Female Trouble

After 72 episodes, Female Trouble is coming to an end. For this final episode, past guests of the podcast sent in voice memos updating listeners on what they’ve been up to since appearing on Female Trouble, and talking about about how they’d like to see the conversation around women change in this city. Here is a collection of some of the voices that made up Female Trouble.

Tracy Dimond writes about identity, chronic pain and the female body. Her latest work is a chapbook called “To Tracy Like / To Like / Like,” a longform poem about sexism, vulnerability and health, which she reads from in this episode. Tracy also co-curates Ink Press Productions, which specializes in handmade books, letterpress printing and experimental events. Tracy talked about the suburbs, the “sad woman writer” and how her background as an athlete informs her work.

We have a special live episode today from the Women of the World Festival. It’s a festival that Notre Dame of Maryland University puts on with a wide range of speakers and events, and last month, Quinn moderated a panel of trailblazing women in Baltimore. The panelists included Deb Tillett, the president of Emerging Technology Centers; Jamie McDonald, the founder of Generosity Inc.; Sheela Murthy, the founder of Murthy Law Firm; Dr. Leana Wen, health commissioner of Baltimore City; and Maj. Gen. Linda Singh, commander of the Maryland National Guard. These women made it clear that there is not one way to do things or to be a trailblazer. Links:http://wow-baltimore.org/http://etcbaltimore.com/http://www.generosityconsulting.com/http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/female-trouble/bal-female-trouble-leana-wen-20160719-story.htmlhttp://www.baltimoresun.com/features/women-to-watch/94718771-132.html

Today we have a special episode of Female Trouble that's not really an episode of Female Trouble at all. Baltimore Sun reporters Brittany Britto and John-John Williams IV are launching a new podcast called Melanin Pop, which sits at the intersection of race, pop culture and current events. In this preview episode, they talk to fashion expert Zoey Washington about all things royal wedding.

In 2016, Enoch Pratt Free Library president Carla Hayden was selected to head the Library of Congress. Heidi Daniel was selected to replace her, stepping in to manage the 22-branch system. Heidi began her career in children's and teen programming in Oklahoma City and Houston before moving into library administration. Before coming to Baltimore, she was the director of Ohio’s Youngstown and Mahoning County system. Right now, she is overseeing a $115 million renovation of the Pratt’s historic central branch. Heidi talked about the role of libraries in both communities and in her life.

In their own words, Outcalls are electronic opera queens. The band is Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish, who build on their classical training to craft soulful, vocal-forward indie pop. Outcalls was founded in 2015, and Britt and Melissa later split off to form the current iteration of the band. Last year they released the acclaimed EP, “No King.” Britt and Melissa talked about impostor syndrome, ambition and being comfortable with controversy.(Photo courtesy ofu160uLily Olsen-Ecker)

Dr. Kaye Whitehead is a #blackmommyactivist and an associate professor in Loyola University Maryland’s department of communication. Her research and teaching examine race, class and gender. Kaye hosts a daily radio show on WEAA called “Today with Dr. Kaye,” and before working in academia, she was a documentary filmmaker. Kaye is also the author of several books, most recently 2016’s “RaceBrave,” and an op-ed columnist for the Baltimore Sun.

For Sarah Walker, coffee has always been about more than just coffee. She founded Vent Coffee Roasters in 2013, with the goal of letting out the bad and taking in the good. Sarah has been the in-house coffee roaster at Argosy Cafe downtown since 2015, and in the spring she’ll be opening her first brick-and-mortar store in Union Collective, a forthcoming manufacturing and retail complex in Medfield. Sarah talked about the turning point in her relationship with coffee, the sense of community she’s passionate about cultivating, and bringing her knowledge back to Charm City.

Michelle Mendez is a senior attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and manages the Defending Vulnerable Populations Project. In those roles, she trains lawyers across the country on how best to fight deportations and represents clients pro bono. Michelle’s work in the past has had a focus on providing legal assistance to detained mothers and children. Michelle is a lover of Baltimore, and she talked about the current climate around immigration, how her beliefs have evolved and her identity as an immigrant.

Lor Choc brings together rapping and melodies to create her unique brand of autobiographical R----B. The Baltimore native came out with a mixtape called ----Worth the Wait---- in 2016, and is set to release her sophomore effort next month. Last year, Choc broke through to a wider audience with her song “Fast Life,” which drew national praise from prominent music publications. Choc talked about the times people doubted her, drawing on real problems to make music and what it means to be a Baltimore artist.

Robbyn Lewis has always been a public servant, but it wasn’t until last year that she held elected office. Robbyn represents Southeast Baltimore in Annapolis as a state delegate for Maryland’s 46th district. Before joining the General Assembly, Robbyn spent her time as a health care professional and advocate for sustainability initiatives and the Red Line light rail. She was also a member of the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association. Robbyn was appointed to the delegation after Del. Pete Hammen joined Mayor Catherine Pugh’s administration. Now, she’s campaigning so she can keep that seat. Robbyn talked about ending up in politics and navigating identity across the globe.

Jessica Hyman came to DJing somewhat accidentally. Known as Trillnatured, Jessica now brings her eclectic style across the East Coast and DJs a monthly queer dance party at the Crown. She’s also a member of Balti Gurls, an artist collective for women of color. Jessica talked about conflict, community and going from homebody to ruling the club.

Sara Autrey plays bass, sings and writes songs in the Baltimore band Wing Dam, a ‘90s-influenced guitar rock trio. The band, which includes Austin Tally and Abe Sanders, has put out three full-length albums, most recently 2016’s “Glow Ahead.” Sara talked about leaving her hometown, loving pop music and building a life in Baltimore.

In 2009, armed with a camera and research, Carol Ott began outing Baltimore’s slumlords. On her blog, Baltimore Slumlord Watch, she shared information about the owners of vacant and neglected properties, who she saw as contributing to the decay of Baltimore neighborhoods. The project found a wide audience, and Carol’s next step was a nonprofit called Housing Policy Watch, which works to create a more equitable city through affordable and safe housing. Carol talked about Baltimore’s vacants and history and the intersection of housing and public health.

For Jasmine Norton, oysters are a family affair. Jasmine is the owner and chef at the Urban Oyster, a mobile oyster bar in Baltimore. Jasmine and her family serve up oysters in a casual, approachable manner, whether char-grilled with buffalo sauce or fried up in a taco, at festivals, farmers markets and other events. Jasmine, who made her first appearance with the oyster bar this spring, talked about her inspiration, being a self-taught chef and why she feels passionately about seafood.

When Cara Ober created BmoreArt a decade ago, she was driven by a curiosity about the ways artists build their lives in untraditional ways. Founded by Cara and friends from grad school in 2007, BmoreArt is an online publication of art and culture in the Baltimore area, offering reviews, reporting and resources for artists and the community. In 2015, Cara launched a corresponding bi-annual print journal that explores Baltimore's cultural landscape thematically. Cara, who is also an artist, writer and educator, talked about how art, which was always something other people did, became her livelihood. (Photo by David Stuck/Style Magazine)

Jessica Anya Blau is insatiably curious about people. The author, who splits her time between Baltimore and New York, credits that curiosity with leading her into conversations and situations that sometimes inspire her books. Jessica is the author of four novels: “The Summer of Naked Swim Parties,” “Drinking Closer to Home,” “The Wonder Bread Summer” and, most recently, “The Trouble with Lexie.” Jessica talked about unlikable characters, feeling like an outsider and her unlikely path to becoming a published author.

With a passion for music and the environment, Meagan "Ducky Dynamo" Buster defies the notion of doing or being only one thing. At first managing and promoting artists, Meagan eventually started creating music herself as DJ Ducky Dynamo, and can be found bringing the sounds of Baltimore Club music across the country. She makes up half of the DJ duo Turnt, with Shawn Smallwood, and is also an organizer for the Baltimore City Green Party. Meagan talked about her loyalty to Baltimore, weather forecasting, the legacy of DJ K-Swift and connecting art and activism.

For Maria Thompson, education is the family business. With a background in textiles, Maria has worked as an administrator at Tennessee State University and served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Oneonta. In July 2015, Maria became president of Coppin State University, a historically black institution in West Baltimore with a history of educating nurses, teachers and other professionals. Coppin has struggled with financial problems and poor graduation rates, and Maria talked about taking on that challenge. She also discussed representation, becoming Coppin’s president in the wake of the Baltimore unrest, and drawing inspiration from the university’s namesake.

Everyone has a story. What’s yours? That’s the motto of the Stoop, a Baltimore storytelling series created and hosted by Laura Wexler and Jessica Henkin. Since its founding in 2006, hundreds of ordinary people have shared their 7-minute personal tales in front of a live audience. Ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking, the stories, centered around a common theme, aren’t scripted or memorized. Jessica, an improv comic who works in education, and Laura, a writer and producer, also host the Stoop Storytelling Series podcast. They talked about the inspiration for the Stoop, some of their favorite stories over the years and building a community.

FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture is an activist collaboration based in Baltimore that uses art actions to inspire difficult and honest conversations about sexual and domestic violence. Two of the people leading those conversations are Saida Agostini, FORCE’s Chief Operating Officer, and Shanti Flagg, Studio Director. One way FORCE upsets the culture of rape is with the Monument Quilt, a public art project that collects stories of survivors and their supporters, stitched together on red fabric. FORCE also is known for pulling pranks on Playboy and Victoria’s Secret to promote a culture of consent. Just a warning, in this episode we discuss sexual and domestic violence, and there’s some explicit language.

You might hate McMansions -- but do you know why? Kate Wagner does, and in wanting to educate people about the oversized, cheaply made and poorly designed beacons of suburbia, started a blog last year called McMansion Hell. On the blog, Kate translates architectural language into humorous criticism of McMansions using real estate photos, obscuring identifying details of the homes’ locations and residents. She also includes educational posts on the site, and contributes to outlets like 99% Invisible and Curbed. McMansion Hell quickly gained a large following, but was thrust into the spotlight in June when real estate marketplace Zillow sent Kate a cease and desist letter for using its photos. Kate maintained that the parody photos were fair use, and Zillow didn’t pursue further legal action. Kate talked about using architecture to approximate power, “House Hunters” and how the residential is political.

Wendy Osefo aims to bring a voice to spaces where it would otherwise go unheard. The professor, media personality and political commentator regularly appears on cable news shows like “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and “Fox ---- Friends,” where she often goes head-to-head with opposing interviewers and pundits. Wendy became increasingly sought after as a commentator after penning a widely read op-ed for City Paper on election night titled, “Donald Trump did not win. Hatred did.” As a visiting assistant professor in the Doctor of Education program at Johns Hopkins University, Wendy examines how race and class influence the educational trajectories of non-dominant students. Wendy also founded The 1954 Equity Project, which helps minority college students navigate academia. Wendy talked about her first-generation identity, holding people accountable and subverting expectations as a nontraditional educator.

Krystal Mack has led several lives -- most recently, that of a pastry chef and business owner. Krystal is the owner of Blk // Sugar bakery, which she has described as a food and lifestyle concept from the black feminine perspective. Blk // Sugar serves up treats like macarons, lavender honey pie and activated charcoal brownies, in addition to teas and other desserts. Before opening Blk // Sugar, Krystal was riding a tricycle around the city, selling pies and ice pops as the owner of PieCycle and KarmaPop. At the time of this recording, Blk // Sugar was located in R. House, a food hall that opened last year in Baltimore’s Remington neighborhood, but Krystal has since left R. House and is laying plans for the business’ next move. She talked about that decision, and about the confidence to step away from the things she loves. Krystal also discussed appropriation, the intersection of identity and business and why she started baking.

Donna Woodruff is the new athletic director at Loyola University Maryland, and the first woman ever to hold that job. Loyola, located in Baltimore, is a NCAA Division I school, and at that level, about one in ten athletic directors is a woman. Before coming to Loyola, Donna spent 13 years at Stony Brook University, and also worked as an athletic administrator at Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania. Donna is no stranger to the field; as a student athlete at Penn, she earned three All-Ivy League selections as a lacrosse player, and two as a field hockey player. Donna talked about fostering an inclusive environment as an AD, the challenges facing college athletics and what it’s like to be a first.

Ramona Diaz has always been an observer. Inspired by her upbringing, the Baltimore-based filmmaker tells character-driven stories that often highlight the diversity of the Filipino experience. Ramona’s documentary credits include “Imelda,” about the former First Lady of the Philippines; “The Learning,” which follows Filipino teachers in Baltimore City; and “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” which tells the story of the band Journey finding their new Filipino lead singer, Arnel Pineda, on YouTube, and Arnel’s first tour with the band. Most recently, Ramona directed “Motherland,” in which the viewer is a fly on the wall in Manila at one of the busiest maternity hospitals in the world. That film won the Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision at Sundance this year; Ramona also was awarded a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship. Ramona talked about representation in filmmaking, drawing universal experiences out of minutiae and the stories she’s interested in telling.

April Ryan has covered the news for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that she became part of it. April has been White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks for 20 years, covering the Clinton, Bush, Obama and now Trump administrations, and she contributes to CNN as a political analyst. You might know April from one of her notable interactions this year, which include an exchange with President Donald J. Trump in which he asked her whether the Congressional Black Caucus were her "friends" and whether she could set up a meeting with them, and also an exchange with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, in which he told April to “stop shaking” her head as he answered a question from her. That exchange with Spicer, along with comments Bill O’Reilly made about Rep. Maxine Waters’ hair, helped fuel a #BlackWomenAtWork hashtag on Twitter and in part thrust April into the spotlight. April has written two books, “The Presidency in Black and White: My Up‑Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America” and “At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White,” and she was named 2017 journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists. She talked about specialty media, how the national conversation around race has evolved and whether her role has changed in covering Trump’s administration.

Ingrained in her since she was a child, justice and equality matter most to Jill P. Carter. Jill is the daughter of prominent civil rights activist Walter P. Carter, and she now serves as director of the Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement. Before joining Mayor Catherine Pugh’s administration and taking over the office in January, Jill served as a state delegate for 14 years. She takes over the civil rights office at a pivotal time; Jill now oversees the Civilian Review Board, which investigates complaints against police, though police don’t have to heed the board’s recommendations. Additionally, the creation of the Civilian Oversight Task Force was one of many police reform measures mandated under the consent decree reached between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice, and part of that task force’s job will be to assess the Civilian Review Board. If that all sounds a little jargon-y, don’t worry; Jill talked about feeling marginalized in the Maryland House of Delegates, taking over an underutilized office and some of the early experiences that shaped her.

Writer Colette Shade is probably best known for a nonfiction piece she wrote for Gawker in 2015 about the Maryland Hunt Cup. Centering around the Baltimore County horse race that took place almost a week after Freddie Gray’s death, the piece highlighted the disparities inherent to Baltimore’s history, an area of great interest to Colette. Her writing, which has appeared in The New Republic, Jezebel, The Atlantic, Baltimore City Paper and other places, often examines labor, history, politics and material culture. Colette talked about how those interests developed, as well as about her time in tabloids and the novel she’s working on, titled “The Blessing of the Hounds.”

When Ateira Griffin was working at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, it broke her heart to hear about the challenging relationships between many of the students and their single moms. That, along with her strong relationship with her mother, inspired Ateira to start Building Our Nation’s Daughters in 2015. BOND is a local nonprofit that aims to strengthen the relationships between single mothers and daughters and in turn, strengthen our communities. For her work with BOND, Ateira won the Warnock Foundation’s Baltimore Social Innovation Journal award in 2015. Ateira talked about growing up in Baltimore, experiencing disparities in education and empowering Baltimore’s women.

On Natural Velvet’s new album, “Mirror to Make You,” the band puts forth female fury. Today on the podcast, Natural Velvet bassist and vocalist Corynne Ostermann and guitarist Kim Te come in to talk about their aggressively feminine music. Corynne and Kim make up half of the alternative post-punk band, along with guitarist Spike Arreaga and drummer Greg Hatem. “Mirror to Make You,” the band’s third LP, came out earlier this month, following 2015’s “She is Me.” Corynne and Kim talked about those albums, their relationships to the cities they grew up near, how identity and aesthetics shape the band and their very different musical educations.

Bobbi Rush loves music she can cry to -- and the singer/songwriter strives to make work her listeners will feel deeply. Bobbi was born and raised in Baltimore, and in February she released “Miles,” produced by Micah E. Wood, which marked a departure from her gospel roots. The daughter of writers and musicians, Bobbi talked about growing up in the church, being a hopeless romantic and starting over.

Located at the base of Federal Hill, the American Visionary Art Museum showcases works by self-taught artists that empower the singular voice of the individual. At the museum, which features a mosaic exterior crafted by youth at risk, visitors will find pieces like the outdoor Giant WhirliGig, a family of robots and a huge sculpture of Divine. In 1995, inspired by working with hospital patients with chronic mental illness, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger founded the museum, and she still serves as its director and principal curator. Rebecca talked about some of her teenage adventures, social justice as performance art and why she doesn’t like the term outsider art.

Caryn York, director of policy and strategic partnerships at the Job Opportunities Task Force, calls herself a workforce advocate. Most recently, that has taken the form of bail reform efforts. As reported by the Baltimore Sun’s Michael Dresser, in Maryland’s General Assembly session this year, Caryn led a coalition that opposed legislation, strongly backed by the bail-bond industry, that would have reversed a recent Court of Appeals rule that essentially says defendants can’t be held in jail because they can’t afford bail. The rule doesn’t get rid of money bail, but instructs judges to look for other ways to ensure a defendant appears for trial, and Caryn and the Coalition for a Safe and Just Maryland were ultimately successful -- the rule will go into effect on July 1. Caryn talked about her light bulb moment, her experience in Annapolis and what’s next for bail in Maryland.

Amie Ward will make you a vodka soda -- just be sure to tell her how you’re doing first. Hospitality is key for Amie, a bartender who worked at Baltimore’s Bad Decisions and Wit ---- Wisdom before taking over the Aggio bar program. Now Amie is the co-beverage director at R. Bar, which is inside Remington’s new food hall, R. House. Amie has had stints in athletics and academia, and she discussed the transition over to full-time bartending and what she has had to learn about branding herself. She also talked about field hockey, flamingos and keeping Baltimore weird.

Founded in February 2014, the Baltimore Abortion Fund offers small grants to residents in most of Maryland who can’t afford the full cost of their abortion care. Spencer Hall, the current board president, founded the all-volunteer organization when she was looking to get involved with reproductive rights and found that starting the service in Baltimore would lighten the demand on a similar fund in Washington. Annie Hollis, now BAF’s vice president, came on soon after. Funded entirely by donations, BAF operates as a helpline, and Spencer and Annie talked about some of the barriers, financial and otherwise, to people who are seeking an abortion. They also talked about the challenges of starting a nonprofit, dealing with burnout and fighting their inner Leslie Knope.

Michele Tsucalas didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. What started out as a baking hobby became a company, Michele’s Granola, which is made from scratch in Timonium and distributed in stores like Whole Foods and Wegmans throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Though the company grew organically, Michele talked a little bit about the challenges of starting a business and knowing when to continue. Michele’s Granola emphasizes simple ingredients, and Michele discussed trendiness and whether consumer interest in healthy and organic foods is just a fad. She also talked about how the local food entrepreneur scene has changed in the past decade, going from asking for money to donating it and how granola became her go-to.

This week on Female Trouble we’re doing something a little bit different. If you haven’t listened before, this is usually a longform conversation podcast with one guest that spans their life and career, and though this conversation generally fits that format, we centered it around a Baltimore Sun series that ran online and in print called Bridging the Divide, which is about the struggle to move past segregated schools. Bridging the Divide is a four-part series by reporters Liz Bowie and Erica Green that ran in March, examining the challenging redistricting process in Baltimore County, the struggles of a new East Baltimore school, the ways de facto segregation persist in integrated Howard County schools, and an experiment in the challenges and rewards of integration in Hartford, Connecticut. I’d highly recommend you go read those four stories, which we will link to in the show notes at baltimoresun.com/femaletrouble, and then return to this conversation, which is with Annie Milli, marketing director of Live Baltimore. Live Baltimore is a nonprofit that advocates for city living, and much of Annie’s work focuses on encouraging middle-class families in Baltimore to see the good in the neighborhood public schools they have often passed over for private schools. Annie and I only touched on a small part of what the Bridging the Divide series covers, with a focus on city schools and the series serving as a springboard for our conversation.

When multimedia artist and writer Jennu233u Afiya started involving herself with Baltimore’s community of young artists, something clicked: the scene was often very white, very male and not always very local. What started out as a Facebook message to a handful of people just to vent turned into Balti Gurls, a collective of black and brown female-identified artists. Since its founding by Jennu233u in 2014, the members of Balti Gurls have come together on social media and in person to produce what they wanted to see: film screenings, music and art showcases, events and parties. Jennu233u was born and raised in Baltimore, and she talked about her parents’ involvement in the local black arts scene and coming from a long line of creative women of color. She also discussed getting woke on Tumblr, collaboration, the meaning and role of “safer spaces” and her inspirations.

In 2014, Molly Tierney gave a popular and provocative TEDxBaltimore Talk titled “Rethinking Foster Care,” which examined an unchecked loyalty to the idea of foster care and the flaws of intervention. As the director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, Molly manages the city’s child welfare and public assistance programs, and she came to the city with some creative ideas in tow. After seven years leading the agency, Molly left in February 2014 to join a New York-based management consulting firm. However, about 10 months later, she returned to the department of social services, and she discussed what has changed since she came back. Molly was involved in a controversial program that allowed some teens in foster care to get a high school diploma from a Christian school in Philadelphia in a single day, which ended amid questioning from The Baltimore Sun in 2013. She talked about that decision, as well as her upbringing, unconventional thinking and what she wishes she had had time to say in her TED Talk.

Storytelling has been a constant in Wanda Draper’s life. The executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture got her start in journalism and has since held various positions in communications. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Wanda worked at the Evening Sun, and has also held positions at the National Aquarium and most recently at WBAL-TV as director of programming and public affairs. Wanda has been at the Lewis Museum since September, following the retirement of A. "Skipp" Sanders, and she talked about what led to her career change and what helped her survive in male-dominated newsrooms. She also discussed how she’s addressing some of the museum’s challenges, how Freddie Gray shifted the paradigm in Baltimore and commanding respect.

Joy Postell's sensitivity is her superpower. The singer, rapper and songwriter is an up-and-comer in the Baltimore music scene, who most recently released a single called "Consciousness" and an accompanying video, in which she plays the roles of icons including Angela Davis, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Celie Johnson from "The Color Purple." Joy talked about her upcoming debut EP, "Diaspora," and balancing perfectionism with knowing when to let go of a creative project. She also discussed her musical theater background, regaining confidence after facing a middle school setback, being raised by a musician mother and coming back to Baltimore.

Unify, reclaim, empower. Those are the goals of the Baltimore Transgender Alliance, which, in its own words, “works to uplift the voices of transgender and gender non-conforming people in Baltimore City.” Ava Pipitone serves as executive director of the alliance, and she talked about the meaning of those outlined goals and working to overwhelm mainstream narratives of trans people by telling their own stories. Founded in 2015 by Bryanna Jenkins, the Baltimore Transgender Alliance is a coalition of organizations that has garnered attention for events like 2015’s Baltimore Trans Uprising protest. Ava, who’s also a worker-owner at Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse, is a Maryland native, and she talked about her childhood and the ways her extensive travels have shaped her. She also discussed the so-called “trans tipping point,” the Women’s March on Washington and the importance to her of observability. (Photo courtesy of Tehya Faulk)

Diane Bell-McKoy is the president and CEO of Associated Black Charities, which is not, as the name would lead you to believe, an association of black charities. Rather, it’s a public foundation that focuses on addressing racial disparities in Baltimore and across Maryland with an emphasis on economic equity and the workforce. Before Diane came to Associated Black Charities in 2007, she was a senior fellow at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and led the nonprofit that managed Baltimore’s Empowerment Zone. Diane talked about our culture’s misplaced emphasis on heroes and sheroes, and some of the challenges that come with working for a charity with “black” in the name. A Washington native, Diane discussed the importance of building relationships in Baltimore, what it means to be a civic leader and pushing back against the limitations people try to place on her.

Liz Cornish’s relationship to biking started out of convenience, but now it’s at the center of her work. Liz is the executive director of Bikemore, an advocacy organization that works to improve bicycle infrastructure, policies and awareness in Baltimore. Before coming to Baltimore, Liz was somewhat of a professional adventurer and most recently, the first Women Bike Manager at the League of American Bicyclists. Liz talked about what that means, as well as the ways biking has informed her feminism. Liz touched on her somewhat unexpected path to bike advocacy, and how her upbringing informed her current work around neighborhoods. She also discussed addressing Baltimore’s disparities in access to biking, why biking is so polarizing and learning to take up space.

By combining haunting vocals, bass-heavy beats and elements of synth pop, Josephine Olivia and Drew Scott create the experimental dreamscape that is Blacksage. Josephine, an Annapolis native, sings and writes in Blacksage, which released their second full-length album, “Shivers,” last year. Josephine has been open about the arc of Blacksage -- she and Drew were a couple and now they’re not -- and she discussed some of the frustrating assumptions people make about her relationships and the band. Josephine is intimately familiar with the challenges women in music face, and she talked about some of the ways she uses Blacksage’s live performances to empower women and assert herself to public space. She also discussed her concerns for the Baltimore DIY scene, looking back on her earlier music and self-discovery.

Zainab Chaudry loves to subvert expectations. She oversees all Maryland operations and acts as spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, but there’s a lot more to her identity than that. Zainab was the first Muslim member of the Maryland State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and last year she attended President Obama’s first U.S. mosque visit. Zainab also contributes writing to the Huffington Post, Time and other media outlets. A trained pharmacist, Zainab discussed her change in career, feminism, her expectations of President Trump’s administration and staying motivated in her work.

In a recent Baltimore Sun story, Erin Cox and Michael Dresser reported that 41 percent of Maryland residents said the escalating opioid epidemic has directly affected them or someone they know over the past five years. That number comes from a Gonzales poll, and among Baltimore city residents, the percentage affected was even higher, at 68 percent. One of the nonprofits attempting to halt this epidemic, along with addressing other mental health and addiction issues, is Behavioral Health System Baltimore, and at the head is Kathy Westcoat. Kathy, the organization’s president, got her start in Baltimore as a dietitian, and she talked about what prompted her to interrogate and address the larger factors that contribute to public health. Behavioral Health System Baltimore acts as the city’s behavioral health authority, and Kathy joined the organization in 2015, after serving as president of HealthCare Access Maryland. Kathy talked about how her upbringing has informed her work, preparing for the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act and fighting the stigma around addiction and mental illness.

"The stigmatization of a woman taking power and revealing herself on her own terms, I think, can frighten people and make them feel uncomfortable," said Kay Sera, a Baltimore-based burlesque performer. Taking her name from Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera," Kay, who specializes in neo-burlesque, is empowered by such revelations. Kay discussed the history of burlesque and its Baltimore ties, as well as the power dynamics at play in burlesque performing. Burlesque is not stripping, but it’s not any better than stripping, Kay said, and she talked about the politics of making that distinction. Kay works with the Burlesque Hall of Fame as its head of communications and holds a day job, and she talked about the not-always-positive effect her performing has had on her 9-to-5 life. She also touched on inclusivity in the burlesque scene, evolving attitudes toward burlesque performing and of course, sequins.

Kim Schatzel is used to being the first woman to fill a role. She was happily surprised to learn that wouldn’t be the case when she became president of Towson University, the second-largest public university in Maryland. Schatzel, who has served as president since January and was inaugurated in September, got her start at a Ford Pinto assembly plant before heading a company that manufactured car parts. Schatzel described her transition to academia, where she rose from marketing professor to dean at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and then served as provost and interim president at Eastern Michigan University. She also discussed mentorship, addressing student concerns around diversity and social justice, the challenges of her job and her vision for Towson University.

By the band’s own estimation, Wume is an exercise in conjuring vibes. With April Camlin on drums and Albert Schatz on synths, the Baltimore duo creates groovy electronic pop with an emphasis on polyrhythmic structures. Wume spent their early years in Chicago before coming to Baltimore, April’s hometown. Always a creative child, April spent a lot of time in the background, and described the process of finding her scene and getting involved with music. It’s the visceral yet controlled nature of drumming that appeals to April, though she often found it challenging to get people to take her seriously as a female drummer. She talked about that experience, the diversifying Baltimore music scene and discovering her creative community in the CopyCat Building. April is also a fine artist who works in textiles, and she discussed the roles her art and music play in influencing each other.(Baltimore City Paper photo by J.M. Giordano)