Baltimore City leaders and activists recall how Freddie Gray's death prompted change
The
death of Freddie Gray in 2015
was a catalyst for a new generation of leaders in Baltimore.
Gray died on April 19, 2015, after he was injured while in the custody of Baltimore Police. His death sparked protests across the U.S.
Community activist Kwane Rose was on the frontlines of the unrest 10 years ago after Gray's death.
"Freddie Gray never had a chance to live," Rose said. "Born with lead paint poisoning like far too many people, thousands of children in Baltimore City came out of a neighborhood that had the highest rate of incarcerated Black males in the entire city."
Shortly after the unrest, then-city councilman Brandon Scott voiced his and the community's frustrations.
"I am simply pissed off," Scott said in 2015. "This is the city I love. This is the city I chose to dedicate my life to."
"His [Freddie Gray's] untimely death was literally the straw that broke the camel's back," Mayor Scott said during a recent interview. "You'll never forget where you were, but more importantly for me, how the city came together."
Gray's death caused decades of systemic oppression to boil over and spill into the streets.
Established organizations, like Leaders of A Beautiful Struggle, were at the forefront of helping the community.
"What the uprising did was, I think it gave voice to a radical perspective that otherwise would not be seen as a legitimate course of conversation in mainstream political dialogue," said Dayvon Love, Director of Public Policy at Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.
A new generation of leaders was born out of Baltimore's darkest moments.
"I've been able to do some incredible things," Rose said. "At the same time, understanding my entire career is built off of a Black man dying and people suffering."
The city was shaped by redemption, grit, culture and the will to overcome. They call it Charm City, and its people claim it with passionate pride.
"What it looks like when you actually invest in people in a way where we're the solution, we're not the problem, we're the solution to our problem," Love said.
However, there are still some challenges.
"We are not the perfect best Baltimore that we're going to be one day, but we are definitely light years away from where we were in 2015," Mayor Scott said.
The future is being written by Baltimore youth with eyes on the next decade and hearts full of hope.
"To be from Baltimore is everything, bus stop benches read 'it's the greatest city in America,' and I believe that," Rose said.
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