Just Words

One grandmother in charge of six children - Lucille Robinson, a 69-year-old grandmother who is the sole caregiver to six grandchildren, tells the story of how she came to be in such dire circumstances.

Making ends meet on $700 a month - Lucille describes how, against all odds, she manages to support her family on only $700 a month. She shares her concerns about her inability to afford Christmas presents or food.

Why good kids go bad - Lucille shares her belief that many children are lured by the promise of making money on the street corner selling drugs as a direct result of the unwillingness of the local, state, and federal government to provide support to the children's caretakers. She describes the kind of support and recognition she wants from the government.

Exploited by the Orioles - Jacquetta Lyles, a mother of four and a day laborer at the downtown sports stadiums, describes the conditions she works under, and how she is paid with a money card that charges her each time she uses it.

A Mother's Struggles - Jacquetta describes how she is dependent on the assistance and shelter provided by her mother and great-uncle, without which she would be in a shelter. She also shares how she tries to provide her children with a happy childhood, despite the worries that plague her.

Standing up for her rights - Jacquetta tells how she came to become involved in the United Workers Association, and makes a passionate plea for people to stand behind her efforts to make a better life for herself.

The $50,000 hospital bill - Gloria Knight is a state-contracted daycare provider who is unable to afford health insurance. A bicycle accident left her with a $50,00 hospital bill.

Why home child care providers are important - Gloria discusses the social fallout that would ensue if daycare providers looked for alternative employment that provided benefits. She also shares her personal connection with a special child, a connection that encourages here to stay in child care.

Why home child care providers must form a union - Gloria discusses the benefits she thinks would stem from unionizing child care providers in Maryland.

The everyman of the inner city streets of Baltimore - Walker Gladden is a former prisoner who has devoted his life to saving young men and women in Baltimore. He speaks about the gulf that separates boys and girls in the 'hood from the rest of the world.

What the rest of the world doesn't understand about living in the 'hood - Marc speaks with community activists about the tremendous gulf that exists between their perception of the world and how they are seen by outsiders.

The power of love to change lives - Could love have the power to transform the lives of children in inner-city communities? Ray Cooke, an ex-offender who runs the program On Our Shoulders in West Baltimore, speaks about his belief that love can be a powerful agent of change.

An after school program changes lives in Park Heights - The home of Nargas Hyman is also the home of B Spirit, a homework and tutoring center for inner-city youth. But it's more than that: it is a bunker of hope in one of the cities most drug-ridden areas.

A young man struggles to keep on a path of success - Taveon "Bill" Nash works two jobs, 7 days a week in order to provide for his 2-year-old son. He works hard, serves as a youth mentor, and is an example of how youth in Park Heights can succeed if given encouragement and support. But he also illustrates the lengths that many working people must go to in order to keep everything together.

A young woman avoids the cycle of violence and defeat in Park Heights - This is the story of how 20-year-old Cierra has managed to rise above the cycle of violence and defeat in her Park Heights neighborhood.

Why the temp agency needs reform - 39-year-old Robert shares his thoughts on how the day laborer industry in Baltimore City is exploitative, and how he hopes to help reform it.

A waitress, a mother, a grandmother, and a student on what it takes to achieve the American dream. Becca is a waitress, a mother, a grandmother, and a student. How does she juggle it all? What does it take to attain the American dream?

How I got to prison - Terry is an ex-felon trying to live a new, positive life on the outside. But, he's still haunted by things that happened to him while he was in prison.

Love on the subway - When Terry left prison to serve his last 18 months on home detention, he didn't expect to fall in love—but he did. He also didn't expect to be taken back to prison—but he was.

Being HIV Positive - Terry reveals that he is HIV positive. He shares how he thinks he contracted the disease, and what he thinks it means for his future.

Getting a job with a record - Terry is doing everything he can to defy Maryland's recidivism rate. But things are hard in the job market for a man with a record.

Getting a job with a record - Terry is doing everything he can to defy Maryland's recidivism rate. But things are hard in the job market for a man with a record.

When the paycheck doesn't arrive - What would happen to your family if your paychecks went missing for three months? Annette Scary, a child care worker in Baltimore County, describes how this happened to her.

Pregnant at age 44 - The distance from living at home to living on the street wasn’t very far for Beth. An unexpected pregnancy was the beginning.

Homeless and addicted - More on Beth, who lost her job due to an unexpected pregnancy and began using drugs. This is the story of her journey through homelessness and rehab.

A reason for hope - Beth has survived through depression, homelessness, and rehab. What comes next? She shares her dreams for the future.

Graduation Day - Less than two months ago, Keonya was fighting for her life in Shock Trauma after being shot in the abdomen. Today, she reaches a milestone that many had feared she wouldn’t achieve.

A walk in West Baltimore - Dante Wilson had devoted his life to trying to save kids from lives of violence and crime. We take a walk with him in his west Baltimore neighborhood.

The children of West Baltimore share their dreams, fears - The voices of the young children that live in battered neighborhoods in Baltimore are full of optimism and hope, but also a chilling awareness of the fear and violence all around them.

How I became a thug - This is the story of Darryl’s journey into corner life.

How six years of prison changed my life - Six years of incarceration inspired Darryl to evolve in surprising way.

On being a father - Being a good father has become the most important thing in Darryl's life since being released from prison.

Becoming a community activist - Darryl is using his own experiences and his talent at connecting with young people to try and save the lives of boys and girls in the hood.

Two stories of rural homelessness - Carla and Donny have each had to live in the woods because they had nowhere else to turn. Their stories challenge stereotypes about how and why people become homeless.

Bringing the homeless into her own home - Carla describes how she has opened her home to the homeless. She often has several people living in her house or on her land. Why does she do this?

Why men die in the woods in Cecil County - Carla talks about the mental and physical health problems that result from a lack of services for the homeless. She also discusses the recent ACLU lawsuit against the town of Elkton.

Why workers at Camden Yards are suffering - Rose Menustik will be going on a hunger strike to protest working and payment conditions for the cleaners at Camden Yards. She talks about her experience as a day laborer in Baltimore.

Hunger strike - Why are the people who clean Camden Yards going on a hunger strike? Why did negotiations break down? Rose Menustik tells her side of the story.

Murdered son - Has the death of a young black man in Baltimore become irrelevant? This is the story of one mother, Lorraine Mackey, whose son was lost to gang violence.

Who is to blame? Lorraine Mackey is trying to make sense of the world in which her son was murdered at eighteen. Lorraine shares her thoughts on who is to blame.

What needs to change - Lorraine shares her ideas for systematic changes she thinks could help other people avoid meeting the same fate as her son.

The life of an addicted and mentally ill homeless woman - The lives of homeless people who suffer from addiction and mental illness can be grim, especially when state resources are scarce. A young, pregnant woman tells her story.

I robbed a woman at gunpoint - Omar is a young black man who narrowly avoided doing years in prison after committing armed robbery. He talks about why he committed this crime and the kind of person he was when he did it.

My son changed my life - The birth of his son on New Year’s Eve inspired Omar to make a resolution to change his life. But how? He had no idea which way to turn, until he chanced upon a brochure.

Leaving the gang behind - Omar talks about the delicate process of charting a path away from gang life, and shares his first tentative dreams for the future.

The 14-year-old drug dealer - Donny was only 14 when he started selling drugs in Baltimore. This is the story of how he became a drug dealer.

Me and the juvenile justice system - A few years after he became a drug dealer, Donny was incarcerated in the juvenile system. He talks about his experience in the system and how it changed his relationship with his mother.

What I learned about cheese - Donny talks about a program that helped him begin to change his stubborn and angry attitude, and tells a story that inspired him to approach life in a different way.

Leaving the gang behind - Omar talks about the delicate process of charting a path away from gang life, and shares his first tentative dreams for the future.

Raising two kids on $300 a week - Corrine is a young mother of two who struggles to make ends meet everyday. She talks about the experience of raising her children on a low hourly wage.