East Baltimore Residents fight for justice in the shadow of Johns Hopkins

My Saturday was a very full day that started early at the Greenmount Recreation Center. Members of my church family and I participated in a “Free Market” hosted by the Baltimore Free Store at the Greenmount Recreation Center. Hundreds of people came to donate items or pick up anything that they needed ranging from clothes, appliances, shoes, etc. We had an absolutely wonderful time and hopefully, I can elaborate on that later, but in the meantime feel free to read some of my previous posts on that organization.

I left that charity event and went straight to a justice event at St. John AMEZ Church organized by Save Middle East Action Coalition (SMEAC). This group of East Baltimore residents have banded together to fight the Johns Hopkins “Urban Removal” program in Middle East Baltimore. Johns Hopkins through their agent organization East Baltimore Development Inc. (EBDI) are currently in Phase II of their planning to remove community residents from their homes and force them to go elsewhere. This majority African American community has endured through decades of willful neglect of their neighborhood by city leaders and now have come to a place where the change they longed for is here, but they are not invited to stick around for the party. They are being forced to get out.

One of the young men from my church accompanied me to the rally and when we arrived it was standing room only.

We were inspired by a number of powerful speakers, the most notable of them all being the actual residents of the community. They spoke with the type of sharp insight that only those who are at the center of this fight can cull. The President of SMEAC, Donald Gresham, spoke eloquently moving gracefully between the voice of a baptist preacher and a skilled, community strategist.

As Pastor Karen Brau from Amazing Grace Luther Church led the congregation in a few bars of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” I immediately felt like we all were transported back into civil rights era planning meetings against injustice – many of them which happened in church basements as well. I felt like history was being written with every word spoken. I wondered if history would properly remember the names of these ordinary people who possessed full consciousness of their power to partner with The Almighty in determining their destiny. In this male dominated society, I wondered if history would properly recognize a sista like Chabria Thomas – a wife, mother, lifelong resident of Baltimore and organizer educated in the public school system who in the spirit of Ella Baker preferred to push the real heroes (the residents) to the forefront while finding her place behind the curtain.

After the speaking, it was time to march. We lined up on a brisk, but sunny afternoon and began marching on the land that used to be occupied by Black families. From age 9 to 91 – we were all there together moving in syncopated rhythm in the shadow of the monolith – determined to stand up and fight like full fledged human beings. I sensed more dignity, more self-respect in that crowd than can be found in all the halls of local government.

Words can’t describe what it felt like marching around Johns Hopkins chanting things like, “E.B.D.I. – We Can’t Stand Another Lie!” It was amazing. I felt like the children of Israel marching around Jericho and I can do nothing but believe that sooner rather than later the proverbial walls of Hopkins will come tumbling down. As Dr. King said, “The arch of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” How long? Not long!

At the conclusion of the march, Jack Shannon, Executive Director of EBDI was waiting for us with a few of his Black staff members surrounding him. In classic political humor, a few members of the crowd greeted him with a song – “Hit the road Jack – and don’t ya come back no more no more!”

Jack Shannon and Mr. Donald Gresham stood on the steps where Shannon confessed his failures and asked for patience while they tried to find the money for the mutually agreed upon House for a House Initiative that would allow residents the opportunity to trade in their current house for a newly rehabbed house in the same community with no additional mortgage.

Gresham demanded a meeting with EBDI’s Board of Directors for the residents being that it seemed like the “appropriate channels” of communication were not productive. It was the feeling of some in the crowd that Hopkins’ (I’m using EBDI & Hopkins interchangeably) Board Members needed to meet some of the HUMAN BEINGS whose lives were being impacted by their decisions.

After the speaking, the marching, and the confronting, it was time to eat. The crowd returned to the church and sat down for a great, hard-earned meal. I got a text message that night at 9:59 telling me to tune into the news. I turned on the television just in time to catch it.

If Johns Hopkins thinks this is going to be an easy battle, they have another thing coming. We’re fired up and ready to go!

A luta continua – the struggle continues…

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