My perceptions

           I tried to come to Baltimore with as few preconceived expectations as possible. I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting myself into, and I didn't want to add to any of my anxiety with having one set plan for what Baltimore would be like. Before coming to Baltimore this summer for SuperKids I have only been in the city one other time, last summer when my sister was looking at colleges. But then someone told me that The Wire was all about Baltimore, so of course I had to watch an episode. That was probably not my best choice, because then I drove into the city expecting a scene to play out right in front of me at any second. While that hasn't happened so far (thankfully!), the students in my class have taught me very quickly the realities of their young lives are nothing that I could have imagined growing up in a quiet suburb of Rochester.    I do find myself loving Baltimore, and every time I get lost (which is almost daily) I find another beautiful park or really cool looking store that reminds me what a cool city Baltimore is.

Perception

As mentioned already, people think of Baltimore and they think of danger, crime, poverty, homelessness, drugs and general nefarious activities. I moved to Baltimore from Southern Indiana when I was 11 years old and have lived here ever since(with a brief one year in Brooklyn, NY) and I'd be lying if those perceptions of Baltimore didn't hold some merit. However, I grew up in many of the same conditions as those living in Baltimore but it was in the midwest so to me these things happen everywhere and it would be naive of people to think that they don't. When we see shows like The Wire and other things taking place in Baltimore it's all bad and I think while it is in some ways accurate we need to focus on the positive stories that exist. Particularly of the people who live in Baltimore. I have been surrounded by so many people who come from the worst conditions and they excell and give back and are amazing people. I think the reason we don't hear about these people and the other great things in Baltimore(culture, food, locations, schools, etc) is because people on some level love bad news and until we cherish stories of success and greatness Baltimore's image will not change.

The Ugly Duckling

For me "The Wire"and "The Corner" portrays Baltimore very well, well at least a large portion of the city. Baltimore is cursed with high poverty numbers. As a young child I moved a plethora of times and personally spent Kindergarden through first grade with four different schools. Growing up in Baltimore there are no real positive males in the city well at least none of them cool enough to look up to as a young child that is promoted.

 I have always been able to look beyond the horizon of the smoke and smug. Baltimore is a great city with tremendous upside but is in dire need positive strong male figures.

If you ask  young male students what they want to be when they grow up its either rapper, football, or basketball player. Which is not so bad but are alot less attainable. Its just astonishing to me because we have one of the best doctors in world right here in the city (Doctor Ben Carson).

You have to give credit to the women of Baltimore because they have stepped up in a tremendous way. Ranging from the increase in the field education, their college enrollment increases, and even power positions like mayor ( Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake). But young male still needs a male figure but, when the majority of us are negative we produce a negative future for our males.

The Inner Harbor, Harbor East, and Canton are very nice but only hides the other 80 percent of the city in poverty. Growing up in certain conditions its almost impossible to even consider college. Even it is not the prettiest picture certain shows like "The Wire" should not be discredited but in turn be used as motivation to uplift and unlock the potential we all see in the city of Baltimore.

Tell Me How You Really Feel...

     I'd like to start off by saying I'm originally from Texas and that I have been living in Baltimore for almost 8 years now. Coming at a young age of 13, I think I have a VERY broad outlook on Baltimore that others wouldn't have, especially because I think I came at such a vulnerable age where your surroundings can play a major role in your everyday life, and this is coming from my perspective of my life to my perspective of others around me. Like Lizzy said, when speaking with someone who doesn't know much about Baltimore, automatically they think, "Like the T.V show The Wire?" and yes of course, not all of Baltimore is like The Wire, but it would be wrong if we said some parts of Baltimore aren't just like it. Just like how I am originally from Dallas, Texas and people ask me all the time, "is it like the T.V. show Dallas?" or, "Do you ride horses everywhere?" Seriously, it's 2013.
     Although The Wire is not a good representation of Baltimore as a whole, there is some truth behind it. We must remember that these dramas did come from somewhere and not entirely someone's brain. Now although not all of Baltimore is like the Wire, there are parts that people look over and take for granted; example, the Inner Harbor. People travel hundreds of miles to see the Inner Harbor which is a major tourism site for Baltimore. Also, we have one of the best hospitals and schools in the WORLD, Johns Hopkins University. People from all over the world praise and attend Johns Hopkins and its location is in the heart of Baltimore.
     Now everything we see isn't always how it is but I believe there is some type of truth in everything. During training week, you guys stressed the fact that some of these kids may come from harder backgrounds than others which is completely fine, but individually we have to look at each child's situation. My point is that ultimately, some people do become products of their environment while others may change because of their environment. I love Baltimore because the people and the city itself taught me so much, but we can not ignore the issues at hand in Baltimore to focus on the view of the city from others. We need to focus on how to make the city and ourselves better and how WE, the people of Baltimore, view ourselves and our city. We must understand ourselves before we let someone else try to understand us.

Home Sweet Home

While other people might thinks of Baltimore of as a scary drug filled, poor city, I know it as my home. To me, it poses all the things I think a proper home should. It is where I am most comfortable and I know my way around and 

There is absolutely truth in the way Baltimore is portrayed in shows like The Wire and Homicide, but that is not all of Baltimore by any means.  I know it as a dynamic, vibrant place with so many different, interesting people and I love that about Baltimore. Baltimore is home and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dangerous vs. Smelly

When I was younger, my cousin and I used to have arguments about which city in the US was the best.  He lived in Brooklyn, NY and so was a strong advocate of NYC while I, as a native of Baltimore, supported my own city.  Being young and not knowing much about our hometowns, we didn’t have much to debate except which sports team was better – Orioles vs. Yankees.  The key point I always made was that NYC smelled.  He consistently retorted that at least New York wasn’t as dangerous as Baltimore.  Even at a young age, we had this idea that Baltimore was a city full of crime though we had not had any direct experience with it ourselves.  Many of the adults’ views I hear are relatively similar to this oversimplification we had as children.

I think the connection we feel with others who are from our hometown should emerge through pride in our city and not self-deprecation.  Freshman year of college, I visited a high school friend at College Park and we had a conversation with a random guy in a coffee shop.  The reason I remember this conversation is that he asked us where we were from and when I said Baltimore he went on to dwell on the negative aspects of the city.  I felt as if this man was trying to commiserate with us that we were both from ‘poor, dangerous Baltimore.’  This was not the first time that I’d met someone who almost seemed proud of the poverty, crime, or poor public education system in Baltimore.  People sometimes get almost competitive about it and make references to the TV show The Wire.  While I think it is good for people to feel connected to others who are also from their same hometown, I think this connection should encompass the whole city in all its richness and diversity and not just the negative aspects.

"Baltimore...like from The Wire?"

My father's family has lived in Baltimore for five generations. My mom has always been involved with inner city youth and I was aware of some of the problems Baltimore is faced with. Some of the main issues that came to mind were hunger, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy. I grew up in Baltimore my entire life and when it was time to go to college there was no way I even considered staying in the state of Maryland. I  had this idea that I wanted to get away since I had been here for my whole life. I headed to College of Charleston for my freshman year. Although I wanted a new experience I was proud of my home roots. I remember introducing myself to a classmate native to South Carolina. When I said I was from Baltimore my classmates immediate reaction was "Baltimore...like from the Wire?" At first I was shocked by this girls response and then I began to think is this really how some people perceive Baltimore?
After a year and a half at College of Charleston I decided to transfer to UMD. My decision was influenced by many factors but there was something pulling me back. Once I came back I wanted to get involved and make a difference in the life of youth in Baltimore City. In my human development class last semester I learned that the best time to intervene in a persons life is when they are children and their brains are still forming. To me, education means power. If we are able to give the children of Baltimore the tools they need to succeed, they are likely to have a better chance at leading productive lives.

Sample Blog

Is The Grass Greener On The Other Side?

I have lived in Baltimore practically all my life. I went to elementary, middle, high school, and college here. As a native, I have been able to see a lot of progressive changes over the years as well as certain things I think will never be fixed. Growing up here everyone was like me; Baltimore was all we knew and not many people ventured in or out. But over the past 10 years Baltimore has become a transient town and we are becoming a desirable place to live.

For the longest time this has troubled me. I used to always ask myself “why would anyone want to move to this stinkin old town.” I blamed my city for being hungry, bored, scared, and alone. Every time things got bad I would tell myself “if I could just escape this town, my life would be better.” And that is what I did. I moved to several different states: North, South, East, and West. Every time I tried to escape, I would yearn for my home town Baltimore. Luckily, there was always this invisible chain that would bring me home.

Now that I am an adult who has developed deep roots in the community, I realize how naive it was of me to blame my geography. Life has taught me if you look for the bad and negative you will always find it. But if you look for the good and positive you will always find that too! I have chosen to stop looking for the mystical “greener grass” and instead work on the issues I can change. Although it has taken majority of my life to realize it, I love my hometown Baltimore and I hope you will to.