Residents celebrated the eight annual Boundary Block Party. (Courtesy Photo)
On a sunny Saturday afternoon nearly 1,000 people gathered in a crowded park in West Baltimore. Over the course of three hours, residents celebrated the eighth annual Boundary Block Party with dance, music, resources and community advocacy. Residents gathered in the same West Baltimore community that has seen headlines, turmoil and unrest since the tragic death of Freddie Gray.
“I think it is important to show that organizations are still standing despite of the tragedies, no one is afraid to still come together. This shows that Sandtown is still standing strong,” said William Scipio a life-long Sandtown resident and president of the Resident Action Committee.
“After all of the negativity that was shown on the TV, I wanted people to come and see what Sandtown is really about, how we do work together. That, even in the midst of hard times, we can still pull together and do what needs to be done. And it was amazing,” said Amelia Harris Co-founder of Newborn Community of Faith Church.
Attendees enjoyed free food that was donated to the community for the block party. Performers included the New Baltimore Twilighters marching band and the Baltimore Show Stoppers. Residents learned more about community organizations, bought produce from local urban farms and registered to vote. Students from Jubilee Arts, a community arts center on Pennsylvania Avenue, showed off their funky fashion creations, ceramic mosaics, line dances and ballet routines.
The block party was organized by The No Boundaries Coalition and Jubilee Arts. The No Boundaries Coalition is a resident-led advocacy organization that has been working to improve public safety and increase police accountability in West Baltimore. Since Freddie’s Gray’s death, the coalition has launched a door knocking and listening campaign in Sandtown that has reached over 250 residents. Residents are calling for increased police accountability, safer street, jobs and more opportunities for young people.
The No Boundaries Coalition is also hosting a public hearing on police misconduct in West Baltimore, 12 noon, May 16, at Sharon Baptist Church in partnership with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), Greater Baltimore Urban League, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The group intends to document the pattern of police misconduct in West Baltimore to push for policy change.
“For those of us that have lived here all of our lives and have many of the same type of stories, we recognize that JUSTICE will not come by way of conviction, but by putting legislation in place that addresses the pattern of injustices once and for all,” said Ray Kelly, No Boundaries Coalition president.