West Baltimore stands out in the popular imagination as the quintessential “inner city” – gritty, run-down, and marred by drugs and gang violence. With the collapse of manufacturing jobs in the 1970s, the area experienced a rapid onset of poverty and high unemployment, with few public resources available to alleviate economic distress. Prof. Alexander’s research focuses on children who grew up in west Baltimore neighborhoods and others like them throughout the city, tracing how their early lives in the inner city have affected their long-term well-being. The experience of Baltimore’s children who came of age during this era is mirrored in the experiences of urban children across the nation.

Karl Alexander is the John Dewey Professor of Sociology at The Johns Hopkins University. He writes the following: “My research tries to understand why some children, and some kinds of children, are more successful in school than others and how this affects them later in life. I am particularly interested in the role schools play in society’s system of stratification, and how youngsters perform in school is an important part of the picture. Patterns of social inequality from generation to generation in large measure are maintained through the educational system. ... Through survey studies of school age-youngsters, I try to identify features of the home, of the school, and of the individual that seem to promote or impede positive school adjustment.” Visit his webpage.

 

“Humanist Spirituality”

A growing number of people today describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” They yearn for something more than the mundane experiences of every day life, but without the trappings of dogma and bureaucracy. Hugh Taft-Morales explores ways humanists could best approach the word “spiritual?” Does it threaten rationalism? The founder of Ethical Culture, Felix Adler, said that spirituality is often “a synonym of muddy thought and misty emotionalism.” Or, is it a term we should embrace? Can naturalistic forms of spirituality found in Spinoza, John Dewey, and Carl Sagan enliven humanism today?

Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed “invigorating.” Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.

 

Four states in the US have legalized Death with Dignity, also known as Aid in Dying. Many other states in the US and other countries are debating this matter in their legislatures. Through the advocacy of a small group of volunteers and the national office of Compassion and Choices, DwD/AID is slowly moving towards an active campaign to bring the law to Maryland. Such a law would allow qualified health professionals to prescribe life-ending medications to terminally ill, mentally competent persons who have requested this option from their medical provider.

Catherine Weber is a retired Clinical Social Worker and until recently the Coordinator of the Maryland Action Team for Compassion and Choices. As with most who become advocates for this issue, she came to this work through personal experiences. Her story was recently published as an Op-Ed in the Washington Post.

Ellen Dinerman is a retired Licensed Professional Counselor and a long time member of the Northern Virginia Ethical Society. She has resided in Deale, Md. since 1997. She strongly supports the rights of individuals to have choice in end-of-life decisions and has recently become active in the Maryland Action Team for Compassion and Choices.

 

Olive W. Dennis was the first woman civil engineer on the B&O Railroad and in American railroading. Her contributions to the improvement of passenger service won her the unofficial title of “the woman who took the pain out of the train.” At a time and in an industry that could barely conceive of a woman doing a man’s work, this remarkable woman prevailed and left an indelible mark. In our presentation, we will meet Olive Dennis and remember her railroad legacy through the inventions, creative designs, work ethic, and the talent that made her ‘The Lady Engineer’ of the B&O Railroad.

Sharon Beischer Harwood is a graduate of Goucher College and a retired principal/administrator from the Montgomery County Public School System. The daughter and grand-daughter of railroaders, Mrs. Harwood lectures locally on topics related to the B&ORR – with special consideration of the lesser-known contributions of women to railroading. She is the wife of Herbert H. Harwood, noted rail historian and author.