News Archive

A Cut of Jazz in the Square, 2022

a woman in a long red coat and jazz band performing on stage over a Billie Holiday banner

“Man, I know what you are trying to do!” With those words, Ray Rice, a lifelong resident of Sandtown, congratulated Professor Lawrence Jackson, the director of the Billie Holiday Center […]

Inheritance Baltimore Welcomes Seven New Fellows

group of young fellows smiling

Seven new fellows and one Elder in Residence are joining Inheritance Baltimore to support the work of the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts. The fellows will focus on different […]

Anna Deavere Smith speaks to the beauty of Baltimore

Following her rich performance highlighting Baltimore’s historic Black neighborhood’s, dramatist Anna Deveare Smith discusses her city origins with BHCLA Founder Lawrence Jackson Check out the full article click here.

A Space for Reflection and Celebration

Johns Hopkins and the Baltimore community commemorated Juneteenth with an event on the Beach featuring music, dance, and spoken word performances. The celebration was hosted by the Billie Holiday Center […]

Join us this Friday! Juneteenth Celebration at Homewood on June 17th

Coming this Friday: Take a mid-day break from 12 – 2 pm to celebrate Juneteenth with the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, in partnership with the Krieger School Office […]

Opportunity to support students at Loyola Blakefield

The Nathaniel Jackson, Jr. Memorial Book Fund will provide vouchers to Loyola Blakefield students of color with financial needs from Baltimore City for academic textbooks and electronic files. Fees for textbooks […]

Anna Deavere Smith highlights the beauty of Baltimore

In a lecture hosted by Billie Holiday Center, Baltimore-born dramatist Smith described a light that comes from the city and its people, even amidst ongoing societal struggles

Lawrence Jackson’s The Washington Post story: “A Black professor in Baltimore, bridging two worlds”

Shelter Book Cover

By Michael A. Fletcher Baltimore’s hardscrabble Park Heights neighborhood is maybe five miles from stately Homeland, but when it comes to lived reality it is a world away. The same […]

Save the Date! Juneteenth at Homewood: June 17th

JUNETEENTH 2022

Coming this June: Take a mid-day break from 12 – 2pm to celebrate Juneteenth with the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, in partnership with the Krieger School Office of […]

An Evening to Remember: BHCLA’s 2nd Annual Donald Bentley Distinguished Memorial Lecture

BHCLA's 2nd Annual Donald Bentley Distinguished Memorial Lecture

Actress, playwright, teacher, and author Anna Deavere Smith headlined our 2022 Donald Bentley Distinguished Memorial Lecture at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Special thanks to our event partners and community co-sponsors: BMA, Beloved […]