Opinions on Baltimore Divided by Race

Over the past several days, the riots and mayhem that had broken out in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray have largely subsided, but the social media commentary has not, and opinions about what is happening in the city are deeply divided along racial lines.

Baltimore suffered a terrible blow after widespread violence broke out in the wake of what some say was the murder of Gray at the hands of police officers. Gray was arrested April 12 after attempting to evade police, who were pursuing him because he was allegedly carrying a switchblade. A video emerged showing six cops dragging Gray into a van while a bystander screamed that Gray’s leg was “broken.”

By the time they took Gray out of the van, he was in a coma. He died a week later of a severed spinal cord, a crushed larynx and other severe injuries. What happened between the time Gray was arrested and the time he was removed from the van is unclear, although new details have emerged in the case today. Reports state that a video has surfaced showing footage from a stop the van made. That stop was allegedly “to deal with Mr. Gray,” who police officers claim was trying to “injure himself” during the ride.

After Gray’s funeral on Saturday, huge protests swelled up on the streets of Baltimore, and eventually turned violent. Rioting and looting were widespread, and several prominent businesses were destroyed, including a large CVS and a mixed-use property that was under construction. That property was to provide low income housing as well as job training and financial services to the community.

Eventually, the mayor called in the National Guard, and the streets have been relatively calm the last couple of nights. Social media has not been calm, though. In fact, it has been anything but, and a clear division between white and black opinions on Baltimore has begun to emerge.

The most common white narrative seems to be as follows: “Look at those thugs and criminals burning down their own city. What they are doing will not solve anything. Why would they harm the people in their neighborhoods who are trying to help them? Violence only begets violence. Riots and looting are never the answer.”

The black narrative is shaping up a bit differently. While many black leaders echo the sentiment of the white power structure, there are many blacks who are taking a different approach, asking for understanding and empathy for the rioters. Several powerful essays have arisen from black voices, calling the riots “a legitimate political strategy” and explaining “why Baltimore is burning.”

However, under each of these essays, and hundreds like them, there are hateful comments from white people who refuse to listen to any reality except the one with which they are already familiar. This refusal to listen with an open mind is the defining line between white and black perspectives on the issue.

“News” outlets such as Fox reinforce the white narrative by publishing misleading statistics. For example, they list the number of whites vs. blacks killed by police each year without adjusting for population. Fox News banks on the ignorance of its viewers in this regard, and their inability to look at a realistic and complete picture of any topic. The extremely simple fact that any statistic will always show more white people because there are so many more whites than blacks in America never occurs to the majority of Fox News watchers. This myopic viewpoint keeps many whites mired in their own perspective and renders them incapable of listening to blacks who have actually experienced the conditions that can lead to the rage, hurt and anger of the rioters.

The division of opinions on Baltimore, Ferguson, and any future similar disturbances will always fall among racial lines, and this division is a crack in the very foundation of the U.S. Until people are willing to patch up this schism by listening with empathy and understanding, the divide will only serve to fan the flames of racism, anger, and the conditions which lead to rioting and looting. Change will only come when those in power open their hearts, then commit to an executable action plan to end poverty and police abuse once and for all.