DJ COMMUNITY

"How do we move forward as a community?"

BY MICHAEL FEENEY, HALIMAH ABDULLAH AND TRACY JARRETT

They're talking about it in Baltimore's barber shops, street corners and playgrounds.

The riots in Baltimore ripped open a long festering emotional wound in a city that for nearly four decades has struggled to recover from economic decline and a bleak landscape for those in the communities hardest hit. The protests and riots, which were sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, who died after suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody, have also thrust their hometown into the national spotlight.

While Gray's death has brought the community together and sparked mostly peaceful protests, long-time residents say it was just the tipping point for decades of frustrations with police brutality, lack of community resources and other hardships. Grassroots activists have hosted dozens of peaceful gatherings this week at local churches and community centers to unite and talk about the way forward.

But political science experts say local activists will have to overcome a significant hurdle: getting beyond grassroots efforts and garnering support for more substantive policy changes.

"At the state and local level we will see how well these issues are addressed," said Andra Gillespie, an associate professor of political science at Emory University. "If they are organized, they will put some pressure at these levels…and get some sort of substantive policy changes."

Sheer will and enthusiasm aren't enough, Gillespie said, pointing out that efforts to repeal "stand your ground laws" following the Trayvon Martin's death were unsuccessful.

"The next step for this is to turn that rage into targeted pressure that forces legislators at federal, state and at city levels to actually respond," Gillespie said.

Others across the city agreed it's time to focus on the next steps, while also discussing the root of the unrest. And here's what they had to say:

Barber shop offers more than haircuts

Troy Staton has heard it all since he opened New Beginnings Barber Shop more than 20 years ago.

His shop not only serves as a place to get a fresh cut, but also to discuss the issues of the day.

"It's a bigger issue than Freddie Gray," said Lamont Robinson, adding his take on what prompted young people to act violently on Monday.

"They're not being heard and this was an opportunity for them to begin to speak out," Robinson said. "They need someone that's going to listen to them...We have to become leaders by first knowing how to lead by listening."

Robinson, a father of 9, including 7 boys, said love is what's needed most.

"You love on them, you listen to them, you talk to them and you show them the respect you want them to show other people," he said. "Til' this day, my boys, 6-feet and all, I can tell them, 'I love you,' and they're going to say, 'I love you back.' They know that they can get a hug from me."

Daki Napata, who was getting his gray hair cut, agreed that it's the youth who are feeling "invisible."

"Ask the kids, 'How y'all feel? We feel frustrated, we feel hurt, we feel ignored,'" he said.

Alice Renee, 48, took issue with the names that the young people were called following Monday's incidents of violence and destruction.

"Our mayor said they were thugs," said Renee of comments made by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "But the real thugs are the police department."

The word "thug," Renee said, has a more powerful meaning.

"It's a new word for [the n-word]. Thugs," she said. "Our president even used the word."

Growing Crowd of Peaceful Marchers Gather In Baltimore

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"I'm not scared of the police, I just don't trust them"

The youngest members of Baltimore's community are also talking about the unrest, which has already resulted in a missed day of school and 10 p.m. curfew.

"I know they were mad about Freddie Gray, but at the same time they should have protested peacefully," said 11-year-old Jayla. " Now some of the stores we used to shop in, like CVS, are now burned down and people can't get their medicine and their prescription and things like that and they might may have to go to the hospital."

When asked if she was scared of police, her response, "I'm not scared of the police, I just don't trust them enough because instead of killing and harming people they are supposed to protect them and keep them safe."

The behavior of the police is also an issue for 14-year-old Robert.

"I would like to see change. We should have more professional training so they won't have cops that have low tempers to snap off at any civilian that comes by or they're going to arrest, so there's no physical violence unless necessary," he said.

What Kids Think About Baltimore

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"Colors don't matter right now, we are already united as one"

On the streets, rival gang members from the Bloods and the Crips in Baltimore are uniting with hopes of helping their community.

The gang members also said they were trying to stop some of the violence and looting during Monday's riot.

"It was the youth that went into Mondawmin and broke into the mall," said Charles Littlejohn who has been a gang member for 14 years. "It wasn't us. We was trying to stop it."

The gangs, he said, see the problems at the street level and they want to help.

"What most frustrates me about what's going on here is because they don't get the bigger picture of what's going on," Littlejohn said. "The cause that's going on in the streets of Baltimore is bigger than any color. Our colors don't matter right now. We are already united as one, so we're gonna ride together, regardless."

"Everyone has to support our youth so we don't go through these situations again."

Across the street from the pristine Baltimore City District Court people sat talking on the front lawns of row houses. They watched as cars sped by on East Patapsco Avenue and discussed how the city can move forward.

Baltimore resident Shawn Price said coming together is a community effort that starts with parents being more involved in their children's lives.

"It's obvious the next steps would be rebuilding," said Baltimore resident Shawn Price. "We have to continue to come together, and everyone has to support our youth so we don't go through these situations again."

MICHAEL FEENEY

Michael J. Feeney is an award-winning reporter and the president of the New York Association of... Expand Bio

Michael J. Feeney is an award-winning reporter and the president of the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ). Feeney, a native of Teaneck, N.J., spent five years as a reporter at the New York Daily News, where he was responsible for covering the communities of Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood. He also contributed frequently to the entertainment coverage at the Daily News, interviewing celebrities including Stevie Wonder, Jay Z and Drake. Prior to joining the Daily News,Feeney worked as a reporter for The Record newspaper and the Associated Press in Detroit and Baltimore. Feeney has received several awards, including being named the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Emerging Journalist of the Year in 2010. Feeney, a graduate of Delaware State University, is currently a freelance writer for numerous outlets including Ebony Magazine and theGrio.com. When he is not writing, he enjoys speaking to students about pursuing careers in journalism. He has had the pleasure of speaking at Columbia University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Syracuse University and North Carolina A&T State University, just to name a few. In October, Feeney's name covered the world famous marquee at the Apollo Theater as he served as a co-host for Uptown Hall, which featured guest speakers Harry Belafonte, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and Congressman Charles Rangel. Feeney is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a die-hard Yankees fan. You can follow him on Twitter at @MFeeney.

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