Commentary: The Cost of Civic Sharecropping
When Being the Change Cost You Change
“Be the change you want to see.” - Anonymous Persons
The sentiment of this quote is often echoed through the philosophy that Baltimore residents must become active in making their own neighborhoods better. This is a story of what it actually looks like when residents attempt to “be the change”.
In 2017 Fight Blight Bmore submitted a proposal to the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) for access and use of the Dr. Emerson Julian Center as an operating space for the Hack Hub. The Hack Hub is an innovation and incubation space primarily for youth focusing on technology and entrepreneurship development.
The Dr. Emerson Julian Center is located inside of Heritage Crossing, developed by Enterprise Homes as the result of Thompson vs HUD, a federal housing discrimination case. Ensconced in a community rich in African American history, the center should have become an anchor in Old West Baltimore where there is a need for accessible space. The neighborhood instead suffers from the impacts of racism in community development and urban planning. The failed I-70 extension now called the “Highway to Nowhere” is but one stark example. Many of the beautiful structures in this historic district sit vacant, dilapidated, misused or underutilized (all forms of blight).
The Dr. Emerson Julian Center is in good condition but its utilization is low. The building was rehabilitated during the development of Heritage Crossing in 2002 with Hope VI funds. As such “...funds can be used for the development of community buildings if such facilities are to be used by residents of the revitalized community and surrounding neighborhood. That is, the community building must directly relate to the revitalization of the public housing development and the residents should be the primary beneficiaries. “, according to the HUD NOFA, 2004. Yet, the Dr. Emerson Julian Center isn't being used by the community at large. A third of the building houses a daycare but the rest of it except for two small offices are vacant. The lack of use of this building does not seem to be in alignment with the guidelines laid out by HUD.
The proposal(s) submitted by Fight Blight Bmore to HABC which owns the Dr. Emerson Julian Center can provide culturally authentic, economically viable, sustainable and scalable programming for the community. Instead of being met with open doors, the proposal was ignored, marginalized and shut out. On February 13, 2020 Fight Blight Bmore received the following response to the third version of the proposal, it read as follows:
“Nneka: I apologize for the delay in responding to the proposal you submitted for the use of the community room at Heritage Crossing. HABC has been reassessing the future plans for the community room. The discussions are internal and external input is not requested at this time. Therefore, HABC’s response to your proposal is on hold until further notice. “ (Michelle Cruise, Senior Manager of Private Management)
Fight Blight Bmore’s experience with HABC is a clear example of #CivicSharecropping which is the process by which a municipality or government agency exploits the labor of Black residents to provide:
- services and programming that the municipality or its agencies should be providing i.e. community clean ups,
- activation, care and upkeep of property owned by the municipality or its agencies i.e. community gardens.
HABC now has a well researched plan for how to activate the Dr. Emerson Julian Center in Fight Blight Bmore’s proposals which were submitted at their request.
No less than 320 hours were spent researching, formulating, writing, submitting and following up on the proposals. If the city had hired a consultant to create a plan for using the center they would have paid top dollar for that work.
But they didn't, they instead asked Fight Blight Bmore, a Black woman owned business, to do it for them for free. Who knew that “being the change” would be so costly, lesson learned!
Written Position for City of Baltimore Council Bill 19-0410 Trauma-Responsive Care Act
Written Position for City of Baltimore Council Bill 19-0410
Trauma-Responsive Care Act
Hearing held December 17th, 2019, 10am
Baltimore City Hall DuBurns Council Chamber, 4th Floor
On behalf of Fight Blight Bmore (FBB), we welcome the opportunity to submit written testimony for bill 19-0410 The Trauma-Responsive Care Act. We are writing in support of the bill provided the recommendations listed below are adopted. FBB cannot support the current iteration of this bill. Our recommendations are listed below with a brief justification based on our values, mission, and vision.
Background on Fight Blight Bmore
On Mother’s Day 2016, I witnessed what could have been an awful tragedy about two blocks from the Dr. Emerson Julian Center. A few children were riding their bikes down the sidewalk of Fremont Avenue, crossing Lafayette Street, where four brownstones were being demolished. The demolition site was filled with debris, gaping holes about six feet deep in the ground, and no gate to prevent site access. I witnessed the potential danger associated with these unsafe conditions such as a child falling into the unsecured debris. That day, I began researching, documenting, reporting and tracking environmental hazards created in part by the demolition sites around the city and the structures that preceded them. That day FBB was born as a call to action to address blight and the issues it causes for individuals and communities.
Due to resident flight beginning in the 1960’s to surrounding counties, city neighborhoods lost population, businesses, community institutions and places of employment. These losses and subsequent strategic disinvestment in many city neighborhoods, were fueled in part by racism, resulted in depressed property values and tax revenues. This in combination with factors such as the post-industrial economic downturn of the 1970’s and the epidemic abuse of illicit drugs in the 1980’s resulted in numerous vacant, abandoned, improperly used, unkempt and/or underutilized properties. The resulting blight created or worsened environmental stressors which can be defined as any physical, chemical, or biological factor that can cause an adverse effect on ecosystems or human health. Baltimore’s most blighted neighborhoods Harlem Park- Sandtown Winchester, Upton-Druid Heights, have life expectancies that mirror those in North Korea and Kagazistan (1) . Lowered life expectancies and other poor health outcomes can be tied to the presence of blight in communities. The result of blight is community based trauma.
FBB makes the following recommendations for the current iteration of the bill:
Name of the Bill
That bill be named for a social or community worker whose work focused specifically on addressing community based trauma in Baltimore examples include but are not limited Drs Joanne And Elmer Martin or Lt. Violet Hill Whyte.
Task Force Composition:
It is understood that the task force will comprise impacted individuals, and that there are many Black professionals & individuals involved with its creation and implementation. However, our recommendation addresses the need to confront the white supremacist notions that permeate through the policies and result in the harm of Black communities. It is our recommendation that the task force composition include the following amendments:
There should be a minimum of 4 licensed clinical social workers on the task force. They should represent varied expertise for different types of trauma, and they should have a proven background in working successfully with a racial equity focus.
The youth representatives who are asked to join the task force should be compensated for their time, contributions, and effort. The youth of Baltimore City are often called to lead initiatives and offer direction and insight to the challenges that face this city. However, the youth of Baltimore City did not create the conditions in which they live and should not be expected to work towards solving these issues for free.
The number of formerly incarcerated individuals should increase to a minimum of three.
There should be a minimum of one member of the taskforce with expertise in addressing the physical, social and economic trauma of African-American community displacement using collaborative work, cooperative economic and cultural practice. The relevant community displacement traumas include but are not not limited to segregation, redlining, contract lending, restrictive covenants, exclusionary zoning, Urban Renewal programs, subprime lending, condemnation, demolition and other community and economic development laws, policies, regulations and practices. With Baltimore City, Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Planning and Department of Public works as an agencies impacted by the bill, this is critically necessary.
Defining Trauma-Informed Care:
It is our recommendation that the definition used in this bill for the purpose of guiding the work of the taskforce and agency staff members be revised to include a historical context. As the bill is currently written, it is implementing the SAMHSA definition and understanding of Trauma Informed Care. According to SAMHSA, an organization is considered informed when it is able to be aware of the impact of trauma, recognize its signs and symptoms, and respond to trauma by integrating language and knowledge about trauma into its policies, procedures, and practices (2). This historical definition should include an understanding of the legal, systemic, cultural, and social methods through which Baltimore city agencies have created the conditions that are the source of and/or contribute to the collective trauma experienced by its Black residents. It is mentioned in the six principles of SAMHSA to have a historical approach; however, it is our recommendation that the historical approach be explicit in the definition of trauma informed care used by the task force.
Trauma-Informed Training:
It is our recommendation that the trauma-informed trainings are developed by local, black-led organizations that specialize in understanding trauma from a holistic, racial equity, strength based approach. The trauma-informed training as identified in this bill is a “Didactic Course in trauma-informed care that is developed by the US Dept. of Health, MD Dept of Health, or Baltimore Dept. of Health” and provided by Baltimore Dept. of Health or its designee in collaboration with Task Force (3). As mentioned in Baltimore Awakes: An Analysis of the Human and Social Service Sector in Baltimore City, the mainstream, white-dominated institutions and research leaders often miss the mark when assessing issues of trauma in the Black community because they operate under a false notion of black pathology and white superiority. These institutions continue to harm the very communities they state they are trying to help (4).
Taskforce Evaluation:
It is our recommendation that a community-based external party be employed to evaluate and assess the impact of the taskforce and the trainings. The Baltimore City Department of Human Resources is responsible for assessing the compliance of the task force in regards to federal, state, and local laws. Government agencies are accountable to the people whom they serve. Therefore, a collective body of community members, or a third party consultant should evaluate the effectiveness of the taskforce rather than an agency affiliate.
City Agency Responsibility and Accountability:
It is our recommendation that the duties of the taskforce and/or agency staff include an analysis of each city agency in regards to their historical involvement in creating these conditions. It is no secret that Baltimore City’s government agencies have a history of being responsible for traumatizing and/or re-traumatizing Baltimore City residents. From the effects of redlining in 1911 to the current state of our most blighted communities, “People living in neighborhoods with blight are not only losing access to home equity, community history and public sector improvements, they are also being exposed to community based trauma resulting in long term stress from fear of unsafe property implosion, toxic exposure, and crime.” (5). While these are just two examples, they speak to the responsibility of the city to assess and acknowledge the ways in which is has contributed to the trauma experienced by Black residents.
With these recommendations, we honor the citizens of this majority Black city by centering the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health of Baltimore’s Black communities. We urge the council to take this opportunity to disrupt the effect of white supremacist, business-as-usual, tactics used to address the challenges of our city. As the bill is currently written, it contributes to the falsehood that Black communities, leaders, and professionals are not capable of leading and being the center of our own healing. It is for this reason foremost, that we do not support the bill without these stated amendments.
It is recommended that the above listed amendments be made to Baltimore city council Bill 19-0410 in order for it to be considered an equitable legislative solution to the effects of trauma on our city.
In solidarity with the Baltimore Baltimore Legacy Chapter, Association of Black Social Workers
Nneka Nnamdi, Founder
Fight Blight Bmore
1 Capital News Service. In West Baltimore, life expectancy the same as North Korea. (February 15, 2016)
2 McArdle, Flannery, Bill Synopsis: 19-0410 The Baltimore City Trauma Responsive Care Act. (2019).
4 https://lbsbaltimore.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/When-Baltimore-Awakes.pdf
#FightBlightBmore Featured in The AFRO
Fight Blight Bmore was featured in The AFRO Baltimore (Afro.com) by editor Sean Yoes. We are appreciative of the support in our efforts to better inform the community and to impact change in Baltimore neighborhoods immensely effected by decades of blight. Check out the full article here.
When you consider the storied histories of both (the righteous and the wretched), they are hallowed grounds. But, the heart and soul of West Baltimore, and East Baltimore are being methodically and thoroughly ripped out by blight. We can somewhat measure the impact of violence, murder and mayhem on our communities, although we can never know the full impact on our psyches and spirits. But, plausible metrics on the impact of blight on Baltimore have been elusive. That is something Nnamdi wants to change.
-Sean Yoes, AFRO Baltimore Editor
Source:https://www.afro.com/blight-rips-at-the-heart-and-soul-of-the-c
Dis-placia: Vacants in the Village Exhibition
"A blighted Baltimore is a bleeding Baltimore." Blight is the concentration of vacant, abandoned, dilapidated, underused or mis-utilized properties in communities. Technoartivist, Nneka N’namdi, produced an exploration of blight in Baltimore that fused technology, art and activism to engage in learning about the impact of blight on residents and to apply collective creativity with resilience to vision equitable and sustainable solutions.
Featuring the photographics of Dominic Nell of Nellaware Photography, Schaun Champion of Fluffy Pop Postcards and Carol Ott of Housing Policy Watch.....
This exhibition was launched as a part of Free Fall Baltimore 2018. Free Fall Baltimore is presented by BGE, and is a program of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Learn more here: https://www.fightblightbmore.com/blight-by-the-numbers/
How Blight Impacts Women and Girls
Do Our Children Deserve This? More to come...... #FightBlightBmore
Thanks to Carla Winchester & Jewel Guy Visual Storyteller, Captured Treasure Imaging [Video Credit] Learn more here: https://www.fightblightbmore.com/blight-by-the-numbers/
#FightBlightBmore | 'Hood Hikes
Participate in Fight Blight Bmore's Neighborhood Hikes to meet new friends, share in free fitness (walking) activities, and find out about the economic development happening in your neighborhood. The hikes take place in three communities (Harlem Park, Upton, and Sandtown-Winchester) on a rotating basis on the second Saturday of every month.
Fight Blight Bmore's Hood Hikes have a three fold purpose. The hikes present an opportunity to meet new people in order to expand social bonds,
to engage in a free fitness activity and to explore communal economic development opportunities that exist in Harlem Park, Upton and Sandtown-Winchester.
Fight Blight Bmore's Hood Hikes have a three fold purpose. The hikes
present an opportunity to meet new people in order to expand social bonds,
to engage in a free fitness activity and to explore communal economic
development opportunities that exist in Harlem Park, Upton and Sandtown-Winchester.
We, at Fight Blight Bmore are not spectators we are innovators using principles of self determination, collective work, cooperative economics and creativity to improve self and community.
Mark you calendars for 2nd Sunday in July!!! #FIGHTBLIGHTBMOREpresents Hood Hikes! Here's an opportunity to get out on foot, meet neighbors, and get information, history, and updates on way we can fight blight and build our community. #Baltimore #MyBmore
Need more info? Email: fightblightbmore@gmail.com.
View photos from June's FBB Hood Hike by FlufflyPopPostcards
Fight Blight Bmore Awarded 2018 BWiT Micro-Grant
Fight Blight Bmore is proud to announce its BWiT micro-grant award. FBB was one of 49 applicants and one of the eight recipients awarded. Learn more below about this opportunity that will afford us the opportunity to grow our efforts including the #FightBlightBmore app that is currently in its final testing stages.
Read the full article here and learn about each of the organizations led by women in tech here in Baltimore. Link to article: https://blog.smartlogic.io/2018-bwit-micro-grant-recipients/ #WomeninTech #BaltimoreTech #BaltimoreCorps #WomenofColorinTech #FightBlightBmore #AuditBaltimore
Learn more about our efforts and how you can partner with us to create positive change in #Baltimore for our community. Visit,www.fightblightbmore.com or email fightblightbmore@gmail.com
About The Author/ Founder, Nneka N’namdi is a Baltimore based entrepreneur engaged in conscious capitalism and community wellness work. As a member of the team, she curates community space for artistic, economic and social ventures.Her work as an environmental activist has resulted in the following awards and fellowships, including: Baltimore Corps Elevation Award (2017), Associated Black Charities Women on the Move Award (2017), and Kaiser Permanente Social Innovation Challenge- JUICE Accelerator Winner (2016). #FightBlightBmore #AuditBmore #Blight2Bright
Source:https://blog.smartlogic.io/2018-bwit-micro-grant-recipients/
Tagged: #FightBlightBmore #AuditBmore #Blight2Bright, #FightBlightBmore #AuditBmoreBlight2Bright