Learn about BRACE's work
BRACE uplifts Black life in East Baltimore by caring for our neighbors, honoring our elders, fighting for housing justice, and more. Read more about our work below!
Housing Security: Houses to Homes
BRACE is rooted in the legacy of Middle East Baltimore as a historic Black neighborhood that provided a haven for Black people fleeing racial violence during the Great Migration. In the early 2000s, Johns Hopkins, under the guise of the public-private partnership called East Baltimore Development, Inc. (EBDI), displaced over 700 families from the Middle East community. This project disrupted the fabric of Black communities to create gentrified neighborhoods for predominantly wealthy white newcomers, while pushing Black residents out of their homes and neglecting their needs. Community residents formed the Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC) to ensure resident voices were included as much as possible in the redevelopment process. After SMEAC disbanded, BRACE picked up the mantle of fighting for the rights of residents in Middle East Baltimore.
BRACE's mission is inseparable from the fight for housing security in Baltimore. BRACE's team understands that in order to create homes for the vulnerable, there must be a focus not only on buildings, but also on people. More to come on this soon!
Food Rescue & Distribution
Twice a month, BRACE receives deliveries of fresh produce from the local Oliver Community Farm here in Baltimore on Ellsworth St. and from Matt Burke and Food Rescue Baltimore. BRACE volunteers deliver these nutritious fruits and vegetables to members of the community every other Saturday. We also distribute extra food to free fridge projects throughout the city.
Constantly forming and strengthening community ties across the Baltimore community with the mindset that "hunger has neither a zip code nor an address," BRACE volunteers ensure that nutritious foods continue to make it to those who need it.
The BRACE Podcast
Powerful interests like Johns Hopkins and developers are trying to drown out the voices of regular people, so we’re pushing back and finding out from residents: What’s the real story?
Tune in for compelling, in-depth, and courageous stories from people fighting to protect their neighborhoods. Our mission is to give residents of directly affected communities a platform. To not just participate, but take an equity role. The resident perspective will always drive the conversation.
Middle East Baltimore Memory Mural Project
The Middle East Baltimore Memory Project is a public archive/mural made in collaboration with Molly Hurley, Ky Vassor, community members and community leader Donald Gresham. The mural project honors the contributions of Benjamin Baylor Sr., Lucille Gorham, Pat Tracey, and Lisa Williams to protecting the Middle East Baltimore community from forced displacement and gentrification. The public archive contains over 150 historic images from the neighborhood’s various community organizations, present-day photos, and under highlighted leaders. Click below to access the archive!
