How are community-based organizations addressing crime in Baltimore City?

words by charles brooks 

“…the power of the community is demonstrated in the decline of crime…”, Maryland State Public Defender, Natasha Dartigue

From 2015 through 2022, the murder rate exceeded 300 bodies every single year. Then the murder began to decline. Significantly. In 2023, there were 262 bodies. In 2024, barely 200. At the June half-year mark in 2025, the count sits at 68.  

There’s a different story unfolding in Baltimore with a new chapter being written. Not by Hollywood scripts or media narratives, but by a network of committed organizations dedicated to their community and neighborhoods. Their story starts with meeting the moment with a heightened sense of urgency in the neighborhoods and communities where trauma is amplified yet muted. 

Today’s reporting of crime, particularly when concentrated in Black neighborhoods, draws a lot of attention from elected officials, media outlets, and even from Hollywood.  But what often escapes the headlines are the self-determined actions taken by people who live in these neighborhoods. 

Those actions were highlighted during a recent public discussion held in Baltimore City that asked, and answers a critical question; What’s actually reducing crime? Community power. 

The Maryland Office of Public Defender (OPD) brought together Tyrone Kent, who serves as director of Roca Baltimore, and Anthony Muhammad, the community engagement specialist with the We Our Us Movement, to talk about the efforts taking place in neighborhoods around the City to save lives by changing the street culture. 

For nearly two hours they talked about the daily investment being made through a wide range of activities and actions taking place in neighborhoods across Baltimore City. Their responses to the moderator’s line of questioning provided deep insight into the steps taken to reduce crime and stabilize neighborhoods in Baltimore. 

As Mr. Muhammad explained, “…when we show up on your block, at your door, on your corner with 100 men, 200 men, with a message of hope, a message of inspiration, and services and resources that can improve the quality of life - that has an impact. That makes a difference…”  

They described a community-based framework with the capacity to meet the immediate material needs of people by providing the key services and resources to support their personal economies such as employment, housing, food, or drug treatment. Mr. Kent talked about the difficulty in engaging with people when their immediate needs are not being met, and how important meeting their most immediate needs are, “The first conversation is the most crucial conversation…”

He went on to say, “…coming into the community, satisfying needs, it’s hard to get people to receive services or even to entertain a conversation about services when they have a lot of needs. When they have a need, it's not a need that can wait until next week.  They have an immediate need, but you are trying to have a conversation about a program. But what can you do for me right now.”

An essential component in their work around saving lives starts with recognizing the very real challenges that people experience in their personal economy. They recognize that addressing urgent needs like food, rent or just keeping the lights on helps to reduce the anxieties, and distress that comes with trying to make ends meet. When comfort and trust develop, the people are more receptive to a message of peace, and open to becoming an active participant in resolving conflicts. 

Mr. Muhammad spoke about establishing the “Stop the Beef” hotline, and made this point,  “…and even though the hotline is active over the last five years, it has evolved into really a movement, a network of people who collaborate the work all around the city, where when the citizens are having problems that they themselves cannot resolve, we ask them to call the hotline to call us and let us come and mediate that conflict.” He went on to say, “…and over the last five years, we have earned the credibility, the respect of the people who are out in the community, who know us and know us very well, and they know that when they call us, they are not calling BPD (Baltimore Police Department). 

Mr. Kent talked about the importance of providing wrap-around services along with addressing the critical behavioral and emotional needs of young Black men. He spoke about using and applying the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the young men who pass through Roca’s doors in not only building the personal skills of young men but redirecting their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

He described the benefits these young men experience when they are able to identify and change their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

To underline his point, he painted a picture of what happens when negative thoughts and behaviors are

left unchecked, “…and now I have this handheld machine, and all I have to do is pull the trigger to eliminate what’s causing my discomfort because nobody ever told me how to regulate my emotions…”.  Mr. Kent continued the conversation, discussing the different tools and support Roca uses to transform lives.  

The conversation was important because it provided a window to the activities and actions taking place in Baltimore City.  Actions and activities that clearly dispels the notion that Black people are okay with crime and are not taking self-determined measures to address crime and safety in their communities and neighborhoods. 

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM MAY 13TH?

words by charles brooks

Mother's Day is just not the same for this working-class community in Philadelphia, where 6221 Osage Avenue sits. The people remember May 13th, 1985. 

The people remember the tragedy of May 13th, 1985, ensuring its place as one of those days that will never be forgotten. May 13th occupies a strong hold on our collective memory because it’s not just another typical reminder of another typical routine episode of police terror and state violence.  

Forty years ago, Philadelphia’s political leadership, Mayor Wilson Goode, Police commissioner Gregore Sambor, Fire Commissioner William Richmond and managing director Leo Brooks collaborated in their decision to orchestrate a destructive military style attack, targeting a group of Black revolutionaries. 

They made a politically calculated decision to not only unleash 500 police officers to fire 10,000 rounds of ammunition, disperse teargas, and forcefully pump thousands of gallons of water into the home where MOVE members lived but to drop powerful C4 explosives there as well. A decision that cost the lives of 11 Black people including 5 children, where over sixty homes were destroyed and over 250 people were now unhoused. A decision to allow the fire to spread as firefighters were relegated to mere spectators, taking no action as they watched the fires burn one house after another.  

The Mother's Day attack was actually the result of recurring episodes of police terror exercised against MOVE, who engaged in a political life and political activities staunchly opposed by both the Mayor and the police. For several years before Mother's Day 1985, there were a series of confrontations between MOVE and the police that led to the August 1978 shooting in Powelton Village. 

The charging of nine MOVE members with the death of one police officer at Powelton, triggered their transformation from Black revolutionaries to the MOVE-9, political prisoners.  All were sentenced 30 years to life; Merle and Phil Africa passed away in prison. The remaining seven collectively served over 280 years in prison before their release; Debbie Sims Africa (over 39 years), Mike Africa Sr,  (40+), Janine Phillips Africa (40+), Janet Holloway Africa,  (40+), Eddie Goodman Africa (41), Delbert Orr Africa, (41+), and Chuck Sims Africa, the last to be released after serving over 41 years.

The contradictions continue. 

Despite two investigations of the Mother's Day attack, no indictments were handed down. No prison time. None. 

Except for Ramona Africa.  She was the only adult survivor from the Mother's Day attack along with her younger brother, Birdie Africa. But it was Ramona who was arrested, charged, and convicted before serving seven years in prison as a political prisoner.  

The Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, also known as the MOVE Commission, was created less than two weeks after the attack. They investigated, and held televised public hearings before issuing their report, where they stated in part: "…The Mayor abdicated his responsibilities as a leader when, after midday, he permitted a clearly failed operation to continue which posed great risk to life and property. The report outlined 38 suggestions or recommendations for future improvements. 

A year later in 1986, a grand jury was convened to determine whether criminal charges should be levied against any of Philadelphia’s leaders. Two years later in 1988, the grand jury found no evidence of anyone acting with “criminal intent, recklessness or negligence under Pennsylvania law, and therefore no criminal charges could be brought.”

Year after year, for 35 years there would be no apology forthcoming. None. Not from the mayor’s office, the Police Department, Fire Department, or Philadelphia’s City Council. This finally came to an end in November 2020 with the Philadelphia City Council's hollow recognition of May 13th as “annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment.”

But just a few months later in early 2021, new revelations emerged shedding light on what happened to the forensic remains after the MOVE bombing. 

Anthropological collections maintained by the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University contained the forensic remains of one or two MOVE members. The remains were used as a case study in their research and study of forensic anthropology, as well as in their online course, “Real Bones: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology”

The controversial revelations not only raised serious questions and concerns but provided a window to the long history of medical experimentation and exploitation on Black people beyond the likes of Henrietta Lacks and the notorious Tuskegee Experiment. 

The May 13th assault is often seen through a lens that’s particularly focused on the sordid history of policing in Philadelphia - typical of policing in Black working-class communities throughout the nation.  Focused on the manner in which law and order is practiced in Black communities, particularly in their reaction to the pursuit of Black liberation via revolutionary activities.  Through a lens wide enough to observe the menacing intrusion of state surveillance that often resulted in the harassment and political imprisonment of not just men, but women, as well. 

The significance of May 13 continues to grow and resonate with working class Black folk people because they can see the contradictions on public display, the current political conditions shaping their political lives, their political reality.  

Harriet Washington makes this point to think about in her book Medical Apartheid, “It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks.”

Additional information

West Philadelphia Collaborative History - MOVE

Philadelphia & MOVE - LibGuides at Community College of Philadelphia

House rejects GOP amendments, gives final approval to bill creating Reparations Commission

 By William J. Ford 

Maryland would become fourth state with a commission; it would study ‘appropriate benefits’ for those affected by ‘historical inequality’

It’s done.

The House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday evening to a bill that would create a Maryland Reparations Commission, sending the measure to the governor for his signature.

Measure that amends Florida’s compensation law for the wrongfully incarcerated passes Senate

 By Mitch Perry

A bill that would make it much easier for individuals wrongfully incarcerated to receive compensation has cleared the Florida Senate, and needs just one final vote in the House before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

Basic Reforms to New York’s Legal Code Are At Risk as Democrats Lurch Rightward

 By Schuyler Mitchell

A push to claw back a process-oriented change in New York’s criminal legal code shows just how readily Democrats will capitulate to carceral demands in 2025.

Here Are the Texted War Plans That Hegseth Said 'Nobody Was Texting' on Signal

 By Jon Queally

In response to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claiming on live television earlier this week that "nobody was texting war plans," The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday morning published the "war plans" that were, in fact, shared on the private sector messaging app Signal by top members of President Donald Trump's national security team, including Hegseth and national security advisor Mike Waltz.

“I will wear my persona non grata as a badge of dignity”, said South African ambassador expelled by the US

 By Pavin Kulkarni

“We must enter into trade negotiations with the USA because our economy and our people need them. But we must never trade our sovereignty, lest we be told that China and Cuba cannot be our friends,” said veteran diplomat Ebrahim Rasool on his return to South Africa.

Cheering crowds thronged outside the Cape Town International Airport on Sunday, March 23, to welcome the South African ambassador expelled from the US after being subjected to repeated attacks for his stance in solidarity with Palestine.  “Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America,” US State Secretary Marco Rubio accused in a X post on March 15.

Trump’s school choice push adds to momentum in statehouses

 By Robbie Sequeira

Federal moves might provide additional money for universal vouchers and scholarships.

More than a dozen states in the past two years have launched or expanded programs that allow families to use taxpayer dollars to send their students to private schools. Now, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress want to supercharge those efforts.

Youngkin vetoes minimum wage hike, prescription affordability board bills

By Charlotte Rene Woods and Nathaniel Cline

Monday was Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s deadline to take action on the roughly 900 bills that Virginia’s legislature approved to send his way. Monday afternoon saw over 300 signatures and a handful of vetoes, while he had until 11:59 p.m. for his other signatures, amendments and vetoes to be posted on Virginia’s Legislative Information System.

Mahmoud Khalil still detained in notorious Louisiana detention center as case is moved to New Jersey

By Bobbi-Jean Misick 

After former Columbia University student and permanent U.S. resident Mahmoud Khalil was detained by federal immigration officials over his involvement in student-led protests last year — a move that shocked advocates for free speech and immigrants’ rights around the country — he was taken to Jena, a small town of 4,000 in north-central Louisiana and home to one of the country’s largest and most notorious immigration detention centers. 

THEY DESERVE A SECOND LOOK

 words by charles brooks

UPDATE as of 3/16/25: The bill was ultimately advanced in the House for a final vote, which is expected to occur in the coming days before moving to the Senate

There’s an opportunity in 2025 for Maryland state lawmakers to address the state’s mass incarceration and sentencing policies with the Maryland Second Look Act.  

The proposed measure creates a pathway for men and women who served twenty plus years in prison to petition the court to have a judge review their sentence for possible reduction. The proposed measure is sponsored by State Senator Charles E. Sydnor, III, and House Delegate Cheryl E. Pasteur.  The proposal requires a comprehensive evaluation process to prove to the court they no longer pose a threat to society. The rigorous process allows the judge to measure their capacity to change, and as a result the proposed legislation cannot be viewed as a, “get out of jail free card”. 

Can they get a Second Look?

 words by charles brooks 

They’re asking for a second look. 

They’ve been locked up, and languishing behind the walls for over 20 years. 30 years. 40 years in prison. When as a juvenile, or coming to age as an adult at 18 or 19 years old was met with the experience of making a regrettable mistake that cost lives. 

Trump’s Latest Order Aims to Stifle Legal Challenges to His Executive Actions

By Chris Walker

 The order requires agencies to demand “financial securities” from plaintiffs suing the administration.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that aims to limit legal challenges to his administration’s actions by seeking to get judges to require monetary “security” payments from plaintiffs if an injunction is issued.

U.S. Education Department escalates crackdown on Gaza protests with warning to colleges

 By Shauneen Miranda

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department on Monday warned 60 colleges and universities they could face repercussions if they fail “to protect Jewish students on campus.”

In a statement announcing letters to schools across the country, the department did not detail what consequences the schools could face, but the letters came less than a week after the administration announced that it would be canceling roughly $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University over “the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”

Trump Threatens Students, Universities If They Engage in Protests

By Chris Walker

Trump wrote that students taking part in “illegal” demonstrations at college campuses should be arrested or deported

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump said he would punish students who engage in demonstrations of any kind — a clear violation of their First Amendment speech and assembly rights — and threatened consequences for any college or university that allows protests to take place.

SC anti-DEI bill could impact everything from school cafeterias to university bookstores

 By Jessica Holdman

COLUMBIA — If South Carolina legislators pass legislation meant to strip diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from state and local governments, the impact could stretch far beyond the halls of public colleges and state agencies, opponents warned Tuesday.

Trump’s Speech Vowed a New “Golden Age,” But His Policies Drive Us Into the Dust

 By Sasha Abramsky 

In his speech to Congress, Trump doubled down on the tariffs that economists say may trigger another Great Depression.

On Tuesday evening, hours after the Dow Jones stock index had closed — falling several hundred points for the second day straight in response to the U.S. imposing high tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China — Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress and declared a new “golden age of America.”

Trump administration profile: Linda McMahon

 By Robby Brod

President Donald Trump nominated Linda McMahon, 76, to serve as secretary of education on Nov. 19, 2024. McMahon is a prolific political donor, Republican fundraiser and successful businesswoman best known for her tenure as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). 

McMahon is being considered for the Cabinet position while a defendant in a lawsuit claiming she used her position as CEO to conceal sexual abuse committed by a former WWE staffer against the company’s teenage employees.

While McMahon has prior government experience, having served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, she has been chosen to spearhead America’s educational system despite having limited education leadership experience.

Who is she?

McMahon co-founded and led WWE with her husband, Vince, from 1980 to 2009, growing it from a regional promotion into a publicly traded entertainment empire worth over $1 billion. Her relationship with Trump dates back to his first WWE appearances in the 1980s, which continued through the 2000s. After leaving WWE, she served one year on Connecticut’s Board of Education and launched two unsuccessful Senate campaigns, spending nearly $100 million of her own money. 

Despite admitting “I’m not an educator” during her state board confirmation, McMahon has maintained connections to education through her longtime role as a Sacred Heart University trustee, where buildings bear her name following substantial donations. She is an outspoken advocate for school choice and charter schools.

Follow the money

McMahon has been a significant financial backer of Republican causes and her fundraising efforts on behalf of Trump’s campaigns have made her a key figure in GOP circles.McMahon’s exact net worth remains a mystery as she and Vince share an estimated $3 billion fortune. They announced their separation after Linda was announced as Trump’s Cabinet pick, just weeks after jointly spending millions to re-elect Trump.

• During the 2024 election cycle, the McMahons were Trump’s sixth largest individual donors, having contributed $20.3 million to the presidential campaign and outside organizations backing Trump.
• The McMahons donated $360,000 to Trump’s campaign during the 2020 election.
• In 2016, they contributed $7.2 million to support Trump’s presidential bid after he secured the Republican nomination.
• During McMahon’s first year in Trump’s Cabinet, she and her husband earned at least $100 million from dividends, interest, and sales of investments.
• The McMahons’ family foundation has given over $20 million to around 80 groups since 2006, according to public tax filings. This includes at least $12 million to Sacred Heart University and $2 million to her alma mater, East Carolina University.

Sexual abuse lawsuit

Three weeks before being announced as Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit which claims that during her tenure as CEO of WWE, she and Vince failed to protect teenage workers at the company from being sexually assaulted by a ringside announcer. The suit claims Linda and Vince knew of the assaults, which occurred during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and actively worked to conceal them. The litigation is currently on hold as the Supreme Court of Maryland revisits the state’s statute of limitations laws for sexual assault filings. The McMahons deny the lawsuit’s claims.

Vince resigned as CEO of TKO, WWE’s parent company, due to a separate federal lawsuit filed by a former employee who accused Vince of sex trafficking, harassment, and illegal hush money payments. 

Why does it matter?

McMahon’s nomination raises questions about the future of federal education policy and leadership given her limited experience in the field. She will likely be responsible for overseeing Trump’s commitment to dismantle the Department of Education.

• Her brief tenure on a state board of education suggests a further deprioritization of traditional education policy expertise under Trump.
• Trump framed McMahon’s nomination around “parents’ rights” and returning control of education to states, potentially signalling a pullback of federal involvement in areas like national standards, funding and civil rights enforcement in schools.
• McMahon’s involvement in ongoing litigation could prove a major distraction.
• Her close financial ties to Trump, including her family’s campaign contributions and fundraising on his behalf, may fuel criticism that her nomination is based more on political patronage than qualifications.
• Critics could argue McMahon’s selection and the significant investment earnings she made during her previous Cabinet stint reflect a concerning trend of Trump rewarding wealthy allies with powerful posts.

This article originally appeared in Open Secrets on January 27th, 2025

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Analysis Finds Trump Tariffs Will Cost Average US Family $1,600 or More Per Year

 By Jessica Corbett

The trade war Trump is igniting will weaken our economy and cause chaos in our marketplace as Americans pay the cost in the form of higher prices on everyday items," said Rep. Don Beyer.

As U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs took effect on Tuesday, Congressman Don Beyer released a Joint Economic Committee report showing that the policies could cost the average working-class family in the United States at least $1,600 annually. 

Republicans passed a budget that could result in cuts to Medicaid—the largest public health insurance program in the US

 By Natalia Marques 

In order to pay for the drastic losses to the national budget due to new tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, the new House budget resolution could entail major cuts to public health insurance

On Tuesday, February 25, Republicans in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget resolution that would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and implement new tax cuts, costing the government USD 4.1 trillion. 

Sahel alliance unveils new flag as regional bloc moves toward greater integration

 by  Nicholas Mwangi

The AES unveils a new flag as the member nations forge a new path toward regional unity, economic independence, and territorial security.

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The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), that includes Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has taken another decisive step toward regional integration following its recent withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). On February 22, the new flag was unveiled and symbolizes the bloc’s growing autonomy as it seeks to redefine its political, economic, and security structures outside the influence of French imperialism and Western neoliberal frameworks.

To Cozy Up to Trump, Bezos Banishes Dissent From WaPo

By Pete Tucker

Bravo, Jeff Bezos!”

That was the congratulatory message Elon Musk posted on X, the platform he bought for $44 billion in 2022 and subsequently turned into a pro-Trump bullhorn. Musk’s “bravo” was in response to Bezos’ shocking announcement that he was taking his media outlet, the Washington Post, in a Trumpian direction as well.