Yesterday the Baltimore Museum of Industry announced the launch of a new podcast series that explores the history of the Bethlehem Steel mill in Baltimore and the nearby community of Sparrows Point.
The series, “Sparrows Point: an American Steel Story,” will be released on January 27th. The podcast is a part of the museum’s Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, a multi-year community engagement initiative dedicated to documenting the 125-year history of the steelmaking company. Throughout the six episodes in the series, BMI explores the role of Bethlehem Steel during the two World Wars, its peak in the 1950s, and the company’s bankruptcy in 2001. The podcast covers topics ranging from labor and unions to civil rights and gender.
Auni Gelles, Community Programs Manager for the BMI, described the many viewpoints highlighted in the podcast. “We wanted to tell an enormous and complicated story, make it accessible to as many people as possible, respect varying experiences and opinions, and show just how important this story is to Baltimore and beyond,” Gelles said in a press release.
“Sparrows Point” was produced by award-winning producer Aaron Henkin in partnership with WYPR radio. It was also supported by Tradepoint Atlantic and Maryland Humanities.
New episodes will be available each Wednesday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, NPR One, and most other major podcast platforms.