Believe Nothing You Hear And Half Of What You See
Baltimore is a big city with a small-town feel.
We have three degrees of separation between the youth on the street corner and the suits sitting in the C-suites.
Baltimore City Youth Slam Team set the intention and opened up the space for the community conversation
Around here, it's difficult not to take relationships personally due to our shared history. Regardless of whether we were beneficiaries or perpetrators of racial injustice and poverty, the truth remains.
As James Baldwin so eloquently puts it, our white counterparts may seem confused as to what Black people want from this country, but they at least know one thing for certain. They do not wish to be Black here, and if they understand that, then they know all that they need to, and anything else that they say is a lie.
Sadiq Ali, Founding Executive Director, MENTOR | Organizer of Baltimore Rites of Passage Initiative
I recently attended Leaders of A Beautiful Struggle’s Conversation on the glaring agenda Sinclair Broadcasting and Fox 45 have set forth.
Boy! Gone are the days of Captain Chesapeake and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have A Dream Essay Contests." The mass majority of Sinclair's media coverage of local Baltimore is traumatizing. And I am frightened by the images used to depict mothers, husbands, and sons like my own. It's as if Black people are not human, and the continued misrepresentation of the truth and the feeling of fear is becoming dangerous.
It is so perversive that Black people are beginning to believe the lies they are told about themselves.
Dayvon Love, Director of Public Policy, Leaders Of A Beautiful Struggle, reads direct quotes from David Smith’s (CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group) meeting with the Baltimore Sun Newspaper staff.
I avoid pointing fingers because it allows some of us to get away with indifference, apathy, and willful ignorance of racism’s “cause and effect.” The body of the political and news media system was born of ill intent. It's an evil hydra. You can attack the head all day, but another one grows. We have to focus on the body.
It's crucial to obtain information from sources that are credible and not affiliated with any political party. You can watch the live hearings in Annapolis and Baltimore to get direct updates. Moreover, you can connect with your city council representative, attend your local neighborhood association meetings, and support grassroots organizations fighting for your interests.
Maryland Senator Jill P. Carter speaks on the rollback of police accountability since the Freddie Gray Uprising.
As a storyteller, Baltimore has an excellent opportunity to rekindle the ancient art of Griot, which can help us take control of the information we consume and use it to propel ourselves forward. We can work together to build a more vital and vibrant community by intentionally seeking out news and resources.
Until then, when it comes to the news media, believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.