Maryland Black Caucus Town Hall
November 02, 2013 – Baltimore Families United Against Police Brutality attend the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus Town Hall meeting on “The State of Black Maryland”
Twenty-seven anti-police brutality activists attended the meeting, which included the mother of Christopher Brown, ex-boyfriend of George Booker Wells III, sixteen family members of Tyrone West, and a man who was beaten by some of the same officers involved in the death of West.
After the moderator, Delman Coates, the Senior Pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church, neglected to call on any family members who wanted to ask the panel questions, members began speaking out demanding that their concerns be heard. Four different family members made statements, and in response to each the Coates simply guided the discussion elsewhere, as to avoid any meaningful response from the panel.
Coates’ disinterest towards the experiences of these citizens “State of Black Maryland” is quite evident through his display of body language during Delegate Aisha Braveboy’s (District 25) speech at the end of the video. However Braveboy’s comments, in particular about opening the Law & Justice committee to the public so that together, citizens and representatives could draft legislation to address their concerns were appreciated, but accepted cautiously.
Now Family and Friends continue to organize while waiting to see what members of the community, in particular, representatives, do to join the movement against police corruption.
You can join us next, on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 4:00PM in front of Baltimore’s City Hall, where members of Baltimore Families United Against Police Brutality seek to have their concerns addressed by City Officials, and also to Speak Out to the public regarding the status of their cases, as well the next steps in the movement.