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Leslie Gray Streeter

Leslie Gray

Leslie Gray Streeter is a columnist excited about telling Baltimore stories — about us and the things that we care about, that touch us, that tickle us and that make us tick, from parenting to pop culture to the perfect crab cake. She is especially psyched about discussions, no matter how big or small, that we don't usually have. Open mind and a sense of humor required. When she was a sophomore at Baltimore City College High School in the 80s, she met her first newspaper columnist, and thought ""Wait? They'll pay you to write about your opinions? Sign me up!"" And since then, that's all she has wanted to do, and mostly all she has done. She went from City to the University of Maryland and then up and down the east coast until she found herself here as the lifestyle columnist for the Baltimore Banner. It's a perfect circle and honestly she's directing the emotional movie montage in her head right now. There's a lot of Janet Jackson in it. At the Banner, she wants to build on the expertise she has gained as a staffer at The Miami Times (weekly), York Dispatch and the Palm Beach Post, with freelance gigs including writing about for The Washington Post, opining about grief for O, The Oprah Magazine, to weekly recaps of ""The Bachelorette"" for the Seattle Times. That's a lot of ground to cover, but as a Features writer and columnist for almost 30 years she has learned that we, as humans, cover a lot of ground, too, so what we read should, too. We are what we care about, eat, watch, listen to and gab over Twitter about, and it means even more when it's about where we live. And that's what her column is going to be. She is the author of one book, the memoir ""Black Widow"" (Little Brown), and an international speaker about grief, culture, parenting and a lot of other stuff. She is also a widowed single mom of one son named Brooks Robinson, because as she said, they're really really really from Baltimore, which they returned to in July 2020. She is a very slow run-walker, a fan of true crime documentaries and podcasts, and a bad guitarist who sings loud over the chords she can't reach.

The latest from Leslie Gray Streeter

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 04: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends The Paley Center for Media hosts Paley Honors Fall Gala honoring Tyler Perry at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on December 04, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images)
The real reason people are mad at Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle show
Meghan Markle's new Netflix show, "With Love, Meghan," shows the duchess making balloon arches and cooking in Le Creuset. How is that unrelatable?
Cat Bohannon is the author of "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution."
The female body has been ignored by science. ‘Eve’ shows why it shouldn’t be.
Author and researcher Cat Bohannon will be in Baltimore to discuss “Eve,” her nonfiction book on the intricate history of the importance of the female body in human evolution.
Tia Hamilton, owner of Urban Reads Bookstore, in her Waverly business.
The City That Helps: Baltimore rallies around Black bookstore under racist attack
Local Black bookstore Urban Reads has been habitually racially harassed, but Baltimore showed up for the shop in many ways.
Karen Huger smiles as she wears a hat and sunglasses during the "Real Housewives of Potomac" Season 9 episode, "A Crash Course in Deflection."
No one is above the law. Not even a Real Housewife.
Karen Huger of "Real Housewives of Potomac" has a lot of fans — and a history of DUI offenses. As she goes to jail for a year, it’s a reminder that no one is above the law.
"TBD" -- Coverage of the CBS Original Series BEYOND THE GATES, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network.  Pictured: Clifton Davis as Vernon Dupree and Tamara Tunie as Anita Dupree. Photo: Quantrell Colbert/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
‘Beyond The Gates,’ a new CBS soap, is Black and bougie — finally
“Beyond The Gates,” the new CBS soap opera starring a rich Black Maryland family, is ridiculous. That’s why we like it.
Equitea owner Quentin Vennie serves a matcha drink during the opening party for his month-long matcha shop pop up in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan. Now you, too, can try this Baltimore native’s drinks.
Equitea founder and West Baltimore native Quentin Vennie is hosting a matcha pop-up, bringing his healthy beverages to his hometown.
Children's book author Michelle Knight, seen here at a previous Black History Month Literary Weekend, will also be at one of this year's events.
Storytellers are keeping alive the Black history we don’t learn in school
A writer and communications expert created an annual literary event to celebrate Black history and the way it resonates in our lives.
Gary Oldman aiming gun at Harrison Ford in a scene from the film "Air Force One," 1997.
The best and worst fictional presidents in pop culture
Much like real leaders, some of my favorite fictional presidents are very good at their jobs and some are very bad. All are entertaining.
Mark Parker and Christine Parker sit for a portrait on their couch in their home in Baltimore, Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Pastors in love with the Lord, their community and each other
Marriage is not just a feeling but a commitment. The Parkers are the best example of that I’ve seen in a long time.
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Didn’t like Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show? Not everything is for you.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was not everyone’s cup of tea. That’s OK — unless you demand that it should be.
Why I’m logging off the dating apps this Valentine’s Day
As Valentine's Day approaches, some potential daters over 45 (including myself) are wondering whether they want to avoid Cupid's arrow altogether.
Historians and educators continue to highlight the relevance of Faith Ringgold, Henrietta Lacks, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Black History Month is under attack. We have to teach it harder.
Three local educators have found holistic ways to incorporate Black History Month into their lessons, despite increasing national pressure to drop such focus.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 20: Customers enter and exit a Target store on November 20, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Target falls 22% after sales and earnings came short of analysts expectations. The retail giant continues struggling to gain leverage and momentum with inflation-weary consumers.
Boycotting Target because of its DEI policies is going to hurt. That’s the point.
As Target steps away from its DEI initiatives, some former devotees are stepping away from the store.
Baltimore County electrician Ben Frisone is the star of "The Joe Schmo Show" on TBS.
Reality TV’s newest star: A Baltimore County electrician
Baltimore County electrician Ben Frisone stars in “The Joe Schmo Show,” a fake reality show on TBS. In actually, he’s just a nice dude.
This snowman in Wyman Park gets it.
In a literal winter of discontent, look to poets for warmth
Looking for inspiration through this terrible cold season, we looked to local poets for warmth.
KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 26: Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets former first lady Michelle Obama during a campaign rally at the Wings Event Center on October 26, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Vice President Harris will be campaigning today with former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama in the battleground swing state of Michigan. With 10 days remaining, Harris continues campaigning against Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the November 5 election.  (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Black women are finally putting themselves first
After Kamala Harris’ loss, some Black women, who for years have been touted as the backbone of democracy, are throwing off that load for someone else to bear.
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.
An MLK Day music, TV and movie playlist to celebrate civil and human rights
I’m using the arts of civil and human rights in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. and Stevie Wonder to block out the anxiety of today.
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: Khaled Fouad (L) and Mimi Laine (R) embrace as they inspect a family member's property that was destroyed by Eaton Fire on January 09, 2025 in Altadena, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
I felt sorry for myself after my house was damaged. Then L.A. started burning down.
My family was displaced from our home for two weeks. The Los Angeles wildfires remind me how lucky we are to have a home to return to.
"Wrangling the Doubt Monster" author Amy L. Bernstein.
This local author wants you to drown your creative doubts with a flood of joy. Here’s how.
Local author Amy L. Bernstein wants you to feed your starving creative soul by wrangling your doubt monster.
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 10:  Lamar Jackson of the Louisville Cardinals poses for a photo with his mother, Felicia Jones, after being named the 82nd Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner during the 2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis on December 10, 2016 in New York City.
Lamar Jackson is 4-0 after his mom cussed him out. That’s A+ parenting.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said his mother cussed him out after a loss. It's complicated, but as a Black mother raised by a Black mother, I get it.
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