A New Baltimore For Freddie Gray [EDITORIAL] - Page 2

Baltimore is considerably calmer in the days since the so-called riots that broke out last Monday (April 27), yet an ominous haze still hangs over the city despite recent developments in the Freddie Gray case. From Monday to Friday, I was there to report on what was transpiring and observed varying expression of anger, passion, and even hope.

Baltimore is a city divided into neighborhoods that are almost self-contained, with very clear lines of the haves and have-nots. I was told that the hipster-friendly and generally police free neighborhood of Hampden was infamous for forcing Black folks out in times past. Canton, another neighborhood where Black folks are rarely seen, is one of the many gentrifying areas across Baltimore that also faced none of the distress of the protests or overbearing quasi-military presence.

On social media, photos of these sections and their relative lack of unrest revealed what many know about the imbalance of racial equality that has long existed there. The same was true for Federal Hill, Charles Village, Mt. Washington and other such neighborhoods. The middle to upper-middle-class residents of these places were never exposed to the overall tensions that threatened to rip apart the city.

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Photo: D.L. Chandler/Hip-Hop Wired

That wasn’t true for much of West Baltimore, the epicenter of many of the disturbances and stand-offs with the police. The Penn North section and near Mondawmin Mall, evidence of the despair, frustration and reaction to the death of Gray was present all around. At the corner of North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, the looted stores and burned-out CVS store highlighted why so many news outlets flocked to the area. Torn apart by the protests and flooded with just as many onlookers as media, it was an uncomfortable reminder of where things have progressed.

Distrust of the media was also the order of the day, with several people refusing to speak with me or other reporters. As shared with me by a prominent Black television journalist who I’ll not name, it was a battle to get anyone to speak without a barrage of curse words aimed at them from the subject they were interviewing. Many Baltimoreans saw us as invaders or voyeurs and thanks to actions of some veteran reporters who should know better, that was rightfully so.

It was unfortunate to see what happened in the streets, the looting and such, but it was understood even by community leaders and activists who were largely against it. Many of those leaders expressed to the young demonstrators that their vigor was needed but tried to impart upon them that their approach would do more harm than good. There were intense exchanges just outside of the New Shiloh Baptist Church Monday night where Gray was buried earlier in the day, and at the conclusion of church-sponsored peace march, someone set a vehicle on fire possibly in defiance of the agreements that were just made.

On Monday night as I was leaving the city to return home, I happened to drive up North Avenue to head past Coppin State University and make my way west. I drove right in the middle of folks looting, breaking windows, and setting vehicles on fire. I couldn’t make out the faces, but several young men and women were laughing as they destroyed storefronts and made off with whatever they could. At one point, a man carrying some small silver object in his hand tried to open my car door.  It was a frightening moment and I wonder what would have happened if I didn’t remember to lock my doors when I drove from Penn North.

Undeterred, I returned to the area daily and witnessed firsthand the opening night of the week-long curfew instituted by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Community activist Deray Mckesson was one of several people in the area who flooded the streets as police helicopters flew about overhead. Maryland congressman and Baltimore resident Elijah Cummings pleaded to the crowd to disperse ahead of the 10:00 p.m. curfew, and he was met with a chorus of F-bombs and other choice words. The crowd began to push forward and face off with the National Guard and police troops in the area.

The police helicopter speakers blared out a warning about the curfew and demanded everyone to go home. That only served to agitate the crowd more and they continued to press forward. I drove away and saw some manner of gas coming from the middle of the intersection. Cops began making their way towards me so I hopped in my car and sped off. I tried to get back around, but I was waved off by heavily armed officers in riot gear.

This dance between protesters and the police went on daily and continues to persist with a handful of arrests taking place. What the people want is true justice and not an empty show full of pomp and false bravado. They want to believe that State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby will pursue justice under fairly and honestly. The community desperately wants to heal itself and there is definitely a unified front in Baltimore, even between the impoverished East and Westside natives.

Gray’s death signaled a call to everyone that across the nation, police are seemingly targeting and mistreating Black people in a disparate way. Anyone attempting to deny that there isn’t something insidious afoot in how police are handling cases in urban environments are most likely looking at these increasingly frequent situations through a one-sided lens.

There have been efforts from leaders, such as Empowerment Temple leader Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, that should be commended for their swiftness and sensitivity to all sides of the argument. Even the fiery Malik Shabazz and his fellow organizers had purpose and support in their attempts to rally in the name of Gray. The contrasts in these rallies and ongoing discussions have been stark.

On Thursday night, there was one moment where a gathering of young people were having an argument about the best way to handle things. One side, two young women were raising their voices at two young men over their tactics. The women were attempting to understand why the men embraced the actions on Monday and decried the peaceful events in the days since. They agreed to disagree, and one of the young men openly said that the riots of last week were nothing compared to what will happen if the police charged with Gray’s death are not convicted.

This same sentiment was echoed on the corner of North and Penn that same night, just ahead of Mosby’s staggering announcement. I haven’t been back to the city since Friday morning, but my sources on the ground tell me that much of what occurred last week is still going on. And there is no indication that it will discontinue anytime soon despite the lifting of the curfew to come along with news that the National Guard will disperse over the next few days.

Baltimore’s reputation as a blue-collar, working-class town is not up for dispute, and much of that grit remains. Even with the development of the aforementioned tony neighborhoods, urban blight is a regrettable hallmark. Still, it remains a prideful city with residents from all racial background and economic levels that want to heal the rift and change the perception. In speaking with people gathered at City Hall Friday, there is a general desire to seek the truth behind Gray’s tragic death and find ways to come together in the face of decades of division.

Time will tell if a new and united Baltimore emerges after the impending trials of the six officers charged with killing Gray. But the prospect of a peaceful revolution for the better of the city would ultimately elevate Gray’s legacy far beyond a senseless murder and serve as an impetus for real change.