Baltimore Is No Ferguson
by Regina Gardner
Of all the recent examples of unlawful and/or immoral killings of black men at the hands of police, Baltimore stands out as an anomaly. Here we see the emergence of organized protests and commitments to make policy changes by blacks in the local Baltimore community.
The population of the city of Baltimore is 63.7% Black, 29.6% White, 4.2% Hispanic, and 2.3% Asian, which is very similar to Ferguson’s 67.4% Black, 29.3 White, 1.2 Hispanic, and 0.5% Asian population. Both cities have recently experienced riots and intense media exposure as a result of what many feel is unwarranted police killings of black males. However, what is different about the two cities are the events leading up to the sensationalized story, and the methods by which local citizens were prepared to react to the problems.
Unlike Ferguson, a faction of Baltimore’s citizenry were already working non-stop in a movement to reform local policies that directly affect the handling of racial profiling, police brutality, and other related issues that show racially disparate outcomes for black people.
This movement was sparked by the July 2013 murder of Tyrone West, brother of Tawanda Jones, one of the current leaders of the movement. Tyrone West died after being tazed, maced, and brutally beaten to death by 11-armed police officers. Ten or more witnesses and video footage reveal how the unarmed Mr. West screamed and pleaded for his life as the police continued to pummel him to death. The former prosecutor, Greg Bernstein, gave all 11 officers full immunity before even taking their statements. The Coroner stated that the final autopsy was complete, however, the family has never received a full written autopsy report. No charges were ever filed in this case.
Ms. Jones added that her brother may not have been killed if two of the officers, Nicholas David Chatman (who was reportedly driving with a suspended license) and Jorge Omar Bernardez-Ruiz been taken off the streets for the brutal beating of Abdul Salaam just two weeks prior to her brother’s death.
Watch this video:
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11294
To say the least, Ms. Jones was enraged and vowed to go to war with the institutions that refused to provide justice for her brother. Ms. Jones, who is a teacher and taxpayer, has been actively protesting and participating in marches since the death of her brother in 2013. Then enter the case of Freddie Gray, which only added fuel to fire that started in 2013. Ms. Jones simply continued the work she’d started before in partnership with the new Justice for Freddie Gray movement. She and other community members worked tirelessly to make an impact during the last election year. The diligence has seemingly paid off, in that the new state’s attorney, Marilyn Mosby was elected.
Ms. Jones endorsed Mrs. Mosby, who promised to prosecute cases of police misconduct fairly and impartially. Ms. Jones states she is happy with Mrs. Mosby’s initial transparency, but realizes the filing of charges against the police officers involved in the killing of Freddie Gray is just the beginning.
The people of the Baltimore community are addressing their problems with policing by holding events such as ‘Black Legislative Agenda Day,’ put on by Baltimore’s Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a youth-led, for-profit policy think tank. Dayvon Love, director of research and public policy for LBS, spoke on the need for citizens to be fully engaged in the legislative process. The group worked to draft an agenda, after which community members signed up to join groups working on specific issues to take to the state’s capitol.
Although there are some similarities, Baltimore is no Ferguson. It seems that African-American communities across American can take a few tips from the activists and community organizers in Baltimore. Many of the constructive events in Baltimore are good examples of how to pursue social justice for marginalized communities.
Sources:
http://www.usacityfacts.com/md/baltimore/baltimore/population/
http://www.usacityfacts.com/mo/st–louis/ferguson/population/
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
http://lbsbaltimore.com/lbs-hosts-black-legislative-agenda-day/
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