Reflecting on the Semester

This semester working on "The World That Brought Us Freddie Gray" was a very new and unique experience for me. For my group, Current Issues/Solutions, we worked well in the fact that as the different parts of the radio segment were due, we were able to complete them by the requested due date. Also, as a class I think our communication and feedback to one another was great, it allowed each different segment to be "up to par" with the others. It even forced us to go above and beyond what we may have originally thought we could produce. A problem I felt that could have possibly restricted our accomplishments/capabilities with this project was the timeline. I personally felt that if this project was introduced and explained in the beginning of the semester, and then brought back up for more class discussion we could have scheduled more interviews and had a wider variety of voices to create our story. That is one of the things that I personally think could be changed to improve the class, because it allows the students time to gather their thoughts, have some script drafts completed, and be able to receive feedback from you as well as our peers.

Some of the most important things I learned this semester were: the importance of effective communication within a "work" environment, the amount of time and effort that go into making a radio segment, and the bubble that we as a society lock ourselves in. Walking into the class I did not have many expectations about what we were going to be doing, but I knew that I had Dr. King for two previous classes and I enjoyed both. However, as the semester went along my perspective on the class and feelings changed a couple times, just because the course seemed to be broken up into the two parts: the group discussion and guest speakers, then the radio series. My personal experience and mindset have changed in regards to race, class, and society. I know have a slightly deeper understanding of this bubble that each of us actively choose to allow ourselves to live in. I did not even know of the constant struggles and mistreatment that were happening 10 minutes away in downtown Baltimore. Looking for information and creating stories, then putting those stories together are the most important part of our society. We actively choose to ignore our surroundings though, and simply believe everything that is spoon fed to us through mass-media and don't experience things for ourselves anymore.

This course left me wanting to know more about Baltimore, and every other major city; economically and socially. This may be the economist/businessman in me, but I believe knowledge is power, and with that knowledge is the opportunity to create something to make an impact on our world. So the more that we can understand about problems, the easier it can be to create a possible business or solution to correct the issue.

Ignorance Isn't Always Bliss

Last class our panel of guest speakers discussed a few different topics that I thought I knew a bit about. However, to my surprise there was actually very little I really knew about the Black Panther Party, the Freddie Gray case, and the general environment of Baltimore. Eddie Conway was the first speaker, and his personal experience within the Black Panther Party brought a completely different view of their role in society to light. Hearing about how he became involved to help young children eat a morning breakfast, and to organize individuals to have their voices heard. Really impacted me because it showed me the little information that we really learn about various topics growing up in school. Then Dr. Brown talking about how many neighborhoods were being torn apart in downtown Baltimore, and how the loss of manufacturing in the surrounding areas of the city were large influences on where Baltimore is today. The switch of class between the city and suburbs of Baltimore magnifies the necessity for new jobs, and wealth to be used in the city of Baltimore to make it even a resemblance of what it used to be.

My group, Group V, is going to be covering the Current Situation and Solutions section for the radio series. I personally am glad that we got this section because I feel as if it is the most important of them all. This is because in this section we can really connect with the community and see what they think can or should be done in order to revive the diminishing life of the neighborhoods. However, I do also think that this section could be the most difficult to tie into the others because we will have to see what the other groups incorporate into their sections, so we are able to effectively summarize what we as a group, and class, are trying to accomplish with this radio series.

What a Voice Can Influence

Last class focused on the five part radio series we are going to produce at the end of the semester. Between the discussion, as a class and a group, as well as listening to segments from the prior class's there were a couple points that made the most sense. One of the major parts of the past radio series that everyone felt was lacking, was the desire or care that they heard from the interviewer. Listening to someone simply go from one question to the next, that doesn't demonstrate the concept of conversation and in turn leads to a deeper care for the assignment and the community. I think to solve this issue the students who go to interview community members should have a list of topics that they should ask or touch on; but the main focus is to create a meaningful communication between one another. By doing so the listener will become more engaged in what they are hearing, to possibly even care enough to want to ask their own questions. Another point that was touched on in class that wasn't really discussed was the fact that the introduction said: "we are going to leave you with more questions than answers"; I did have a lot of questions at the end of each segment, but they weren't about the topic. My questions were more aimed to answer my own confusion about what I had listened to. This ties directly to a way in which we can form our radio series. We can better organize and communicate to the listener exactly what they are hearing for each segment, as well as what each piece of the segment cover. This would force us to do more editing of the audio, however by doing this we can better communicate our topic. I did like from the segments the clear introduction and the way that the interviewees names opened the segment. Also, keeping the background noise of the city streets, as well as the silence from inside buildings were important because they changed the style of audio the listener heard within every 45 seconds to a minute. Personally I felt that group 5, my group had the most creative way to organize the segments. Along with being the most creative, so it's not just a start to finish, but 5 different spheres of the greater topic that all were intermingled. Covering the four largest problems the community currently faces, allows the listener to form their own opinions. Then finishing the series with our/the community's solutions, will make the listener either agree or disagree with the ideas. Creating anything in that an individual chooses a side, makes them more engaged and forms a bond, positive or negative, with our cause.

Justice Inequality

Guest speakers Doug Colbert and Tara Huffman, Maryland lawyers, came to speak about the unequal treatment between races of people. One statistic they mentioned: 10 percent of the Maryland School population is in Baltimore City Schools, but represent 90% of the drug offenses in all of the states schools. This statistic was astounding because of the large discrepancy between the student population and the drug offenses committed throughout the state of Maryland. However, I do believe that race is not the sole reason for this offense; outward appearance other than skin color has an impact on someone's first impression. It is usually the case that downtown city areas have a more messy and intimidating outward appearance; whereas in the suburbs that is less of the case. Which in turn has to do with a general attitude and personal mindset that different kids are taught growing up in their environment; and that environment can be our (as in society as a whole) fault because we impose those views to one another. So I'm not sure, without further research, if I completely area with the connection between human race and inequality based on that fact.

Connecting that fact to Freddie Gray and his story, there are basic level similarities between the situations. The story was told that Freddie Gray ran away when he was walking down the street and saw police, he then was pursued and caught by the officers, and died in their custody. The original assumption explained that Mr. Gray was chased because he was black and they didn't treat him the same as others who have been arrested. However, my mindset is that there are always 3 sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth; and the truth is a mixture between each individual's story.  Our objective for the radio series should be to tell each side's story, not make connections between them, at least early on in the series. To allow the listeners to hear what should be the facts, and slowly make their own conclusions. Then to conclude, draw from each side and make connections between stories to create a story that seems to be as close to the real truth as possible.

Society: The Various Views of Living

Class this week, February 16, 2016, having guest speakers come in to discuss social work and life experiences from downtown Baltimore, Gilmore and McCullen area especially, brought to the forefront the difference in society's views of an area. John Comer, one of the leaders in Communities United, expressed his personal experiences living downtown and how individuals roles in the communities correlate to the living experience. Hearing about how it took 3 years for his organization to begin to gain respect and relevance within the communities he was helping astounded me. That astounded me particularly because, he explained, that the community didn't trust the group that they were helping the area because it was the right thing to do. Hearing that people within the community had built up such distrust for others, was unthinkable. To hear that a gesture of kindness wasn't met with a simple expression of gratitude blew my mind. However, hearing Mr. Comer say that money was something of higher importance for Communities United to continue to grow, rather than more community support was a point I understood immediately. Money does wonders for organizations, especially organizations that do volunteer work.

Sitting, listening to how stagnant growth was for a group that was looking to improve their own neighborhoods surprised me. That really made me connect with Mr. Comer, and to see his emotion take over his entire self when the riots were brought up. Those things together made me a believer in Comber and his organization; wanted me to make sure I personally got his contact information to contact him and see what I could do. Even though Baltimore isn't my original "home"; Buffalo, NY is, didn't change my mindset that people should help others when they can, no matter how small the gesture. Listening through class hit home for me, we are all people no matter color, social class, gender, education. People are people at the most basic level, and that alone should be enough for someone to reach out to show support. A picture may speak a thousand words, but an action does more than any word can.

The radio show, and the work that goes into making the segments I know takes time and plenty of effort. Working with the AMST 422 class last spring for the Filbert Street Community Garden, and even though I personally wasn't a part of the radio work each class hearing about the time that went into its completion. I know this project is going to be a lot of work, and group collaboration, but the outcome can be something special. You never know who could be listening, and who could make a personal connection. A personal connection is all it takes; one person can influence many to make change.

 

What's "The Club"?

After hearing our three guest speakers: Dwight Pettit, Neil Franklin, and Michael Wood; I gained a new insight on the portrayal of police and their enforcement of law. However, the most influential idea was "the club"; either you were a part of the police club, a cop or other law enforcement, or you were not. This idea really hit home, especially when Mr. Wood spoke of his plan to destroy this systemic organization. "Going to the streets" was his plan of action, he wasn't focused on the mindset of individuals; his target was their behavior, which would in turn stop the problem.

However, I disagree with Mr. Wood's theory. I believe in the saying "Catch a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat forever." That saying to me not only speaks volumes to the importance of knowledge, but to being able to change an individuals mindset. This second change in mindset I believe is a lesson from that expression, because a man has to change how he thinks in order to take the time to learn to fish, and eventually to reach some form of expertise in this skill. So, changing a mindset will change behavior, changing behavior doesn't change a mindset; so without a different mindset the real belief of people hasn't changed. People will still be stuck in the same thought process, living their life as a lie. 

Two questions I want most answered in class:
What does the city of Baltimore do to improve the social environment for each social/racial class?
If people think they see a solution to this social issue, then who is the group/individual making such solution known to the masses?