Coppin State University to Host Untold Stories of Baltimore Week

Playwrights, Filmmakers, and Authors to Spotlight Baltimore’s Untold Stories at Coppin State

Coppin State University is set to host “Untold Stories of Baltimore Week,” a series of events exploring the city’s history, culture, and social challenges through the lens of its artists and thinkers, the university reported. Starting Tuesday, November 17, 2026, the week-long initiative, presented by The Underground Playwright Project (UPP), will feature stage readings, a documentary screening, and a book talk, all aimed at engaging students, faculty, and the wider community in a critical dialogue about Baltimore’s past and present.

The series kicks off with a look into the Civil Rights era and continues with a deep dive into generational wealth and concludes with a celebration of Baltimore’s narrative identity. These events are not just performances; they are platforms for historical analysis and community engagement. Coppin State’s Talon Center and Library will serve as the backdrop for these conversations.

From Sit-ins to Stage: A Week of Historical Reckoning

The week begins on Tuesday, November 17, with stage readings of two original plays. The first, “hand at my back,” is a work about the renowned poet and educator Lucille Clifton, written by Dr. Ali-Coleman. The second play, “Where You’re Told You Can’t Sit,” draws inspiration directly from the historic Read’s Drug Store sit-ins of January 1955, a pivotal moment in Baltimore’s Civil Rights Movement. The play was written by Joseph Campbell. The evening will culminate in a “Talk Back” session, giving the audience a chance to engage directly with the playwrights, actors, and dramaturgs to unpack the stories and their significance. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., with the event starting promptly at 7 p.m. in the Talon Center Atrium.

On Wednesday, November 18, the focus shifts to a contemporary and deeply personal issue: generational wealth. Coppin State will screen the internationally awarded documentary, “Baltimore Heirs.” This film examines the complex and often devastating problem of heirs’ property in Baltimore, a legal and economic trap that has led to the significant erosion of generational wealth within Black communities. The screening is a direct invitation for the Coppin community to engage in a historical analysis of housing instability, land loss, and their lasting impacts. As with the opening night, doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the screening begins at 7 p.m., also in the Talon Center Atrium.

The Underground Playwright Project presents the series and invites the community to attend the events, which will provide an opportunity for Coppin to engage students, staff, faculty, and the extended community in a historical analysis of housing instability, land loss, and the erosion of generational wealth in Black Baltimore.

Identity, Place, and the Power of Narrative

The week concludes on Thursday, November 19, with a book talk featuring Baltimore Best Author Award winner Albert Phillips, Jr. He will discuss his latest work, “Where You From?: Tales of Sandtown,” a book that chronicles the joys, challenges, and historical and cultural influences that shape the identity of young people growing up in Baltimore. The event, held in the Cab Calloway room on the 2nd floor of the Coppin State Library, will also feature a student-led Spoken Word session hosted by the CSU History Club, providing a space for the next generation of Baltimore voices to be heard. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., with the author talk starting at 7 p.m.

For residents of Baltimore, particularly in communities like Sandtown-Winchester, these events offer more than just entertainment. They provide a framework for understanding the economic and social stakes that have defined neighborhoods for generations. The erosion of generational wealth, as highlighted in “Baltimore Heirs,” is not an abstract economic theory; it is a lived reality for families who have lost land and property through systemic inequities, directly impacting their ability to build stability and pass down assets. This series connects the historical fight for civil rights with the ongoing struggle for economic justice.

Keep reading