PARK HEIGHTS: A COMMUNITY THAT REFUSES TO BE A NEWS DESERT
By MORELYS URBANO
BALTIMORE – For decades, many stories about life in Park Heights have been overlooked. Instead of coverage that reflects the humanity and complexity of this northwest Baltimore community, media coverage of the area is too often reduced to reports of crime, poverty, and neglect.
These surface-level narratives strip Park Heights of its dignity and distort the truth of what life is like in this community.
Behind the statistics of violence, there are largely untold stories of innovation, resilience, and pride in a place that has been largely overlooked by the mainstream media. Park Heights was once a thriving hub. It was home to commuter airports and trolley lines in the early 1900s. In the latter half of the 20th century, it became a refuge for middle-class Black families that were forced out of other parts of Baltimore by urban renewal and poorly conceived highway construction.
Photos by Mckenzie Curtis
Today, Park Heights grapples with a range of problems, from the lack of grocery stores to decaying housing stock. But an integral part of its narrative is its lack of access to indepth reporting of local news – stories about life in this community.
The stories that do get reported often lack a positive connection to residents, which creates a misrepresentation of its residents and has negatively shaped public perception of Park Heights for decades.
Mr. Wilford“ Herb” Monroe( right) coordinates with a young volunteer as they sort and organize food donations at the Langston Hughes Center.
Mr. Monroe works behind the scenes as tables fill with juice, boxes, and pantry staples at the Langston Hughes Center.
Nearly 40 years ago, Park Heights lost its last community newspaper, the Park Heights Community Voice. Its disappearance marked a turning point, leaving residents without a reliable place to share their stories, organize around issues, and preserve the positive history of their neighborhood.
This has caused residents to feel unheard, misjudged, and powerless in shaping how their community has been perceived, which is why many have now found power in community resources where they can reclaim their narrative.
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