A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the AFRO American: Proposed MD State Senate Bill Would Maintain Morgan State’s Autonomy
“Newly proposed legislation in the Maryland General Assembly would ensure Morgan State University—a public HBCU in Baltimore with its own governing board—remains independent of the University System of Maryland.
Baltimore Sen. Joan Carter Conway said she introduced the measure as a “precaution” against potential fallout from an ongoing lawsuit filed by supporters of Maryland’s HBCUs against the state and several of its agencies, including USM.
‘As an outgrowth of the suit there’s been talk about the University of Baltimore being merged with Morgan. If that came to fruition, I did not want [anyone] to get the idea that because UB is part of the University System of Maryland, Morgan would automatically be included,’ Conway, a leading Democrat in Annapolis, told the AFRO.
Morgan President David Wilson said he ‘strongly’ supports the legislation.
‘Morgan has been an independent institution since 1988 and it is our anticipation that Morgan will remain independent,’ Wilson said. “That independence has served Morgan very well and has enabled us to be much more nimble, flexible and responsive to the academic needs of our community.”
Conway said other state-owned HBCUs in Maryland that fall under the aegis of the University System have not fared as well.”
From the Baltimore Sun: Obama to Visit Baltimore County Mosque
“President Barack Obama will visit a mosque in Baltimore County on Wednesday amid growing concern about hostility directed toward Muslim Americans. It will be Obama's first visit to an American mosque as president.
Obama will deliver remarks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, located in Catonsville, and will meet with community members there to discuss religious freedom, White House officials said Saturday.
The visit is a symbolic gesture for Obama, who toured the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta in 2010, but who has not entered an American mosque during his seven years as president.
Administration officials hope the visit will send a message at a time when Muslim leaders are increasingly anxious about reactions following the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. Several crimes directed at Muslims have received national attention since the attacks.
‘The president believes that one of our nation's greatest strengths is our rich diversity,’ White House spokesman Keith Maley said. ‘As the president has said, Muslim Americans are our friends, and neighbors; our co-workers, and sports heroes — and our men and women in uniform defending our country.’
The visit, Obama's second to the Baltimore region in as many weeks, will also come as Islam has featured prominently in the presidential race underway to replace him. Republican front-runner Donald Trump, in particular, has received attention after he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.”
From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore to Launch Mediation Program for Citizen Complaints Against Police
“Baltimore is planning to put police officers face-to-face with people who have filed complaints against them.
Mediation sessions, meant to open up communication and improve police-community relations, could start within the next few weeks. Trained mediators are to run the sessions.
‘Mediation might be, I just want my voice to be heard,’ said Kisha Brown, director of the city's Office of Civil Rights & Wage Enforcement. ‘I think people underestimate the importance of having your voice heard.’
Organizers say citizens have complained that the current process is bureaucratic and left them frustrated. In that process, the citizen makes a complaint and it's investigated by the Police Department's division of internal affairs, but the citizen and the officer never meet to discuss the dispute.”