BPM Launches Maryland History Podcast Series

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, June 1, 2026 | 3:18pm CT

''Maryland Unfolded''

Baltimore Public Media will launch a new limited-series podcast, "Maryland Unfolded," on June 4, exploring lesser-known stories from the state's history as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Produced by journalist, historian, and Baltimore Public Media Senior Podcast Producer Mark Gunnery, the series will release new episodes on the first and third Thursdays of each month through 2026.

The podcast will feature a rotating lineup of hosts and guests, including Sheilah Kast, Marc Steiner, D. Watkins, Kalima Young, Ashley Miner Jones, and Gabe Ortis, along with journalists, historians, educators, and community leaders from across Maryland.

The series will examine a wide range of topics, including Indigenous life before colonization, Black soldiers who fought on both sides of the American Revolution, political conflicts between Annapolis and Baltimore, labor organizing, immigrant communities, civil rights activism, Baltimore club music, and Maryland's historic "Oyster Wars."

Additional episodes will explore political violence leading up to the Civil War, the role of Black ship-caulkers in Fells Point, the state's religious history, the origins of rye whiskey, and the cultural and culinary influences that helped shape Maryland and the nation.

Gunnery said the podcast was designed to highlight the complexity and diversity of Maryland's history through multiple perspectives.

"Maryland's history is so much more complex, strange, and interconnected than many people realize," he said. "And there isn't just one story of Maryland or one way to talk about its history."

The first season will also spotlight the legacies of former Maryland Poet Laureate Lucille Clifton and legendary jazz drummer and bandleader Chick Webb.

Craig N. Swagler, President and CEO of Baltimore Public Media, said the series offers an opportunity to connect Maryland's historical narratives with present-day issues and communities.

"Maryland has an incredibly rich and complicated history, and there is no single story that defines it," Swagler said.

"Maryland Unfolded" will be available through WYPR's website and app, as well as major podcast platforms.