A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From The AFRO American: Black Student Union Forum Seeks Better Hopkins Experience for Black Students
"Mandatory cultural competency coursework, increased Black faculty, and greater accountability for acts of racism on campus were among the demands made by the Johns Hopkins University Black Student Union at a recent forum on improving the experience of Black students at the storied institution in Baltimore.
"Held on the main undergraduate campus on Nov. 30, the forum, organized by the Black Student Union (BSU) and consisting of a panel made up of two members of the BSU executive team and seven members of the university administration (only one of whom was Black), including president Ronald Daniels, was an opportunity for the Johns Hopkins community to address and receive a response from the university administration with regards to concerns about racism on campus and the impact it has had on Black students.
"Partly in response to these sorts of concerns, President Daniels spoke of the progress the university had made on a number of measures, including an 82 percent increase in the number of Black applicants, a 50% increase in the percentage of the student population made up by Blacks (from six to nine percent overall), and the equalization of six year graduation rate for Black and majority students, which Daniels described as 'a very significant shift in percentage.'
"But there appeared to be a disconnect between the concerns about racism raised by the Black students and alumni present, many of them speaking to qualitative aspects of their experience of Hopkins, like the impact of a lack of Black mentors, and the quantitative measures being touted as progress by the administration. This disconnect was particularly underscored when Caroline Laguerre-Brown, vice provost and chief diversity officer for the university, was asked about the university’s policies regarding the disciplining of students who have made racist remarks to Black classmates, and, after describing the policy, remarked, 'I have to tell you, I have been here for 10 years and those kinds of complaints haven’t really made it to me.'"
From The Baltimore Sun: Potential Jurors in Officer Porter’s Trial Screened for Connections to Hundreds of People Amid Freddie Gray Investigation
"About 200 people have been named as potential witnesses or stakeholders in the trial of the first of six Baltimore police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, a list that is a sprawling catalog of law enforcement officers, witnesses to Gray's arrest and some of his friends from West Baltimore.
"Fired city police commissioner Anthony W. Batts is on the list, as are two of the lead police investigators on the case: Maj. Stanley Brandford and Detective Syreeta Teel.
"The list also includes people on the scene the morning of Gray's arrest, including Davonte Roary, Brandon Ross and Michelle Gross. There's also Donta Allen, the man who rode in the back of the same police van as Gray.
"The list does not represent the total number of people who will be called to testify, legal experts said, but is an attempt to include anyone who could possibly be relevant to either prosecutors or the defense to avoid surprises during the high-profile trial, which is expected to begin with opening statements Wednesday."
For More on the Freddie Gray Trials:
Live Coverage from The Baltimore Sun
"What You Need to Know about the Freddie Gray Case" from The Baltimore Sun
Sketches from inside the trial room from artist Arthur Lien @Courtartist