Around 1979-1980, as the Reagan era was being ushered in, I remember theBaltimore Sun beginning a series on the paper’s front page on the rise of hate groups in America, complete with a photo of a burning cross and a hooded Klansman. I remember as a young Black boy, despite the protection and love my family provided, feeling really unsafe.
To be clear, Black people, people of African ancestry in America, have never been safe in this country. From “Black Wall Street,” in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Bronzeville in Chicago, to the golden age of Pennsylvania Avenue in West Baltimore, no community, no matter how magnificently self-reliant has been impervious to structural racism. To be Black in America is to be generally imperiled in some measure, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
The specter of a Donald Trump presidency gives few of us in Black communities comfort that our plight shall be improved, and for good reason. In Trump’s America, new dangers seem to be revealed everyday (and I argue all Americans are imperiled for various reasons, whether they realize it or not).
So, what now?
I’ve been suggesting publicly (on First Edition) and privately for a while now, our battles may be waged more effectively in our cities and local principalities, as opposed to a national campaign of some sort. Especially given the seemingly intractable legislative gridlock and dysfunction in Washington (although that could magically loosen given a Republican House and Senate and the nation’s first Black president moving out of the White House). As well as the fact our challenges our legion and vary by region among other circumstances; housing, public safety, health, public school education, environmental justice, just to name a few.
But, on even a basic level, is there a discernible Black agenda for Baltimore City? And when I say a Black agenda, I mean an agenda inclusive of people of color, the marginalized and the poor.
Recently, outgoing Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake suggested in media interviews she is leaving Baltimore in better condition than she found it. I suspect many in the communities named previously would disagree.
However, on Dec. 6, Catherine Pugh will be sworn in as the next mayor. Has she been presented with an agenda representative of and specifically crafted for the majority population in the city? If such a document exists and has been presented to the new mayor, I don’t know about it and nobody I know, knows about it. What I do know is, in Baltimore, if you don’t ask, you don’t eat and if you ask for too much you’ll probably get ignored.
Here’s a suggestion; perhaps we should be focused on the pursuit of equal protection under the law and law enforcement reform (especially in wake of the devastating DOJ report outlining routine civil rights violations of Blacks in Baltimore).
The process of completing and implementing the “consent decree,” between the city, the Baltimore Police Department and the DOJ has been delayed. Given we almost assuredly are going to be confronted with U.S. Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, that process should be expedited, not sat upon.
We should initiate a “truth and reparation commission,” focused on justice for the myriad victims of the zero tolerance policing policy implemented (officially) from 1999 to 2007.
We should also begin exploration of a path towards the rehabilitation and repair of the city’s egregiously broken bail bond system.
Perhaps, this can serve as the beginning of a series of conversations between communities and the city’s public servants that will lead to action and policies to help protect and relieve some of Baltimore’s most vulnerable residents in fundamental and sustainable ways. It’s a start.
2011 Code of Virginia Title 52 POLICE (STATE). Chapter 1 Department of State Police (52-1 thru 52-11.5) 52-7 Bonds of police officers; liability insurance policies
52-7. Bonds of police officers; liability insurance policies.
All police officers appointed by the Superintendent of State Police, and engaged in the enforcement of criminal laws and the laws relating to the operation of motor vehicles upon the roads and highways of this Commonwealth, shall, before entering upon or continuing in their duties, enter into bond, with some solvent guaranty company authorized to do business in this Commonwealth, as surety, in the penalty of $75,000 and with condition for the faithful and lawful performance of their duties. Such bonds shall be filed in the office of the Department of State Police, and the premiums thereon shall be paid out of the funds appropriated for the maintenance and operation of the Department of State Police. All persons injured or damaged in any manner by the unlawful, negligent or improper conduct of any such officer while on duty may maintain an action upon such bond.
In lieu of posting bond as provided herein, any such police officer may furnish an adequate liability insurance policy as proof of his ability to respond in damages, which may be adjudged against him in favor of any person or persons injured or damaged in any manner resulting from his unlawful, negligent or improper conduct while on official duty, to the amount set forth above. The premiums on any such insurance policy or policies shall be paid out of the funds appropriated for the maintenance and operation of the Department of State Police.
All such bonds and insurance policies shall be approved by the Superintendent of State Police.
(1926, p. 941; 1940, p. 473; Michie Code 1942, 2154(51a); R. P. 1948, 52-7; 1950, p. 150; 1966, c. 213; 1968, c. 492.)
Mr. Trump’s campaign has saidit will request a recount in Wisconsin, where unofficial totals show him trailing by around 20,000 votes and where the Associated Press has called the race for Mr. Biden. Mr. Biden’s margin there is around 0.6 percentage point, within the one-point margin necessary for a campaign to request a recount.
Rules for recounts vary by state. Here is a breakdown of those procedures in the most competitive contests.
Arizona
Campaigns can’t request a recount, they can only be triggered automatically when there is a margin of less than or equal to 0.1 percentage point.
Georgia
Razor-thin margins in this state make a recount highly likely. Candidates can request a recount if the margin is within 0.5 point. The request has to happen within two business days after the state certifies the election results. The certification deadline is Nov. 17.
Michigan
A recount situation is unlikely here because state law stipulates that automatic recounts only occur if there are less than 2,000 votes separating candidates. As of Thursday afternoon, Mr. Biden led by around 150,000 vote
Joe Biden Speaks as Vote Count Continues in Presidential Race
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday ‘each ballot must be counted,’ as vote counting continued in key battleground states. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP
Nevada
Campaigns can request a recount regardless of vote margin within three days of the state canvass, which must be completed within six “working days” of the election. The recount must be completed within 10 days of the request. The campaign requesting the recount must pay for it.
North Carolina
Campaigns can request a recount if a race has a margin of 0.5% or less, and it must be requested by noon of the second business day after the state canvass, which happens three weeks after the election. A recount must be completed within approximately five days of the request, though that is subject to the decision of the State Board of Elections.
Pennsylvania
There are mandatory recounts for any race that has a margin of 0.5% or less that must be completed within three weeks of an election. Campaigns can also request recounts, no matter the margin, within five days of canvass completion.
Wisconsin
Vote margins must be within 1 percentage point for a campaign to request a recount. There are no automatic recounts in the state, and the campaign that requests it must pay for it. It must be completed within 13 days of the formal recount order. The request must be submitted within three days of the state’s official county canvass.
Marvin “Doc” Cheatham Sr., a stalwart presence in Baltimore’s civil rights community for decades, is reportedly in “good spirits” after suffering a stroke on September 4.
“He’s doing fine. It sounds like he’s in really good spirits,” said Marvin Cheatham Jr., the community leader’s son who reports his dad is speaking and resting comfortably. “The physical therapy will probably be about two weeks and he’ll probably start somewhere between the end of this week and beginning of next week.”
Cheatham Jr. tells the AFRO he discovered his infirmed father, the former president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, at the home, they share in West Baltimore near North Ave. and Monroe St., in the early morning hours of September 4. Cheatham Sr., 70, was transported to St. Agnes Hospital in South Baltimore where he continues to rest. The younger Cheatham said it is the second stroke his father has suffered in approximately three months. The first happened sometime in June. He also revealed to the AFRO he believes his father’s lifestyle and the stress he has undergone over the years as a community leader and some of the choices he has made in that capacity have had an adverse impact on his health.
“I explained to my father some time ago that he needs to be exercising, he needs to stop ridiculing so much, stop throwing people under the bus so much. He needs to watch his diet, he needs to take supplements,” said Cheatham Jr., 48, who currently works for the Social Security Administration, has a medical background as a veteran of the marines and the navy.
“I kind of know what could possibly help a person to improve. So, with that said the conversation we had was before his last stroke…so my assumption, which wasn’t correct, was that he’s going to change, he’s going to change his diet, he’s going to start doing some things to improve but it didn’t happen,” added his son.
Cheatham Sr. is currently the president of the Matthew A. Henson Neighborhood Association, in West Baltimore.
Owen Silverman Andrews, a community activist from South Baltimore first reported the news of Cheatham, Sr.’s stroke to the AFRO and has worked closely with the veteran civil rights advocate on several recent issues. “Doc is a fighter,” he said. “He is still trying to organize from his hospital bed. What an incredible man.”
You can watch it all at 2020march.com/watch. Mark your calendars. Make a plan to tune in.
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Thank you in advance for all of your support on this. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at 443-462-7319 if any questions.
WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS? WE ARE CALLING FOR ALL OF US TO SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND POLITICS AND WORK TOGETHER TO CLEAN BALTIMORE COLLECTIVELY. WE NEED AND REQUEST EVERYONE'S HELP.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
PRESS CONFERENCE - BALTIMORE CLEAN UP DAY
11:00-11:30 A.M. -
EASTERWOOD/SANDOWN PARK AND PLAYGROUND
1515-1557 N. MC KEAN AVE. - BETWEEN BAKER AND PRESSTMAN STS.
BALTIMORE, MD 21217
[MARVIN 'DOC' CHEATHAM WAY]
Maryland 7th Congressional District Candidate Kimberly Klacik- Republican
Baltimore City Mayoral Candidate Shannon Wright - Republican
Baltimore City Mayoral Candidate Bob Wallace - Unaffiliated
Baltimore City Former Democratic Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah
Baltimore City Council President Candidate Jovani M. Patterson - Republican
Baltimore City Councilmanic District 7 Candidate Christopher M. Anderson - Republican
Baltimore City Councilmanic District 10 Candidate Michael W. Nolet - Republican
Baltimore City Councilmanic District 12 Candidate Eugene Z. Boikai - Republican
In honor of Matthew Alexander Henson, August 8, 1866-March 9, 1955, the Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation is both inviting and challenging
ALL COMMUNITIES AND CHURCHES
TO JOINTLY IMPLEMENT EVERY SATURDAY
CLEAN-UP DAYS IN BALTIMORE CITY" states 'Doc' Cheatham'
MHCDC humbly request the support and participation of our respective State Senators and Delegates and City Council Persons starting Saturday, August 15, 2020.
Each commUNITY organization is asked to reach out directly to the faith-based entity in their specific community boundary and request their support.
The elected representative for that legislative and council district is requested to assist with the partnership between church and community.
The City of Baltimore is respectively requested to acquire thousands of brooms, shovels, gloves, face masks, brown garbage bags, along with staffing and equipment to facilitate this failed City Clean Up job. Yes, this means the hiring and training of youth, young adults, and un-employed to address Baltimore City's growing, unacceptable trash problem.
Death has placed a stumbling block in our path. However, this is not the first stumbling block for us. We have always found a way over, round, and through anything that blocks the path to our goals. A foundation has been laid in Park Heights Southern Neighborhoods. We must build on the foundation. Our goals have not changed and the spirit to achieve those goals remains the same.
We shall meet but we shall miss him. There will be one vacant chair. We shall think of him as we say our daily prayer.
Several weeks ago, we gathered,
joy was in his eyes,
but the golden cord is broken,
and he now with God abides.
Marlyn Jews
Posted by Dr Marvin Cheatham, Sr July 22, 2020 7:46 AM
Reverend Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III to convene the National Action Network (NAN), Attorney Benjamin Crump and the Families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner & others for a March on Washington in Protest of Police Brutality on August 28
Civil Rights Leaders, Labor, Clergy, Entertainers Amongst Thousands to March Alongside the Families of Police Brutality Victims
(Washington, DC) — On August 28, 2020, Reverend Al Sharpton, the National Action Network (NAN), Martin Luther King III, Attorney Benjamin Crump and families of police brutality victims, along with labor leaders, clergy, activists and civil rights advocates, will lead a Commitment March to fight for criminal justice reform in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones at the hands of the police. The march, under the rallying call, ‘Get Your Knee Off Our Necks’ will coincide with the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s March on Washington where he delivered his historic “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963.
Speakers will include the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and others to address the senseless loss of Black lives at the hands of police and advocate for issues including police accountability and criminal justice reform, voter protection and more. Protesters and activists will gather at Lincoln Circle to hear the day’s programming before marching to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Credentialed media can register for the Commitment Marchhere. Protesters may sign up to receive information updateshere.
WHO
Rev. Al Sharpton & National Action Network (NAN); Martin Luther King, III; Attorney Benjamin Crump; Families of George Floyd; Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and more
August 28, 2020 Gather: 7:00 am EST Pre-Program: 8:00am – 11:00am EST Program: 11:00am – 1:00pm EST March: 1:00pm EST Conclusion: 3:00pm EST
WHERE
The Lincoln Memorial – Marchers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and march to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. See the route map below.
Credentialed media can register for the Commitment Marchhere.
“This March on Washington shows our commitment to fighting for the oppressed, the marginalized, the neglected people of this country,” said Rev. Al Sharpton. “We are tired of the mistreatment and the violence that we, as Black Americans, have been subjected to for hundreds of years. Like those who marched before us, we are standing up and telling the police, telling lawmakers, telling the people and systems that have kept us down for years, ‘get your knee off our necks’.”
“We are in the midst of the largest civil and human rights movement in history. Now is the time and this is the generation that can realize the dream my father spoke of 57 years ago,” said Martin Luther King, III. “Black Americans are still bearing the same hardships my father worked to eradicate, and the only way we can hope to see the future he dreamt of is by continuing the peaceful and radical work he began years ago.”
Partners of the Commitment March include the NAACP; National Urban League; the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Legal Defense Fund (LDF); Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; The Leadership Conference; American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AMFSCE); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Americans for Democratic Action (ADA); A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI); Brady; the Community Action Partnership; Hispanic Federation; One Union; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); PERIOD.; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Dream Corps; Hip Hop Caucus; The Obsidian Collection; United Auto Workers (UAW); United Steel Workers (USW); and UnidosUS.
#NANMOW2020
Please note, to protect your health and the health of others, in compliance with COVID-19 Washington, DC Health Guidance for Conservation of Personal Protective Equipment, you are required to wear a PPE mask in public in Washington, DC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges those participating in large gatherings to use face masks.
President Trump's Twitter page is displayed on a mobile phone. The social media company flagged one of his tweets about Minneapolis as "glorifying violence" and hid it from public view unless a user clicks on it.
Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images
Updated: 6:45 p.m. ET
President Trump told reporters Friday evening that he didn't know the racially charged history behind the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Trump tweeted the phrase Friday morning in reference to theclashes between protesters and policein Minneapolis followingGeorge Floyd's death. It dates back to the civil rights era and is known to have been invoked by a white police chief cracking down on protests and a segregationist politician.
I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right.....
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
72.6K people are talking about this
Twitter took anunprecedented stepin limiting the public's ability to view the president's tweet threatening shooting, saying it "violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence." The tweet is hidden unless a user clicks to display it, and users cannot like or reply to it.
In 1967, Miami police Chief Walter Headley used the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" during hearings about crime in the Florida city, invoking angry reactions from civil rights leaders, according to a news report at the time.
"He had a long history of bigotry against the black community," said professor Clarence Lusane of Howard University.
"The NAACP and other black organizations had for years complained about the treatment of the black community by Miami police. At this hearing, in discussing how he would deal with what he called crime and thugs and threats by young black people, he issued this statement that the reason Miami had not had any riots up to that point, was because of the message he had sent out that 'when the looting starts, the shooting starts,' " Lusane said.
Headley was head of the police force for 20 years andreferredto his "get tough" policy on crime during a 1967 news conference as a war on "young hoodlums, from 15 to 21, who have taken advantage of the civil rights campaign. ... We don't mind being accused of police brutality."
According to Lusane, Headley may have borrowed the phrase from Eugene "Bull" Connor, who had been the notorious public safety commissioner in Birmingham, Ala. Connor was a segregationist who directed the use of police dogs and fire hoses against black demonstrators.
Enlarge this image
Miami police Chief Walter Headley, left, watches as the Rev. Theodore Gibson tells the Miami City Commission he believed Headley had used overly strong language in announcing his war on crime in December 1967.
Jim Bourdier/AP
The late 1960s saw major riots and uprisings in cities such as Detroit in response to police action against the black community.
Headley's use of the phrase is thought to have contributed to intensified race riots, including one of the most serious ones in Miami in 1980, when a black man,Arthur McDuffie, was beaten into a coma by up to a dozen white Dade County police officers after he ran a red light on his motorcycle. He later died from his injuries.
Segregationist presidential candidateGeorge Wallacealso used the phrase during the 1968 campaign.
Trump sought to clarify his comments Friday afternoonagain on Twitter: "Looting leads to shooting, and that's why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don't want this to happen, and that's what the expression put out last night means. It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It's very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!"
The president took questions from the press Friday evening following a meeting with business leaders to discuss reopening the economy. When asked about his use of the phrase, Trump said he was unfamiliar with its history.
"I've heard that phrase for a long time. I don't know where it came from or where it originated," Trump said. "Frankly, it means when there's looting, people get shot and they die. And if you look at what happened last night and the night before, you see that it's very common. And that's the way that's meant."
Trump said he had spoken with family members of Floyd.
"He was in tremendous pain, obviously, and couldn't breathe. It was very obvious to anybody that watched it," Trump said.
"It was a very, very sad thing for me to see that. We also know that most policemen, you see the great job they do; they do a fantastic job. But this was a terrible insult to police and to policemen," the president said.
Trump had tweeted earlier this week that the FBI and Department of Justice are "well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd." The president said he asked for the investigation to be expedited.
Regardless of Trump's intended meaning in his comments about "looting" and "shooting," Lusane said the message is not one of reconciliation and healing.
"So often Trump has engaged in dog whistles," Lusane said. "But he also engages in blaring trumpets. And this is a pretty clear and very loud message that the response should not be let's try to address the justice issues that are involved here but let's be hard-line.
THE LOTTERY, OFF TRACK BETTING, SLOTS, GAMBLING, SPORTS BETTING, GAMING, ETC.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Cel-Liberation Day, or the Black Fourth of July, is an American holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865. On this day, after almost two and a half years since the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans were informed of their liberation from the slavery present in the former Confederate States of America.
Corridor Construction Updates North Avenue Rising construction is moving forward as scheduled since state and federal guidelines designate transportation as an essential and critical function. Crews continue to wear personal protective equipment and practice social distancing during daily construction work, including new lighting and traffic signal installation, sidewalk replacement, and tree pit and roadway repair preparation. Going forward, our construction crews will also start working on Saturdays to accelerate our progress during this period when there are fewer cars on the road and traffic impacts can be reduced.
Penn-North Metro Subway Link Station Repairs Starting on Monday, April 27, 2020, the elevators at the Penn-North Metro Station will be out of service as they are replaced with new elevators. We expect that the closure could last up to seven months, and in the meantime customers in need of ADA assistance can use the elevators at Upton or Mondawmin Metro Stations and connect back via CityLink Lime or LocalLink 85. For more information, please call the Transit Information Contact Center at (410) 539-5000 for additional wayfinding options.
Starting later this spring, construction crews will also be making phased repairs to the street-level entrances (also known as “head-houses”) at the Penn-North Metro Station. There will be times when either the entrance at the northeast corner or the southwest corner will be closed but there will always be at least one entrance open.
Finally, we are hoping that at some point this summer we will be able to provide more updates about the process for developing the public art project to be installed by local artist Megan Lewis and Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts.
Stay In Touch (Remotely)! We recognize the impact the COVID-19 public health crisis has had on Baltimore, and we understand the difficult adjustments everyone has made in their daily lives. For the most up-to-date information about transit service, please visit MDOT MTA’s Coronavirus Update page at mta.maryland.gov/coronavirus, and for general coronavirus information, you can visit the pages maintained by Baltimore City at coronavirus.baltimorecity.gov and the State of Maryland at coronavirus.maryland.gov.
Our team must discontinue in-person outreach because of the Stay at Home order, but we continue to update the www.northavenuerising.comwebsite and project hotline number (443) 317-9793 with the most recent construction impact information every week. We will use email (info@northavenuerising.com) and phone (443) 317-9793 to stay connected in the meantime and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
CALL FOR AN ELECTRONIC MAYORAL CANDIDATES FORUM ON FOOD APARTHEID.
*25% OF BALTIMORE CITY RESIDENTS SUFFER IN A FOOD APARTHEID/DESERT;
*THESE AREAS REFLECT NEGATIVE HEALTH STATISTICS REFLECTED IN THE 2008, 2011 AND 2017 BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY HEALTH DISPARITY REPORTS;
*NONE OF THE APPROXIMATELY 50 CURRENT CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, LIVE IN ONE -[MAYOR, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, COMPTROLLER, STATES ATTORNEY, SHERIFF, CLERK, JUDGES, REGISTER OF WILLS, 15 COUNCILPERSONS, 5 STATE SENATORS, 13 STATE DELEGATES];
*5 YEARS SINCE THIS ALARMING FACT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED AND NEITHER THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, NOR THE BALTIMORE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, HAVE SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED THIS MATTER;
*WHY ARE THERE SO MANY WEEKLY FOOD GIVE-A-WAYS, DISTRIBUTION SITES, FREE MEALS, MEATS, POULTRY, VEGETABLES, FRUITS, OPEN LIQUOR STORES, ETC.?;
DOES CURRENT ELECTED LEADERSHIP REALLY GIVE A DAMN?
M.H.C.D.C. CALLS FOR A PUBLIC, ELECTRONIC, MAYORAL AND OTHER POSITIONS; WHERE PERMISSIBLE, POSSIBLE AND FEASIBLE; CANDIDATES FORUM, IN 2020. LET'S COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AND END THE RHETORIC.
We succeeded in that fight, only to learn days later that the city planned to go ahead with the demolition of the entire block, which would ruin the structural integrity of the Calloway home. They also removed the home's iconic marble stairs.
We acted quickly, calling together the Maryland Historical Society, community activists like former NAACP Baltimore President Doc Cheatham, along with Calloway's grandson, two of his daughters, and his nephew who toured with Calloway.
We don't usually see results this quick, but within hours, the city reversed their decision again. Bottom line: a public hearing will be held before any further action is taken. Together, we celebrated this victory while discussing the value of preserving Baltimore's culture for future generations. Check out our zoom discussion of the day's events here.
This is a big moment for the preservation of a historic piece of Baltimore, but it's an uphill fight from here.
If you can, please reach out to the Baltimore Department of Housing to thank Commissioner Braverman and to ask for a chance to preserve the area without losing our history. The office number for the commissioner is (410) 396-3232.
Now, I contend, is a MOST appropriate time for many of us to commend and join Mr. Zachary Murray in his notable efforts to remove the name of Gilmor Homes and significantly improve and enhance this housing complex.
It is assuredly inappropriate to continue with this legacy, through building naming, of racist slave owning. Let's support Mr. Murray and request, along with major much needed improvements, the name change to Harriett Tubman Homes and the call for Baltimore City, State of Maryland AND B.D.C. financial support of a FOOD MARKET in this food apartheid/desert. One of BALTIMORE'S MOST SEGREGATED, NEGLECTED AND OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES.
As we and I did on July 1, 2015 let's call for JUSTICE as we did in our call for the removal of the Jackson/Lee confederate statues.
ALL interested applicants MUST be a Baltimore City resident ages 14- 21. Eligible youth MUST register for Youth Works at http://youthworks.oedworks.com/ Youth can register for Youth Works from January 2, 2020, to March 2, 2020
ALL Youth interested in UMMC 2020 YouthWorks program, please note the following:
1. After the successful completion of YouthWorks certification process, please bring a copy of your child certification receipt to Marvena Cole, UMMC Volunteer Services Manager, located at 29 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Please note, the acceptance of your child’s YouthWorks verification form does NOT guarantee placement with UMMC 2020 YouthWorks program. ALL interested applicants will be screened during the interview process.
2. Each young person interested in participating in the UMMC 2020 Youth Works program will be added to our interview list. ALL interested applicants MUST participate in UMMC 2020 Youth Works interviews which will be scheduled during the week of April 6th – 13th, 2020
3. UMMC Volunteer Services Department will schedule ALL interviews. Please note, all interested applicants will receive an email and phone call to confirm the date, time, and location of the interview.
4. Any Youthworks student who completes the certification process, the interview, and the job readiness training and is offered a position at UMMC will not be placed at the same location as a parent/guardian who is employed by UMMC.
ALL youth selected to participate in UMMC 2020 Youth Works Program MUST participate in mandatory job readiness on Saturday, April 25, 2020, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at UMMC (110 S. Paca Street; Lower Level Classroom 7A & &B). Failure to report to mandatory job readiness training will result in termination from the program.
Posted by Dr Marvin Cheatham, Sr January 08, 2020 12:31 PM
By Marvin “Doc” Cheatham and Owen Silverman Andrews
Baltimore Sun | Nov 14, 2019 | 2:59 PM
This summer, The Sun published dueling op-eds from the presidents of two of Baltimore’s renowned institutions of higher education, proposing new governance structures for certain city institutions of higher education. In the first, University of Baltimore President Kurt Schmoke suggested combining the University of Baltimore (UB), Coppin State University and Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) into an entity known as the “City University of Baltimore.” In the second, Morgan State University President David Wilson argued, eloquently, that UB should merge into Morgan.
We appreciate the innovative approaches, but, as community organizers in West and Southeast Baltimore, we believe it is time for a vision from the grassroots level to emerge to guide our city’s colleges and universities into the new decade.
We call for sweeping changes to a status quo that has failed our students and communities and propose that Baltimore City Community College should merge with the Community College of Baltimore County to become the new Community College of Baltimore. This would relieve the fiscal strain caused by city residents seeking community college education in the county due to the separate and unequal conditions between the two schools. To ensure the merger is equitable, the Community College of Baltimore’s Board must be made up of two elected county residents, two elected city residents and three members appointed by the county executive, mayor and governor, respectively.
The benefits of establishing the Community College of Baltimore will be enjoyed by both Baltimore City and Baltimore County students, workers and stakeholders. Current CCBC students, staff and faculty will gain more direct access to the economic engines of Baltimore City’s medical, corporate and cultural institutions, resulting in more internship, job and research opportunities. And current BCCC stakeholders, especially those who live closer to the ring of CCBC campuses around the city, will have shorter commute times and lower tuition to their places of work and study.
Further, we see the decision to cut staff positions and hundreds of thousands of dollars from BCCC’s successful English Language Services (ELS) Department as an act of self-sabotage inflicted within a larger landscape in Maryland that is hostile to immigrants and community colleges. ELS primarily serves Baltimore’s growing immigrant community, an expanding demographic within the city’s pre-K through 12 and higher education student bodies. We call on the Maryland General Assembly and City Hall to restore this lost grant funding.
We also agree with Morgan State University President David Wilson that the University of Baltimore should merge into Morgan State University as its downtown campus.
In light of Maryland’s checkered history of segregation in higher education and disinvestment in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as well as the irresponsible underfunding of our state’s community colleges, these significant reforms are not only practical and just, but sorely needed.
Likewise, elected and appointed officials must stop pulling the chair out from under us with stunts like transferring the Baltimore Police Department’s training academy to the University of Baltimore instead of Coppin State University, which came as a surprising blow in West Baltimore and the communities Coppin anchors. While Coppin would not be directly impacted by the mergers we propose, such disregard cannot continue. Instead, Coppin and West Baltimore must be strengthened by meaningful state investment in faculty, research and, most importantly, students.
Continued neglect of Maryland’s HBCUs, community colleges, staff, faculty and students will lead to ever-increasing inequality in our state. The cost of this inequality, coupled with the debt Maryland owes to black people, is staggering.
As Georgetown University and others begin accounting for the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow, Maryland must become a national leader in forging forward with reparations in the field of higher education. Elected officials in Annapolis and City Hall, as well as newly selected University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman, must act decisively with reparative and sweeping reforms to scale with the challenges students, faculty and staff at Baltimore’s colleges and universities face. Maryland can lead the nation in higher education, but we must lead with equity.
Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, an alumnus of BCCC and Coppin State University, is CEO of the Matthew A. Henson Community Development Corporation in West Baltimore; his email is civilrights@verizon.net. Owen Silverman Andrews, a former adjunct faculty member of BCCC and CCBC, is co-chair of the Baltimore City Green Party and lives in Southeast Baltimore; his email is owen.s.andrews@gmail.com.
Posted by Dr Marvin Cheatham, Sr November 13, 2019 1:09 PM
Safeguards proposed to protect citizens’ rights Posted: 6:23 PM, Oct 14, 2019 Updated: 6:23 PM, Oct 14, 2019
By: Jeff Hager
BALTIMORE — Desperate times may require desperate actions, and a group outside Baltimore City Hall on Monday said it hopes a single day filled with violence over the weekend is the tipping point.
"A murder, the shooting of a two-year-old boy, a double, two triples and a quadruple. That is unacceptable. That was Saturday,” said Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah, “If it happened in Annapolis, if it happened in Frederick, if it happened in Silver Spring, we would send the 101st Airborne Division in."
But the group will settle for three Cessna aircraft equipped with aerial cameras to help police catch killers.
Thus far, Baltimore's top cop has been non-committal on an offer to put the eye in the sky at no charge for three years.
"It's paid for by a foundation with all the bells and whistles, and it tracks crime and it gets convictions,” said Former City Councilwoman Rikki Spector. “I don't know what else to do."
The department used the cameras secretly for months before word leaked out and the planes were grounded three years ago.
This time, proponents are willing to add safeguards such as limiting the use of the cameras to murders, non-fatal shooting and carjackings, as well as a requirement to obtain warrants and the creation of an oversight board.
Critics, like the ACLU of Maryland, say no matter what promises are made, it would still violate citizens 4th amendment rights.
"This was a bad idea when it was done in secret. It was a bad idea when it was first revealed. It has been a bad idea since then,” said David Rocah. “It is still a bad idea, and that is why there is not a single city anywhere in the United States that has accepted Ross McNutt's Orwellian offer to get paid by some billionaires in Texas to vacuum up data about where everyone in that city goes all of the time."
Opponents also challenge the aerial surveillance system's effectiveness, but it's clear as the murder count mounts each year, many of the victims' families are willing to try it at almost any cost.
Victory Swift’s son died in March of 2017. "If it can save your family's life or your family's life or your family's life, what would it be worth?" she asked.
Posted by Dr Marvin Cheatham, Sr September 24, 2019 8:07 PM
