I read an article yesterday in The Baltimore Sun entitled, “Activist walks away from Baltimore’s Middle East.” The article almost reads like a depressing obituary for Save Middle East Action Coalition (SMEAC).
This excerpt, written by one of SMEAC’s former Executive Directors, gives some perspective on this remarkable organization:
Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC) was created in 2001 by community stakeholders and representatives in Baltimore after the local newspaper announced that they would be forcibly dislocated from their homes for construction of a biotech park and new housing. The city government intended to use its power of eminent domain, which gives it the right to take an individual’s land for the betterment of the community. The redevelopment project targeted more than 20 blocks (about 90 acres) of homeowner, rental and business property in the Middle East neighborhood of East Baltimore, affecting more than 800 households.
A membership-based organization, SMEAC is governed by the low-income residents affected by this project. Its mission is to engage residents to participate in all aspects of decision making related to the redevelopment. The group’s strategy has been to organize residents, churches and businesses to assure communication about the relocation timeline, negotiate a fair benefits package and enable the community to speak with one voice.
Despite it’s inspiring work and great progress, yesterday’s Sun article almost read like a depressing obituary for SMEAC. And while the organization has admittedly moved on; there is nothing to hang one’s head in shame about. SMEAC had the courage to walk in the ways of those who’ve gone before, pressing ever forward to challenge unjust “power”. While the history books will likely remember the politicians, developers, and Hopkins executives that gutted Middle East Baltimore; those with an ear to hear the history of Baltimore from below; will remember that there once was a force that found its voice fighting against the gargantuan that is Johns Hopkins…and that remarkable force was called SMEAC.
Enjoy this video of a SMEAC Rally from October 2008.
Save Middle East Action Coalition Rally from Frank Talk on Vimeo.
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As a person who has both lived and worked with youth in the Middle East neighborhood for more years
than I need to remember, I read this article and needed to share with you and your readership:
SMEAC needed an obituary. Unfortunately, the group, like far too many groups that supposedly represent
the oppressed was hijacked from the beginning. Missionaries actually created this group, along with
a resident who worked for Hopkins. Fortunately, those of us who were there from the beginning and
are still here, understand what really happened down here in regards to the trick called SMEAC.
To be sure, the real history will more than likely be written by those of us who survive both EBDI and
SEMALAC. God truly does not like ugly, man these SEMALAC people Really need your prayers because
KARMA is KARMA all over the world. God is never mocked….reap what you sow.
That's interesting, Nia. I've never heard SMEAC spoken of in such a way. Why do you call SMEAC a "trick?"
Good evening Heber. SMEAC was envisioned by two european women: 1. student of jhu, 2.the other__came from CHPA. When these two europeans could not get the elder leader of the Middle East__neighborhood to go along with what these ladies were interested in , the two women sought out__some one who looked like us, the Hopkins employee, who lived in the neighborhood, to assist__the two of the 'back-door" a new group for the neighborhood, namely, SMEAC.
* As my comments are longer than space allows: [ to be continued] Namasate
.____Five residents, none of whom ever belonged to the existing resident group, nor ever participated__in ANY community activity in the neighborhood, i.e. clean-ups, pta meetings, get the drugs out meetings,__Hopkins and What Happen to our children meetings—Hopkins putting our children at risk by subjecting__them to being relocated from known lead contaminated homes, to homes with various levels of lead,__to see if the children where still being affected by lead. * By the way, none of these families knew that__Hopkins had relocated them to lead contaimenated homes as a research project until years later.__Supreme Court of Md, ruled in favor of the parents comparing Hopkins unwittingness as comparable to__the Tuskegee experiment. ( In fact, the " Activist" referenced in the Sun article, was the assistant to the__Hopkins doctor who was cheif investigator of this criminal lead experiment in our neighborhood.____
This ''activist' working along with the two european women, upon not being able to gain footing in the__elder's resident group, decided to create a new group with by the name of SMEAC. These three women__met in secret in a new store front church run by a minister no one had Ever seen in our neighborhood.____When some of us learned of these meetings, some tried to attend. Upon attending the discovered__five residents were sucked into joining the hopkins activist and the two europeans in keeping their__meetings private to the larger resident body until they had put a chart together and elected officers__for this new "resident-group."____ [ To be Continued] Namasate
Pardon me Heber, as I would like for you and your readership to get the real story that we experienced in East Baltimore, which includes what happened to a very astute young lady named Chabria Thomas, I
will have to get back to this tomorrow. Namasate
When some of us, who have lived in the neighborhood most of our lives, inquired about the meetings__we were either, asked to leave the small group meeting, or told we could not attend until they completed__their planning sessions.__Needless to say, " Hopkins-Activist" resident, became the founding president of SMEAC, one of the__european women became their salaried director $50,000 and the other became the only euro on a__resident board, though she never lived in Middle East.____Old folks always say the way something begins is the way it will end. [ To be Continued] Namasate
Johns Hopkins, EBDI, O’Malley, etc., have elected to destroy a predominately Black community with corruption. I am Rosita Martin, and I will continue the fight to save a community of people who deserve to be saved. I believe in YHWH! RE: My grandchildren (who were not abused nor neglected)were illegally placed in foster care where they were exposed to: sexual deviancy, physical burns, beatings, teeth extractions, pharmaceutical therapies, surgical procedures and various methodologies of dehumanization. Their suffering has lasted 4.5 years because I chose to speak out against the biotechnology disaster project of 21st century. For Sandoria and Damaud- Nanna loves both of you very much. Stay strong in the name of YHWH!