The Torbit family appeared for the first time at a recent press conference called by WFBR 1590 AM's Daren Muhammad and BMORENEWS.com

By Doni Glover, www.bmorenews.com

(BALTIMORE – January 24, 2011) – What happens when more and more upwardly mobile whites live in a majority black city where many blacks are economically, politically, and socially stuck? Welcome to Baltimore!

It’s a discussion that few are willing to have: RACE. W. E. B. DuBois stated at the end of the 19th century that color would be the problem of the 20^th century. Seemingly, it remains so still today.

In light of the two major incidents that have engulfed the minds and spirits of the people, race – once again – raises its head.

Many white people, I imagine, might question why the black folks are all up in arms about an 8-year veteran police officer, William H. Torbit, Jr., being gunned down in the streets like a dog. Black people, on the other hand, don’t have to wonder at all. Black people, for the most part, recognize that if the police have the license to unload on Torbit, they will surely do it to us – hands down – no question.

While Torbit’s case is currently in the Baltimore City Police Department’s hands, another case is a little further down the road. That would be the case of Eliyahu Werdesheim and his alleged attack on the Northwestern High School student walking through an upper Park Heights neighborhood. The youth is black; Werdesheim is a white Jewish man, and apparent member of the Shomrim security patrol. First degree assault charges (a felony) were dropped against Mr. Werdesheim last week. Then, in an interesting twist of events, his brother, Avi, was charged. Additionally, there is one other suspect who has not been charged.

This incident also wreaked ill feelings among Baltimore’s black population. And, to say the least, the new State’s Attorney for Baltimore, Gregg Bernstein, only responded to questions last week with a “No comment.”

This didn’t go over well to black leaders either.

And so, on this brisk Monday morning, the community leaders have organized a press conference in front of the Mitchell Courthouse downtown where Bernstein’s office is located. Clearly, these leaders want an intelligent and mindful response from the newly elected official who beat out Patricia Jessamy, a black woman who held the post for the past 16 years.

Bernstein is white; further, he is married to Sheryl Goldstein. Goldstein runs the City’s Criminal Justice division, a seemingly integral part of the City’s law enforcement policy making body.

In short, there is an historic mistrust by citizens, many of whom are black, of the police and the entire criminal justice system in Maryland – especially in Baltimore.

Hence, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the Police Department and the State’s Attorney’s Office might do well to pull together a message for the people because right now, the citizens are restless. There is a strong consensus that City Hall is out of touch with the black citizenry.

One might also note that since Torbit’s killing, Rawlings-Blake has come under fire by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for calling for an independent investigation of the double homicide that involved all-police gunplay.

Some wonder who is running the City and whether the mayor, the police, and the State’s Attorney are all on the same page.

 The Spectator reported in March of 2009:

What’s most fascinating to me, the quintessential political junkie, is that this is a citywide election year. To say the least, as the candidates – one by one – step to the mic to tell us why they want to be the mayor for the next four years, I am curious as to who will exemplify leadership to the masses in light of the racial earthquake that still sends tremors across Baltimore.

Who will step up and speak the words of healing so desperately needed in times like these? Who will allay the fears and concerns of the average citizen afraid of both the good guys and the bad guys? Mayor Blake? Otis Rolley, the man who recently called on Bill Cosby as he announced his mayoral intentions? State Senator Cathy Pugh, the current chair of the Black Caucus of Maryland who has been noting as of late that black people constitute 30% of the population of the State of Maryland and are long overdue for their fair share of the pie? Or, will Kweisi Mfume give some breaking news?

Time will tell, no doubt. However, the people are hurting now and are in need of a healing now. Folks on the street see the criminal justice system in Baltimore as one focused purely on “just us.” Until that perception changes, until leadership arises that will speak truth to power, until the hearts and souls of the people are touched and inspired as only a leader can – racism will continue to fester and wreak its wicked head on an otherwise forsaken population.

When is ‘enough’ enough?

Baltimore city gets it right: Plowing in the worst of conditions

I believe in always giving credit where credit is due, especially if I am among the critics when something was done wrong or if something was not done at all - whatever the case.

The City botched part 1 of the Great Blizzard of 2010. But damn if they didn’t get it right on part 2.

I know. I came. I saw it for myself.

Congratulations to the people in charge of the city, ie the new mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and her team. Somebody listened to our WOLB radio show on Tuesday morning at 10 am as Darren Muhammad, David Brown and myself offered up some critical analysis of how the City had fumbled last weekend. More importantly, we offered up some solutions.

It’s easy to talk about someone when they are wrong. It’s easy to turn a deaf ear to whatever it is they have to say – simply based on past performance.

I am reminded of the many, many mistakes I have made. I am reminded of the mistakes I continue to make.

The real question becomes – for me and many of you – what are we going to do about it? Are we going to go into our introverted shells and innoculate ourselves from the glaring truth? Or, are we going to take a minute, breath, take in sound logic, and then implement these thoughts into a plan of action.

It would be all too easy for me to point a finger and keep pointing one, because there is a karma in the universe that reminds me that every time I point one at you, there are three points coming right back at me.

At the end of the day, the blizzard was not about race, or class, or religion. It was about people. In the final analysis, the question is what are we going to do about it?

During the Great Blizzard, I had the opportunity to watch the Michael Oher Story. I had heard something about the Raven superstar in the past, but it had not really captured my attention like watching the movie did.

According to a USA Today article,

A very compelling story and movie, Michael’s (who is black) legal guardian mom (who is white) showed an unconditional love for someone else’s child simply because she saw the need. That’s it!

Unless I missed some conspiracy theory/white paternalistic or maternalistic/anti-self empowerment theme at work (you guys know I can be radical), it was one of the greatest examples of unconditional love I have ever seen in my life.

As comedian Katt Williams suggests (and I love Katt’s work), white people better get some black friends; and black people better get some white friends.

My late daddy put it this way, “With a closed hand, nothing gets it and nothing gets out. However, with an open hand, there are endless possibilities.”

The moral to the story is help somebody.

Just like Michael Oher said, we can either choose to be a victim … or a victor. We never know what life will throw us. We simply have to be willing to take those cards and do the best we can.

Mayor Blake could have chosen to turn a blind eye to the criticism put at her feet, or she could rise like the Phoenix from the ashes, step to the plate, and smack that sucker out the park like Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron.

The City did well on part 2 of the Great Blizzard of 2010, and what a compelling lesson for us all. We might lose the first round in life, but it is not how many times we are knocked down. It is how many times we get back up.

Kudos, Baltimore City. Kudos, Mayor Blake. And kudos to Michael Oher. And special thanks to the many people who worked while we were sleeping to make life a little better for us. See the video of the plowing of Part 2 of the great Baltimore Blizzard of 2010 on BMORENEWS by clicking here: http://www.bmorenews.com/video/baltimore-gets-plowed-21010.shtml.

Other than that, let’s get to the digging out. And remember to help the less fortunate while we are at it.