Editor’s note: Three articles represent three perspectives on communities working together in the city of Baltimore. Those involved come from a wide variety of faiths and backgrounds. They are well aware of the problems of violence, division, mistrust, poverty and more in their city. However, they are committed to finding common ground and working to make their community better.
By Leslie Howard
The eyes of the whole world were focused on Baltimore in April 2015 when rioting broke out in our city after the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed black man who died while in police custody due to a rough ride he received while being transported to the police station. Freddie Gray was the latest victim in what now seems like an almost daily deadly encounter between unarmed black people, especially black men, and the police in this country, which usually ends in the death of the unarmed black person. These tragic deaths have led to the Black Lives Matter movement – efforts to end police brutality against black people and bring about reform to our criminal justice system, including an end to the war on drugs, mass incarceration, private prisons, the prison-industrial complex and the school-to-prison pipeline. These mechanisms of institutional racism are modern day forms of slavery in our country, which are used to kill and oppress black people while maintaining a system of white supremacy.
This is the world that Freddie Gray was born into, a world that is filled with violence, drugs, crime, poverty and despair. There are many neighborhoods like his in Baltimore, and too many of our young people face the same uncertain prospects that eventually led to the early death of Freddie Gray at the hands of the Baltimore City police.
One of the neighborhoods that is endemic of the social ills that plague Baltimore is the Rosemont neighborhood. It is a working-class, blue-collar community in which most of the good paying factory jobs have disappeared. The neighborhood has deteriorated due to poverty, drugs, crime and violence. Many of the residents are homeowners, while most of the local businesses are owned by outsiders, so the community lacks a solid financial base. Vacant houses are a blighting influence on many blocks. The city has closed all of the recreation centers in Rosemont and is also threatening to close the neighborhood elementary school. These closures have left a void of positive, structured recreational and educational opportunities for Rosemont youth.
But there is a bright spot. There is hope! Beginning in 2014, a group of church leaders and community volunteers have come together to provide alternative educational and recreational activities for young people growing up in the Rosemont neighborhood. The Rosemont Community Interfaith Coalition has brought together people of different faiths and of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, all working on a common cause. Over the past three years, the group has co-sponsored a series of free recreational and educational activities to improve the quality of life for Rosemont youth, including a 5-day free summer camp, serving 50-65 children each day, with arts and crafts, reading, games and other supervised recreational activities. The summer camp also features local entertainers and volunteers who gave performances and demonstrations in music, dance, fashion, storytelling, African-American history lessons and more. Representatives from the local police participate to help forge better police-community relations, and other service groups provide information to local residents regarding their programs and the assistance they can provide. Each day the children (and many adults in the neighborhood) were provided a free meal. On the final day of camp, we held a community cookout that recognized local residents for their outstanding volunteer participation and successful efforts on behalf of their community.
The first summer camp was so successful that other congregations have joined in to help. We were able to expand our outreach activities to reach more children and families, and have now developed a yearlong calendar of educational and recreational activities for young people in Rosemont.
There are currently nine organizations that are a part of the Rosemont Community Interfaith Coalition: Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church, One Heart- One Way Ministries, Stop the Violence/Save Another Youth, Inc.; Rehoboth Church of God in Jesus Christ, Apostolic; Hope Community Ministries, The Center (a ministry of Baltimore Presbytery), St. Edwards Roman Catholic Church, International House of Refuge, and the Harlem Avenue Neighborhood Association. We also have invited representatives from the Muslim and Jewish faiths to join and support our activities.
I am a black African-American, an attorney, a community activist, a long-time Rosemont resident and a member of the Baha’i faith. My religion teaches us that God is one, that all the religions are one, that all humanity is one, and that it is our mission to work for world peace and to seek justice for all. This is the motivation that informs my participation in the work of our Rosemont Community Interfaith Coalition.
Leslie Howard is a retired attorney and the president of the Harlem Ave. Community Improvement Association. He lives in Baltimore and is a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Baltimore Baha’is.
