By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Staff Writer
astevens@afro.com
April 19 marks a full 10 years since the death of Freddie Gray, a loss that literally shut the city down as protestors took to the streets. A decade later, the AFRO asked everyday people what they recall about the riots that followed Gray’s April 27 funeral and the reforms promised by local and national leadership. For some Baltimoreans, the topic was too close to home to speak on. For others, the outrage about the injustice was still fresh in their minds.
Amber Boyd
Human Resources, 28
“What I remember most about the Freddie Gray case was the camera footage of him being dragged by the police into the back of the van and just hearing him screaming like he was in pain. I don’t feel like justice was served to the six cops who were his murder. What’s the point of having a justice system and laws if they don’t apply to everybody? The police love to protect their own. I think his death impacted Baltimore and the nation negatively. I mean, we were already wary of trusting the police, and this just confirmed that the system continues to fail us.”
Nev Haail
Indigenous Doctor, 31
“A man died. That’s never a good symbol or a good sign to build faith on, but his death definitely became a symbol of Baltimore. Police don’t know the community, and when situations happen, the harshest things occur because of mixed emotions…let this case be an example of why we need better processes and communication between people, communities and families.”
Lennie Walker
Behavioral Therapist, 42
“I was a security officer working at the CVS over East, and I remember they wouldn’t let us wear our uniforms outside. They made us go change our clothes because they didn’t want people to think we were the police. Nobody was held accountable for what they did to that man. I mean, it was a big thing in the moment, and then as soon as it was over, it was back to business. If you walk up Penn North right now, it looks just like it did the day before Freddie Gray died.”
Crystal Pennix
Social Worker, 25
“I genuinely don’t feel that justice was served…there’s still more work to do. I think the Freddie Gray case made part of us feel hopeless, like we didn’t know what was going to happen next. I still kind of feel that way. A lot of Black people feel like they’re not being heard, and that’s why things escalated—because we weren’t getting what we needed. Across the nation, some people lost hope, but in Baltimore, it felt more like: Who can we trust? Who’s going to protect us?”
Britten Trice
USPS Mail Carrier, 36
“I remember the riots the most from the Freddie Gray era. I was at work, at the optical center on Liberty Road, while they were happening. Justice wasn’t served. They paid the family, but there was no punishment for the officers. If anything, I felt like they paid for the officers’ freedom. His death made everyone angry because it was so blatant how it happened and how the police got off. Then the prosecutor (Marilyn Mosby) was facing charges her own.”
Jeffery Soden
Retiree, 68
“I think they mishandled the case, and it could’ve been handled better by everyone involved– especially the police force. Any African American in an urban city could see the same thing unfold in their city at any time. It’s a reflection of what’s going on in most urban areas. I don’t think it’s over as far as Freddie Gray goes– men of color are still going to get treated unfairly by the police.”