sandra “Sandy” Stosz, 63, fondly recalls her “tomboy years” in Ellicott City before joining the U.S. Coast Guard, working her way up to commanding vessels and becoming the first woman to be in charge of a U.S. military academy. Newsweek named Stosz one of the 150 Women Who Shake the World in 2012 — six years before she made history by being appointed superintendent of the U.S.... READ MORE
Elevating new writers over 50
Did you know Baltimore is home to the only national literary journal and press dedicated to writers over 50? Launched more than 30 years ago, the journal Passager was the brainchild of Baltimore writing instructor Kendra Kopelke. Then 28 years old, Kopelke was inspired to launch Passager while teaching older writers at the Waxter Center, a senior center in Baltimore City. Their work ... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
