In the weeks following the death of Freddie Gray and the protests in Baltimore, members of the UMBC community have sought to engage in thoughtful reflection, dialogue, and service around the complex social and economic challenges facing our Baltimore community—and communities across the nation. Here are a few recent contributions from some of our alumni.
Kaye Whitehead ’09 Ph.D., language, literacy, and culture, has been a key voice in conversations about Freddie Gray’s death, the Black Lives Matter movement, and police brutality. In an article on PROMISE, Dr. Whitehead discusses her experience at the front lines of the peaceful protests in Baltimore and provides primary accounts from the people living the “Baltimore Uprising” on a daily basis. She has also been working on a book entitled Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America. She was interviewed by WYPR about Freddie Grey and how his death fits into police brutality.
Read more from PROMISE here. Listen to the full interview here.
Joshua Michael ’10, political science, helped prepare meals for students and clean up debris in the aftermath of the Baltimore riots. Michael teaches seventh grade math at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City. Recently, he talked with the Baltimore Sun about the importance of supporting the city’s children.
To read the full article, click here.
Matthew Loftus ’07, chemistry, argues that community leaders need more influence in what positive policing looks like in their neighborhoods. Loftus wrote an article for the American Conservative where he explores the role of police in Baltimore. He compares the perspective of the Baltimore police force from a plethora of sources to trace the trajectory of their reputation today.
Read the full article here.
Tags: Baltimore Uprising, Black Lives Matter, Freddie Grey, Police Brutality, Positive Policing, The American Conservative
