Ken Harris: Download

Ken Harris grew up poor and fatherless on the streets of Baltimore. He became a businessman, a community leader, a city councilman and a father who devoted his life to kids—his own and everyone else’s. Then on September 20, 2008, he was murdered allegedly by a 15-year-old boy – someone he would have tried to help. His goals, still unmet, have been adopted by many who share his concerns. WYPR’s Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith reports in this installment of the series, “Growing Up Baltimore.”

 Drop in Teen Homicide: Download

For several years, Baltimore has been ranked either at or near the top of major cities in teen homicides. Over the last year, according to police, the city recorded nearly a 50-percent drop in teen homicides – more than double the state average. But there are different opinions on why the reduction has occurred, or if it represents the beginning of a trend. In this segment of “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid filed this report.

 Crime and Punishment: Download

This week we’re wrapping up our series, “Growing Up Baltimore.” Today, we’re looking at a disturbing trend that’s emerged in the past few years. While Baltimore’s overall homicide rate rose slightly in 2009 – it has risen for young people. The average murder victim here in Baltimore is a child…between 14 and 18. The same goes for the perpetrator. This is a city where if you’re young, you’re more likely to be murdered than to die in a car accident. Where it can sometimes seem as if there are warring armies of children battling on street corners and alleyways. And where it’s a quick ride from your first trip to Juvie to a cell in the “Big Boys’” jail. To find out why this is happening we talked to as many of different people involved in youth crime as we could, cops, city officials, social workers, judges, moms and prosecutors and young people. WYPR’s Deborah George has the report.

 Local Students Face Arduous Path Towards Graduation And Beyond - Growing Up Baltimore: Download

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, someone with only a high school diploma is twice as likely to be jobless than a college graduate. And according to The College Board, college grads earn almost 50 percent more than high school graduates. Many of Baltimore’s 24,000 high school students struggle just to finish, let alone make it to college. As part of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore” WYPR’s Mary Rose Madden has this report on the path many kids take through Baltimore’s education system.

 Growing Up Baltimore-Economic Factors: Download

For many young Baltimoreans, the immediate future is bleak. According to the latest data of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, national unemployment rate for young black men is about 35 percent – more than three times the nation’s overall rate. For those 16 to 19, it’s nearly 50 percent. Many prepare to enter adulthood without a high school diplomacy, and have difficulty reading and writing. Many have criminal records. In this installment of “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid reports on the economic prospects facing many of the city’s young people.

 Fathers: Download

Since 1980, the total number of families in Baltimore has dropped from about 190-thousand families to 126-thousand, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Over the same period, married couples with children 18-years-old and younger have also declined from about 51-thousand to 21-thousand. That’s compared to the nearly 80-thousand families with non-married parents and single-female headed households who had childen 18-and-under in 1980. Two years ago, that number stood at almost 60-thousand similar families recorded two years ago. Many of these are families without fathers. In this part of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid filed this report on the impact of youngsters being raised without their fathers

 Harlem Children's Zone: Download

The Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City has garnered accolades for its comprehensive approach to tackling intergenerational poverty through education. As part of our series, “Growing up Baltimore”, WYPR’s Donna Marie Owens reports on similar efforts being considered here in Baltimore.

 Growing Up Baltimore-Dangerfield: Download

Tomorrow family and friends will gather for the funeral of Angelo Dangerfield, a 21-year-old resident of Cherry Hill, who was gunned down before Thanksgiving while walking his dog on the street – just a few doors down from his home. WYPR’s Sunni Khalid spoke with Dangerfield’s mother about the impact of yet another senseless homicide of a young, black man.

 Futures Works: Download

Many children in Baltimore depend on the support they receive from a variety of non-profit programs. But the recession is putting the squeeze on many of these programs. They’re facing stiff competition for grants and other funding sources. In this installment of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sarah Richards files this report about one such program run by the city.

 VIP: Download

Eleven years ago, Shock-Trauma surgeon Dr. Carnell Cooper helped create a program aimed at saving the lives of patients that he, and other surgeons, had saved on the operating table. Quite literally, Dr. Cooper and the staff of the Violence Intervention Program have gone to the bedsides of some of the victims of violent crimes – most of them young black men — counseling them to change their lives. But despite earning national and international recognition, the program is now in danger of falling victim to state budget cuts. In this segment of “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid reports on the cloudy future of the program.

 War Zones: Download

One of the challenges for the youth of Baltimore is getting to and from school every day. It’s been years since the Baltimore City School system stopped using traditional yellow buses to transport middle and High School students. That means, each day about 33,000 students can either walk or use public transportation. And, as WYPR’s Mary Rose Madden reports, it can be a harrowing journey.

 Trapping: Download

In far too many Baltimore neighborhoods, the passage from child’s play to the world of work may have serious consequences. For some, young people it means trading basketball and riding bikes for a potentially deadlier game. In this installment of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid sat down with a group of young drug dealers.

 Who's to Blame: Download

So far this year, twelve of Baltimore’s 201 homicide victims have been under 18. The youngest was fourteen. 41 juveniles suffered non-fatal shootings. More than 6,000 young people have been arrested this year. People ask what’s behind this epidemic of youth violence? And, parents, police, educators, and kids as well, ask “who’s to blame?” As part of our series, Growing Up Baltimore, producer Mary Rose Madden prepared this.

 Growing Up Baltimore-Hickey School: Download

For more than 150 years, judges in Baltimore have sent young people who run afoul of the law to the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School in Parkville. These days, the detentions at Hickey are relatively short term, about 30 days on average. But Hickey actually IS a school, as well as a detention center. The inmates study everything from math to woodworking. Education is critical in helping them eventually reintegrate into society. As part of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sarah Richards went to see what kind of job Hickey does as a temporary schoolhouse.

 Lead: Download

Every year in Maryland, hundreds of children are diagnosed with lead poisoning. It’s a serious condition that affects a child’s cognitive abilities. And despite a 1978 federal ban on lead paint, over 100,000 homes in Baltimore still contain imminent lead hazards. As “Growing Up Baltimore” continues, WYPR’s Sarah Richards files this report.

 Economic Decline III: Download

What employment opportunities are out there for younger Baltimoreans, especially those with criminal records but without high school diploma, skills and job experience? In this installment of “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid takes a look at economic opportunities for teenagers and young adults in the city.

 Economics II: Download

They are usually forgotten, but they are not unseen. Groups of young, able-bodied African-American men, mill on countless Baltimore street corners, forming part of a familiar, constantly moving tableau in many neighborhoods. Our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” continues with WYPR’s Sunni Khalid reporting on the inability of many local teenagers at-risk to find jobs and the alternatives they face in trying to survive.

 Economics I: Download

This month on WYPR News, we’re focusing on the city’s youth – many of whom are facing greater challenges than at any other point in the city’s history. Young people are told – stay in school, stay off the streets, stay out of trouble – and the future is yours. But, implicit in that is the promise that they’ll be able to get decent jobs and contribute to society. In this installment of “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Sunni Khalid reports on the economic outlook for Baltimore’s children.

 Growing Up Baltimore-Foster Care: Download

Baltimore children who are rescued from abusive parents–or orphaned by murder, suicide or disease – often wind up in foster care. And that can be either a blessing or a further tragedy. In this installment of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Karen Hosler has the story of a young woman who survived abuse, neglect and Maryland’s foster care system. She’s now determined to make life better for those who come behind her.

 Growing Up Baltimore-Overview: Download

For the past eight months, WYPR has been exploring the challenges facing young people in our city. Starting today, we begin our month-long, “Growing Up Baltimore,” with an overview of our findings.

 Dangerous Neighborhoods: Download

Many neighborhoods in Baltimore that were once stable places to grow up have been declining for years. Families struggling to keep their children safe, contend with rows of boarded up houses, trash, and street crime. As part of our series, “Growing Up Baltimore,” WYPR’s Mary Rose Madden reports that even a chance encounter with a neighborhood dog can be scary.