DOCSLIB.ORG

The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence and Desistance Narratives of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence and Desistance Narratives of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2020 The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence and Desistance Narratives of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens Maurice Vann The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3588 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] THE FREDDIE GRAY UPRISING: PERSISTENCE AND DESISTANCE NARRATIVES OF COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RETURNING CITIZENS by MAURICE VANN, SR. A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Social Welfare in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2020 ii © 2020 MAURICE VANN SR. All Rights Reserved iii The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence and Desistance Narratives of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens by Maurice Vann, Sr. This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Social Welfare in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Vicki Lens Date Chair of Examining Committee Harriet Goodman Date Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Full Name: Vicki Lens Full Name: Harriet Goodman Full Name: Lila Kazemian THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence and Desistance Narratives of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens by Maurice Vann, Sr. Advisor: Vicki Lens This study explored how selected returning citizens in Baltimore who experienced the Freddie Gray Uprising of 2015 quelled community violence, stopped looting, and cleaned up the community in the aftermath made meaning of their experiences of the unrest. The central purpose of this study was to collect and analyze the life stories of returning citizens in Baltimore who experienced the Uprising. These men who had been incarcerated for between 5 and 20 years responded to government officials who called on them to quell violence in their neighborhoods that stemmed from the in-custody homicide of Freddie Gray. The informants provided narratives that expressed how they made meaning of their experiences during and after the Uprising. One way this occurred was through their experience of community divisions, which validated the long-standing tensions between the police and community members in the Penn-North and Sandtown-Winchester neighborhoods. These men reported both short-term and long-term benefits the Uprising had on community unity despite the turmoil. For some, the unrest that harmed the community also served as a catalyst for the community to heal, come together, and become the caring community they recalled from their childhoods. In addition, participants described how helping during and after the Uprising shaped their self-narratives and how different forms of helping influenced their growth/ transformations. v The actions of the informants in this study spanned the spectrum of helping through relational actions such as normal mentoring to helping through political action, advocacy, or civic actions such as cleaning up the neighborhood. There were differences in arrests following the Uprising for those who helped through relational actions, political actions, and civic actions. Participants who helped through relational actions and political actions were more likely to report reoffending post-Uprising than those who helped through civic actions. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Conservative Frontlash and the Carceral State ........................................................................... 8 White Liberal Contributions to the Carceral State .................................................................... 11 Black Middle-Class and the Carceral State ............................................................................... 13 Decarceration Policies ............................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER III: BALTIMORE - BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT ................ 20 Racial Hostilities and Segregation ............................................................................................ 20 Race and Class .......................................................................................................................... 22 Policing, Corrections, and Baltimore Street Gangs................................................................... 25 Black Masculinity ..................................................................................................................... 27 Summary……………. .............................................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER IV: REOFFENDING, RECIDIVISM, AND REENTRY .......................................... 31 Incarceration and Reoffending .................................................................................................. 32 Reentry…… .............................................................................................................................. 33 Healthcare…….......................................................................................................................... 34 Education/Employment ............................................................................................................. 37 Housing…… ............................................................................................................................. 40 Conclusion…………….. ........................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER V: THEORETICAL LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................... 43 Stigma…………….................................................................................................................... 43 Moral Exclusion ........................................................................................................................ 45 Class Conflict/Conflict Theory ................................................................................................. 48 Black Baltimore Communities and Class Conflict ................................... 48 Conflict Theory and Police Violence ........................................................ 49 Growth and Transformations .................................................................................................... 50 Identity Theory of Desistance (ITD)......................................................................................... 52 Change in Self-Narratives ......................................................................................................... 53 Trends in Research on Desistence Narratives ........................................................................... 56 Generativity…………………................................................................................................... 57 vii Conclusion… ............................................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER VI: METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 61 Narrative Tradition of Qualitative Research ............................................................................. 61 A Narrative Study of Lives Approach....................................................................................... 62 Study Site……….. .................................................................................................................... 63 Informant Recruitment and Sampling ....................................................................................... 64 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................... 66 Credibility and Trustworthiness ................................................................................................ 68 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 69 Summary………….. ................................................................................................................. 71 CHAPTER VII: LAW ENFORCEMENT, REOFFENDING, AND GROWTH ......................... 72 Correctional Officer Indifference .............................................................................................. 76 Correctional Officers Complicity .............................................................................................. 80 Correctional Officers Abuse...................................................................................................... 85 Probation/Parole Officers and Narratives of Growth ................................................................ 87 Summary………….. ................................................................................................................. 94 CHAPTER VIII: DESISTANCE AND TRANSFORMATIONS ................................................ 97 Civic Engagement/ Helping .................................................................................................... 100 Relational Actions and “Informal” Mentoring
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Restorative Policing-Buildingtrust in Police
    Citation: Laura Merkey, Building Trust and Breaking down the Wall: The Use of Restorative Justice to Repair Police-Community Relationships, 80 Mo. L. Rev. (2015) Content downloaded/printed from HeinOnline Tue Nov 28 10:10:19 2017 -- Your use of this HeinOnline PDF indicates your acceptance of HeinOnline's Terms and Conditions of the license agreement available at http://heinonline.org/HOL/License -- The search text of this PDF is generated from uncorrected OCR text. -- To obtain permission to use this article beyond the scope of your HeinOnline license, please use: Copyright Information Use QR Code reader to send PDF to your smartphone or tablet device Building Trust and Breaking Down the Wall: The Use of Restorative Justice to Repair Police-Community Relationships Laura Merkey* I. INTRODUCTION The town of Ferguson, Missouri, captured national attention when a grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, three months prior.' Simi- lar citizen deaths involving police in both New York City and Cleveland have magnified the tensions felt across the country, and in many cities and com- munities, the community-police relationships are rapidly becoming untena- 2 ble. Baltimore, Maryland, is a prime example; protests, riots, and an atmos- phere of mistrust pervaded the city for months after the deaths of Michael 3 Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. The situation was, simply put, a pow- der keg waiting to explode. Our traditional justice system is simply not adequately responding to all of the issues currently confronting society. A new strategy needs to be put into place, and quickly.
    [Show full text]
  • Applicant V. DERAY MCKESSON; BLACK LIVES MATTER; BLACK LIVES MATTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED Defendants - Respondents
    STATE OF LOUISIANA 2021-CQ-00929 LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT OFFICER JOHN DOE, Police Officer Plaintiff - Applicant v. DERAY MCKESSON; BLACK LIVES MATTER; BLACK LIVES MATTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED Defendants - Respondents OFFICER JOHN DOE Plaintiff - Applicant Versus DeRAY McKESSON; BLACK LIVES MATTER; BLACK LIVES MATTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED Defendants - Respondents On Certified Question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit No. 17-30864 Circuit Judges Jolly, Elrod, and Willett Appeal From the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana USDC No. 3:16-CV-742 Honorable Judge Brian A. Jackson, Presiding OFFICER JOHN DOE ORIGINAL BRIEF ON APPLICATION FOR REVIEW BY CERTIFIED QUESTION Respectfully submitted: ATTORNEY FOR THE APPLICANT OFFICER JOHN DOE Donna U. Grodner (20840) GRODNER LAW FIRM 2223 Quail Run, B-1 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 (225) 769-1919 FAX 769-1997 [email protected] CIVIL PROCEEDING TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.. ii CERTIFIED QUESTIONS. 1 1. Whether Louisiana law recognizes a duty, under the facts alleged I the complaint, or otherwise, not to negligently precipitate the crime of a third party? 2. Assuming McKesson could otherwise be held liable for a breach of duty owed to Officer Doe, whether Louisiana’s Professional Rescuer’s Doctrine bars recovery under the facts alleged in the complaint? . 1 STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION. 1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE. 1 A. NATURE OF THE CASE. 1 B. PROCEDURAL HISTORY. 12 1. ACTION OF THE TRIAL COURT. 12 2. ACTION OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT. 12 3. ACTION OF THE SUPREME COURT. 13 4. ACTION OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT. 13 C.
    [Show full text]
  • DEEN FREELON CHARLTON D. MCILWAIN MEREDITH D. CLARK About the Authors: Deen Freelon Is an Assistant Professor of Communication at American University
    BEYOND THE HASHTAGS DEEN FREELON CHARLTON D. MCILWAIN MEREDITH D. CLARK About the authors: Deen Freelon is an assistant professor of communication at American University. Charlton D. McIlwain is an associate professor of media, culture and communi- cation and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity at New York University. Meredith D. Clark is an assistant professor of digital and print news at the University of North Texas. Please send any questions or comments about this report to Deen Freelon at [email protected]. About the Center For Media & Social Impact: The Center for Media & Social Impact at American University’s School of Communication, based in Washington, D.C., is an innovation lab and research center that creates, studies, and showcases media for social impact. Fo- cusing on independent, documentary, entertainment and public media, the Center bridges boundaries between scholars, producers and communication practitioners across media production, media impact, public policy, and audience engagement. The Center produces resources for the field and academic research; convenes conferences and events; and works collaboratively to understand and design media that matters. www.cmsimpact.org Internal photos: Philip Montgomery Graphic design and layout: openbox9 The authors gratefully acknowledge funding support from the Spencer Foundation, without which this project would not have been possible. We also thank Ryan Blocher, Frank Franco, Cate Jackson, and Sedale McCall for transcribing participant interviews; David Proper and Kate Sheppard for copyediting; and Mitra Arthur, Caty Borum Chattoo, Brigid Maher, and Vincent Terlizzi for assisting with the report’s web presence and PR. The views expressed in this report are the authors’ alone and are not necessarily shared by the Spencer Foundation or the Center for Media and Social Impact.
    [Show full text]
  • Remedying the Effects of Government-Sanctioned Segregation in a Post-Freddie Gray Baltimore Yvette N
    University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class Volume 16 | Issue 1 Article 6 Remedying the Effects of Government-Sanctioned Segregation in a Post-Freddie Gray Baltimore Yvette N. Pappoe Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/rrgc Recommended Citation Yvette N. Pappoe, Remedying the Effects of Government-Sanctioned Segregation in a Post-Freddie Gray Baltimore, 16 U. Md. L.J. Race Relig. Gender & Class 115 (). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/rrgc/vol16/iss1/6 This Notes & Comments is brought to you for free and open access by the Academic Journals at DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pappoe REMEDYING THE EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED SEGREGATION IN A POST-FREDDIE GRAY BALTIMORE * YVETTE N. PAPPOE I. INTRODUCTION Since the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black1 man who suffered a spinal cord injury and died in police custody, many—including political pundits, politicians, and residents—have debated about what went wrong in Baltimore. While some commentators believe the unrest was solely in response to “police mistreatment of black men,”2 some have opined that the unrest was a product of pent up frustration caused by “crushing poverty, lack of opportunity,”3 and the denial, to Black youth in Baltimore, of “the opportunity to participate in mainstream American society.”4 This Comment argues that the aforementioned issues are a byproduct of racist government-sanctioned policies that continue to perpetuate racial and economic segregation and concentrated poverty in Black communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Short-Run Externalities of Civic Unrest: Evidence from Ferguson, Missouri
    IZA DP No. 10091 Short-Run Externalities of Civic Unrest: Evidence from Ferguson, Missouri Seth Gershenson Michael S. Hayes July 2016 DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor Short-Run Externalities of Civic Unrest: Evidence from Ferguson, Missouri Seth Gershenson American University and IZA Michael S. Hayes Rutgers University, Camden Discussion Paper No. 10091 July 2016 IZA P.O. Box 7240 53072 Bonn Germany Phone: +49-228-3894-0 Fax: +49-228-3894-180 E-mail: [email protected] Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character.
    [Show full text]
  • A Collective Pain
    Dear Fellow Marylander, Our nation is awash with grief. The murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others at the hands of police and vigilantes have put painful reminders of racial violence targeting black communities on our news feeds, our televisions and our timelines. Protesters have taken to the streets worldwide calling on us to say their names and bring justice to their murder only to be met with tear gas, brutality and military-grade resistance ordered by President Trump himself – examples of the excessive use of force the protesters are marching to end. We are seeing in these demonstrations a collective pain. A frustration stemming from the fact that these realities only enter the public dialogue when brutal deaths are captured on video or when names become trending hashtags. But this is nothing new. Racial injustice is deeply engrained in the foundations of our nation, and for millions of black Americans this grief and fear is familiar. So too is the experience of getting stopped frequently by the police, facing harassment and suspicion in everyday life, or fearing for their lives and their loved ones from a body that is supposed to protect and serve. According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, black Americans are more likely to be stopped by the police. Police are twice as likely to use force against black residents – and black residents are killed by police at a rate twice as high as white residents. In 2015, the unrest in Baltimore City after the death of Freddie Gray, Jr. in police custody put a national spotlight on racial injustice in our state.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Lives Matter (BLM) Is a Movement Without a Specific Leader Or Hierarchy
    Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a movement without a specific leader or hierarchy. They promote non-violent movement to eradicate white supremacy and stop violence towards the black community by the Police. In July 2013, the movement began with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin earlier in February 2012. The movement became nationally recognized for street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of Michael Brown— resulting in protests and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City. Since the Ferguson protests, participants in the movement have demonstrated against the deaths of numerous other African Americans by police actions or while in police custody. In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter activists became involved in the 2016 US presidential election. The originators of the hashtag expanded their project into a national network. The overall Black Lives Matter movement is a decentralized network of activists with no formal hierarchy. Trayvon Benjamin Martin (1995-2012) Michael Brown Jr. (1996-2014) Eric Garner (1990-2014) Killed by George Zimmerman. Killed by Darren Wilson. Killed by Daniel Pantaleo. The movement returned to national headlines and gained further international attention during the global George Floyd protests in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. An estimated 15-26 million people, although not all are members or part of the organization, participated in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, making Black Lives Matter one of the largest movements in United States history.
    [Show full text]
  • Policing and the Clash of Masculinities
    Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law Scholarly Works Faculty Scholarship 2015 Policing and the Clash of Masculinities Ann McGinley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub Part of the Law and Gender Commons, Law and Race Commons, and the Law Enforcement and Corrections Commons Recommended Citation McGinley, Ann, "Policing and the Clash of Masculinities" (2015). Scholarly Works. 1010. https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub/1010 This Article is brought to you by the Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law, an institutional repository administered by the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Policing and the Clash of Masculinities ANN C. MCGINLEY* INTRODUCTION: POLICING, RACE, AND GENDER .... 222 I. EMPIRICAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF POLICE BEH AVIOR ............................................ 227 A. Use of Force Studies ................................ 227 B. Investigations of Real Police Departments .......... 229 1. Cleveland, Ohio Division of Police ............. 229 2. Ferguson, Missouri Police Department .......... 233 II. MASCULINITIES STUDIES AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY: HEGEMONY, PRIVILEGE, AND SUBORDINATION .................................... 238 A. An Introduction to Masculinities Theory ........... 238 B. A Primer on Critical Race Theory .................. 240 1. Socially Constructed but Materially Relevant... 241 2. Structural Bias Expressed Implicitly ............ 241 3. Critical Race and Multidimensional Masculinities Theories .......................... 242 C. Using Multidimensional Masculinities to Analyze the Conflict Between Police and Black Men ....... 242 1. Gender, Race, Class, Police Officers, and Black Suspects ........................................ 242 2. Stereotypes: The Bad Black Man vs. the Good Black M an ...................................... 253 * William S. Boyd Professor of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Boyd School of Law, J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1982.
    [Show full text]
  • Baltimore Uprising Part I: Causes
    Baltimore Uprising Part I: Causes Museum Connection: Family and Community Purpose: In this lesson students will identify, explore, and evaluate the immediate and underlying causes of the 2015 Baltimore Uprising. Course: United States History, African American History, Government Time Frame: This lesson will require one class period to complete. Correlation to Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards: Indicator United States History High School: Analyze modern economic, political and social influences on American society from 1981-present (5.6.2). Objective: Evaluate how the government has addressed changing demographics, including immigration, the changing age structure and increasing minority populations in the United States (PS, PNW, G) Core Learning Goals: Government Goal 1 Political Systems: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the historical development and current status of principles, institutions, and processes of political systems. Expectation: 1.1 The student will demonstrate understanding of the structure and functions of government and politics in the United States. Indicators: 1.1.2 The student will evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of government. 1.1.4 The student will explain roles and analyze strategies individuals or groups may use to initiate change in governmental policy and institutions. Expectation: 1.2 The student will evaluate how the United States government has maintained a balance between protecting rights and maintaining order. Page 1 of 22 Lesson written by The William J. Watkins, Sr. Educational Institute in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture Indicator: 1.2.3 The student will evaluate the impact of governmental decisions and actions that have affected the rights of individuals and groups in American society and/or have affected maintaining order and/or safety.
    [Show full text]
  • Johns Hopkins Stands in Solidarity Against Racism and Inequity
    Dear Members of the Johns Hopkins Community, In the past three months, across the U.S. and around the globe, we have experienced extraordinary challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In communities of which Johns Hopkins is a part—from Baltimore City, Washington, D.C., Prince George’s, Howard and Montgomery Counties to St. Petersburg, Florida, and many more—we have witnessed our African American, Latinx, Native American and poverty-stricken communities disproportionately dying from COVID-19, while our Asian and Asian American communities have been targeted with vitriol because of the disease’s origins. People have lost family members, and the economic impact of this pandemic has led to many people having lost their jobs. This has been a tremendous burden for many to bear. The recent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis as well as the deaths of Breonna Taylor, a first responder in Louisville, Kentucky, shot in her own bed while sleeping; Ahmaud Arbery, shot while jogging near Brunswick, Georgia; and far too many others reinforce the brutal truth that the African American community still remains vulnerable to senseless violence, even during a pandemic. For those of us in Baltimore, these tragedies also call to mind the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody five years ago. And this moment serves as a reminder of the compounding effects on our communities. Because we are all intricately connected by our common humanity, if one segment of our community is hurting, it adversely impacts all of us. This is not just an issue for African Americans; it is an issue that threatens the future for all Americans.
    [Show full text]
  • Racial Conflict Are U.S
    Published by CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. www.cqresearcher.com Racial Conflict Are U.S. policies discriminatory? ac e-centered conflicts in several U.S. cities have led to the strongest calls for policy reforms since the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s. Propelled R largely by videos of violent police confrontations with African-Americans, protesters have taken to the streets in Chicago, New York and other cities demanding changes in police tactics. meanwhile, students — black and white — at several major universities have pressured school presidents to deal aggressively Demonstrators on Christmas Eve protest an alleged with racist incidents on campus. And activists in the emerging cover-up of a video showing a white Chicago police officer shooting 17-year-old African-American Laquan Black Lives matter movement are charging that “institutional racism” McDonald 16 times. The shooting — and others in which white police officers killed black suspects, often unarmed — has added fuel to a persists in public institutions and laws a half century after legally nationwide debate about systemic racism. sanctioned discrimination was banned. Critics of that view argue that moral failings in the black community — and not institutional racism — e xplain why many African-Americans lack parity with whites in such areas as wealth, employment, housing and educa - I tional attainment. B ut those who cite institutional racism say enor - THIS REPORT N THE ISSUES ......................27 mous socioeconomic gaps and entrenched housing and school S BACKGROUND ..................33 segregation patterns stem from societal decisions that far outweigh I CHRONOLOGY ..................35 individuals’ life choices. D CURRENT SITUATION ..........40 E CQ Researcher • Jan.
    [Show full text]
  • Race, Racism, and Baltimore's Future
    Race, Racism, and Baltimore’s Future: A Focus on Structural and Institutional Racism Summary Report #SDH2016 The Fifth Annual Symposium on the Social Determinants of Health Introduction After the death of Freddie Gray on April 12, 2015, and Speakers participated in four panels sharing expertise on: the protests and demonstrations that shook the city 1. overcoming structural racism, soon after, Baltimore became a symbol of racial strife 2. how racism affects health, and inequity and gained the media attention of not just the United States but the entire world. This was 3. how racism, racial segregation, and the education not news for the people of Baltimore or for many of system are connected, and the organizations that work tirelessly toward positive 4. racism and policing. change in this city. To many, the death of Freddie The goals of this symposium were to: Gray did not come as a surprise. To them, inequitable 1. reiterate how salient structural racism is in the treatment of young, black men was nothing new; lives of people in Baltimore City, and it certainly was nothing that they had not heard, 2. acknowledge structural racism as a critical public witnessed, or personally experienced. With the whole health concern, and world watching, this tragedy brought determination; a 3. critically assess the changes that we can make to determination that his death was not in vain, that the reduce structural racism in our personal lives and spotlight would not go away, and that together, through in the institutions where we work. galvanized momentum, something would be done. Freddie Gray’s death and the events that followed On April 25, 2016, over 700 people came together to brought determination to the event—a determination attend the 5th annual Social Determinants of Health that his death was not in vain, that the spotlight would Symposium on Race, Racism, and Baltimore’s Future: not go away, and that together, through galvanized A Focus on Structural and Institutional Racism.
    [Show full text]