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Life in Baltimore is returning to normal after weeks of protest that followed the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray while in police custody.
Gray’s death highlighted a fragmented relationship between police and Baltimore residents.
After Gray’s funeral on April 27, previously-peaceful protests gave way to a clash between citizens and police, prompting the city to declare a state of emergency and close schools for a day. Baltimore also called on the National Guard to patrol the city and instituted a 10 pm curfew that lasted for about one week.
The city’s youth were active in the protests. “It actually made me feel sick that our kids have to go to such a huge extreme just to feel like [they’re] heard,” one woman said.
A lack of funding for Baltimore schools and public recreation centers can leave students feeling hopeless, she said. “If they don’t have an outlet, if they don’t have a way to express themselves, the only thing they know is to be destructive,” she said.
Low-income children in Baltimore have worse prospects than their peers in other cities due to a lack of economic mobility, according to a new study by the Harvard Equality of Opportunity Project. Many factors influence young people’s ability to improve their economic circumstances, including the prevalence of segregation and income inequality, as well as schooling and civic engagement.
Another Baltimore resident said he hoped that the city’s reaction to recent events could help “level the playing field” for the disenfranchised.
Warm up questions
- What is a curfew? When are curfews used?
- What do you know about Baltimore?
- Why did the mayor of Baltimore issue a curfew?
Critical thinking questions
- Do you think a six-day curfew was an effective way to address the unrest in Baltimore? Why or why not?
- Why can after-school programs like recreation centers be important for kids?
- Now that the curfew has been lifted, how can Baltimore residents continue the dialogue about police-community relationships? What changes do you think the city will make?
