Upton/Druid Heights is the first African American community in Baltimore. This neighborhood was the center of local Civil Rights Movement and was a renowned entertainment district. Churches nurtured many civic institutions such as the YMCA. Today the neighborhood is in distress: 58% of children live in poverty compared to 28% in Baltimore City and 10% in Maryland overall. 53% of households have an income less than $15k compared to 20% for Baltimore City. 39% of adults have attained less than a high school diploma compared to 23% in Baltimore City. There were 696 child welfare referral and 90 admissions to foster care in 2010. Despite these challenges the neighborhood has many assets including: committed community organizations, strong faith-based organizations, parks and green spaces, schools with new leadership, recreation center, and near UMB/UMB BioPark.
