Betting on Hope: Black Baltimore and the Work of 2020

INTRODUCTION

Walking a city block along the bus route one sees benches inscribed with the proud phrase “Baltimore, the greatest city in America.” Once one of the wealthiest American harbors, Baltimore is a city marked by contradictions. Residents in many neighborhoods experience food apartheid, a menacing police presence, high crime rates, and poor health conditions. In other areas, the city’s streets pulsate with bustling restaurants, four-star hotels, celebrated universities and museums, and a thriving arts scene.

Baltimore is also where community leaders steer grassroots organizations to improve the lives of individuals left behind by government bureaucracies. Propelled by a sense of justice and driven by the hope that their community’s quality of life can be improved, these trail blazers stand up and stand tall for others, in kindness. 

Betting on Hope documents initiatives supported by Relief & Restoration Grants distributed by the Center for the Study of Religion and the City at Morgan State University. We invite you to experience first-hand accounts of people doing the good work, while coping with an invisible life-threatening virus and facing systemic racism. Their stories guide us along the arc of justice and inspire a sense of hope that the work we do together will shape a future Baltimore that we all deserve.

We invite you to experience the sounds, words, and images
of organized social action empowered by faith.

This exhibition is made financially possible through the generosity of the Henry Luce Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. We also wish to thank all the participating student curators, artists, and creatives.

Music by the Morgan State Choir