Marching through the McCulloh Homes housing project in East Baltimore on Saturday, nearly 100 protesters took to the streets to call attention to another deadly month in one of the country?s deadliest cities.
Citing 24 murders in 24 days, Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, who organized the Let?s Stop the Killings and End The Violence Rally, said he was fed up with the violence.
“We are here to end the apathy,” he said “We are here to recognize the continuing violence, and we?ll keep to expressing our outrage until things change,” he said.
“What does it take, family?” he asked.
The protesters, who marched to the plaza near McCulloh Homes where a murder had occurred just days before, were joined by Israel Cason, the founder of I Can?t, We Can drug rehabilitation center in Park Heights, and state Del. Jill Carter.
Cason, who was recently notified the council he intends to seek the 6th District council seat vacated by new City Council President Stephanie Rawlings Blake, said the city needed a spiritual change.
“This is about our souls,” he said. “The root of the problem is us, we need to do something about our own condition” he said.
Carter, the only mayoral candidate to attend the rally, said the absence of other public officials was telling.
“The lives of African-Americans are simply not valued,” she said. “We need to build the morale of the people by standing with them.”
Cheatham organized the rally on Thursday after the city recorded one homicide per day in January. Police said on Friday that Baltimore is behind last year?s tally of 28 murders in the same number of days. Cheatham, however, said at least one more homicide had occurred since Friday.
Michael Makel, a resident of McCulloh Homes, said that although he is encouraged people turned out to join in the protest, the key to stopping violence was in the classroom.
“Everything starts with proper education,” he said. “Teenagers need to know there is opportunity out there, a real alternative. Then you?ll see change.”
