Embracing our History in Baltimore County — We Must Find a Path to Progress

Emmarts United Methodist Church hosted the Underground Railroad Commemorative Walk, which ends at the Church which, along with hosting an active congregation, displays artifacts that reveal the Church’s important historical role in the Underground Railroad.
In Turner Station, Ms. Muriel Gray remembers dinners with Dr. Martin Luther King when she worked to train supporters of the civil rights movement. Her role in advocating for African American jobs and rights resulted in her being beaten and arrested over sixty years ago, and it is a fight she continues to this day.

During February, we honor Black History. However, we can’t do so without acknowledging that our nation has moved backward when it comes to combatting hate. Baltimore County is experiencing rising counts of hate and bias incidents. We also know hate crimes are historically underreported, meaning the documented figures likely understate the problem.

As State’s Attorney I will create more systems to report hate crimes so that we can track and combat trends we are seeing when it comes to intolerance in our County and beyond. Our current State’s Attorney’s Office has no community engagement arm at all, and no programs to address hate crimes.

We must choose to confront bias head-on, standing with those who feel targeted, and reaffirming that Baltimore County is a place where diversity is valued. Not only in displaying our artifacts and in the statistics, but in our neighborhoods today and in the years to come.