Dr. David Fowler, the chief medical examiner of Maryland, is set to testify in George Floyd’s case for justice. Sadly, in 2018, he had declared that Anton Black’s killing was “accidental,” despite striking similarities between his killing and that of George’s.

In fact, there are many similarities between the lives of George Floyd and Anton Black.

They were known for having big dreams. When 46-year-old George Floyd was a teenager, he wanted to be a pro athlete. He was already a star athlete in high school. Similarly, 19-year-old Anton Black was a champion athlete in his high school. But what he wanted to do most was to model and act. He was young and had many interests. His possibilities were endless.

Children looked up to George Floyd. He was a mentor in his community. While his life had ups and downs, he learned from his mistakes. People respected him more because he overcame obstacles.

Anton Black was great with kids too. In fact, his young nieces and nephews adored him. He had a child on the way and would’ve made a good father. George Floyd was a father, too.

Most importantly, George Floyd and Anton Black were loved.

In a chillingly similar fashion, their lives were stolen from them. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd down, placing his knee on Floyd’s neck. Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who reviewed medical records in George Floyd’s case, testified that there was virtually no way George Floyd could breathe properly. It came to the horrific point that Floyd used his fingers and knuckles as a last resort to try to get air. This lasted for 9 minutes and 29 seconds until he was killed.

In Anton Black’s case, then-Greensboro Police Officer Thomas Webster IV, Centreville Police Officer Dennis Lannon, Ridgely Police Chief Gary Manos, and a white resident pushed their weight on his slight frame while he was facedown for six minutes until he was killed. They pressed on his face, chest, and stomach. Like George Floyd, he struggled to breathe.

In the end, the white man’s weight on Anton Black and the ways they restrained him caused him to die of positional asphyxiation. Anton’s case is an eerily, and terrifyingly, similar police killing to George Floyd’s.

In their last moments, George Floyd called out to his mother and Anton Black cried for help from his mother. With his last breaths, Anton told her that he loved her. Black’s mother watched her son die on her front porch.

An unfortunate parallel in their lives, brought forth by reporting from The Intercept, is Dr. David Fowler who ruled Anton Black’s killing an “accident,” falsely claimed that a heart condition caused his death, and even went as far as to say that Black’s bipolar disorder was a contributing factor, rather than the actions of the officers making it impossible for him to breathe.

This same white man is now an expert witness in Floyd’s case for justice against Chauvin, expected to testify that Floyd was not killed by police. Again, he absolves the police, despite excruciating video evidence to the contrary.

What is important to note here is that, in both Anton and George’s deaths, there is video footage showing these police officers killing them. Yet, even though the world saw what happened, there are still extensive court hearings, debating, trying to excuse and cover up police responsibility for killing these men.

But even as Dr. David Fowler again defends the indefensible actions of police, in Chauvin’s trial, he is being sued by Anton Black’s family for his false autopsy report.

The police killing of Anton Black is part of a broader pattern of lack of accountability and systems of oppression that kill Black and Brown people. The Intercept reports that between 2013 and 2019, the Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner classified 30 percent of deaths involving a law enforcement officer as “accidents,” “undetermined,” or due to “natural causes.” This is a startling fact that puts all of those reasons for death into question.

Far too many Black and Brown lives are cut short because of a racist, oppressive system that is being allowed to continue. Policing must be reimagined now. It cannot continue like this. George Floyd and Anton Black’s lives mattered.

Whether it be in the courts or in Annapolis, the community is advocating for change to save Black lives.

Rene’ C. Swafford, Esq. is the legal counsel for the Black Family.  Art by Lori Yates.

 

Each April, our nation celebrates the role of community colleges. In 2021, community colleges are faced with aiding in the recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic. As a regional community college, Chesapeake College is well-equipped to help the residents and businesses of our region recover from the pandemic and emerge stronger.

As health professions students learn in our labs again and student athletes return to competition this spring, we see signs of hope at Chesapeake. We look forward to in-person – though altered — commencement ceremonies in May for both our 2020 and 2021 graduates. Planning is underway for more in-person classes in the fall with increased activity on campus scheduled in the summer.

The past year has been a difficult one for students around the world, and ours are no exception. Despite dealing with illness, loss, isolation, and uncertainty our students persevered. They kept pushing forward because they believe in a brighter future. 

Our student body is diverse with individual needs and goals. We support the dreams of all with a variety of programs. Chesapeake offers classes for those who need English as a Second Language or to earn a high school diploma through GED. We serve local industry and individuals with workforce training designed to efficiently prepare students for careers in health care and skilled trades. Still, other students begin their journeys at Chesapeake, transfer to four-year universities across the country, then go on to earn doctorates or law degrees.

While serving currently enrolled students is our primary focus, serving the community at large is central to our mission. Chesapeake is critical to the educational development and economic viability of the Eastern Shore. By tending to both needs, Chesapeake can lead our region to better days ahead.  We enthusiastically accept this responsibility and are grateful to have the continued support of our five counties.

In the last year we have served our community through our partnership with University of Maryland Shore Regional Health by hosting drive-thru Covid-19 testing on our campus. This month, UMS will open a Covid vaccination site on our campus. Chesapeake nursing students are providing support to the vaccination site.

In the coming months, our Cambridge Center – located in the heart of downtown – will be the site of an American Job Center to serve the needs of Dorchester County residents.

With new grants and funding sources available, more students will receive financial assistance for both transfer programs and workforce training at Chesapeake.

Chesapeake is ready and able to help the Eastern Shore recover from the last year and build a better future.

Community colleges see a community need and respond quickly to help solve the problems. We find a path forward and bring our communities along. Like our students, we’re better than still standing. We’re standing strong and moving forward.

Dr. Clifford Coppersmith is the president of Chesapeake College.

On March 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a new operating license for the Conowingo Dam after eight years of lawsuits, court battles, and public outcry. Exelon Corporation, owner and operator of the Conowingo Dam hydroelectric power plant, will hold the new license for the next 50 years. Unfortunately, this license fails to meaningfully address the pollution behind the dam or to hold Exelon accountable for its fair share of mitigating this major threat to the Bay. This is a tragedy for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and our rivers here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

In addition to generating hydroelectricity, Conowingo Dam acts as a catchment for everything that flows downriver from New York and Pennsylvania. When the floodgates open, water carries all that trash, debris, nutrient-laden sediment, and toxic substances into the Bay and onto our shorelines. The Eastern Shore bears the brunt of this flow, suffering navigational hazards, shorelines choked with debris, and oyster bars and underwater grass beds smothered with sediment. All of this pollution sets back our progress to achieving a healthier Bay.

The solution to this problem should be twofold: hold New York and Pennsylvania accountable for reducing pollution that flows down the Susquehanna River; and require Exelon to contribute to the cleanup costs made necessary by the dam from which they profit. No one should be allowed to profit from a public natural resource without having to contribute meaningfully to the protection and restoration of that resource. However, that is now exactly what FERC is allowing to happen.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) determined that Exelon, the most profitable utility company in the country, should be held accountable for $172 million annually for its share of the costs to clean up the pollution behind the dam. Then, MDE inexplicably agreed to the terms of this new operating license, which only require Exelon to contribute $1.22 million per year, or less than 1% of what is needed, from the company to protect the Bay’s health. The brunt of the cleanup costs will now have to be shouldered by Maryland taxpayers.

It is inexcusable that Maryland watermen, boaters, homeowners, and taxpayers have to suffer the consequences of pollution flowing down the Susquehanna, and are now responsible for paying for the cleanup resulting from the dam. MDE and FERC have put the interests of a for-profit company before the welfare of their citizens and the health of a public resource. MDE claimed this was the best they could do, and that “something is better than nothing.” But less than 1% of something is essentially nothing. The March 18 ruling codifies MDE’s dereliction of duty to meaningfully address the issues at Conowingo and adequately protect Maryland’s waterways and communities.

This issue is of utmost importance to Eastern Shore communities. Over the past few years, ShoreRivers has become a leading voice on this issue in the region. The organization has hosted town hall meetings, designed billboards to raise awareness, and worked on legislation at the state and federal levels. This outreach generated thousands of comments and phone calls imploring local, state, and federal agencies to protect citizens’ interests.

ShoreRivers will continue to fight this flawed re-licensing through every avenue at its disposal. The pollution behind the Conowingo Dam poses one of the most significant threats to the Bay’s recovery, to our maritime communities and economy, and to all of the restoration work that Marylanders have worked so hard to implement.

Zack Kelleher
Sassafras Riverkeeper
ShoreRivers

“Of course,” we say, yet the massive polarization and divide in America are based on loyalty to personality and attraction to policies and promises….not core ideals. When the majority of Americans vote according to their sacred beliefs, our country gets sound leadership, and the United States becomes more united. Because our nation is a rare democracy founded upon shared ideals which most Americans try to live by. Our founding principles like freedom, justice for all, honesty, and commitment to the common good are America’s soul.

How do you confirm that your core values are driving your vote? Here are a few easy tests to confirm that answer. Bring to mind the person who most profoundly shaped your character during your formative years. For many, that “ most influential person” is a parent, a teacher or coach, or maybe a close friend or another family member. We all have someone who helped shape our core beliefs and behavior as we grew up.

Picture that person who had the greatest impact on you. And then write down the most important core principles they lived by—the ones you most admired. Perhaps you identified with their honesty, kindness, or decency. Or you were impressed that they were inventive, sly, or rebellious. Or it was their open, trusting, and respectful nature you deeply admired.
All that matters is that you pick the traits that you most admired. Jot them down.

Growing up, my hero was Milton Hershey, the chocolate magnate, who saved my life and the lives of countless orphans. As best I can, I have tried to emulate his core values of:

HONESTY, RESPECT ( for all ), and SERVICE above self.

These are now my aspirational ideals. I use them to pick my friends, my priorities, and presidents.

Back to your core values list. Are you applying them as a critical screen to pick our next president and congressional leaders? Sure, other factors like policies, programs, and promises make a difference. But nothing drives behavior like a leader’s core values… Just as it does for us. We all know that politicians can and do say just about anything. But what they stand for and how they treat people, that is driven by who they fundamentally are.

Self-assessment #2. When we pick our “ Greatest Presidents Ever,” we tend to heavily weigh their character. What they stood for, not just what they said and did. What core traits do you most admire in your “ Best President Ever”? More importantly, are you requiring these character strengths of our national leaders in this election?

And a final reality check of one’s core values. What sacred principles and behaviors do you want your children and grandchildren to embrace? The “Shadow of the Leader” tends to be cast further and deeper than we ever suspect. And children are especially susceptible to the behavior modeled by our national leaders. It can influence their lives forever.

So, for your family, community, and your country, what cherished values are you voting from and for in this vital election? Your voice and vote matter more than ever! And character counts. Our shared and sacred values are America’s soul. And all are at risk.

Johnny O’Brien is President Emeritus of the Milton Hershey School and founder and CEO of Renaissance Leadership, Inc. He lives in Easton, Maryland. 

Land protection creates great value in any community. Whether preserving a farm, a coastal habitat, or land for a park, the impact affects all layers of our society. The benefits are found in our food systems, the natural environment that surrounds us, and the public places we create for people. 

By creating more places for people, whether for recreation, transportation, or outdoor dining, we create opportunities to foster deeper connections to our lands and communities. We empower local businesses, foster healthy lifestyles, and build an overall better quality of life during a time when all three are desperately needed.

This October has been designated Walktober by the Maryland Department of Transportation and other partnering agencies. During this month they are encouraging towns to become more walkable as the and other agencies like AARP, America Walks, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Department of Health, and Department of Natural Resources all recognize the many benefits walkability brings to any community. Here’s what we can do. 

In Incremental Approach

Incremental steps can make these projects easy and inexpensive to implement. Tactical Urbanism, or demonstration projects, is a bottom up method for residents to test designs and locations for outdoor seating, new bike lanes/sidewalks, or parklets. If the testing works, towns can raise money to create a permanent solution, building upon a foundation that starts with prioritizing people in the placemaking process. 

However, if they do not create the desired effects, they can be easily dismantled. To avoid pitfalls, it is critical to evaluate potential scenarios for positive and negative outcomes, and to include key stakeholders in the process. Open Street efforts should foster a collaborative relationship between Main Street and Downtown Associations, Public Safety and Public Health Officials, and others who are affected by street closures.

We’ve Done This Before

For most towns this is not a new concept. Consider how our Eastern Shore towns transform for events like the Tea Party Festival in Chestertown, the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, and regular First Friday events. Streets become pedestrian malls, allowing people to move freely and safely to shops, restaurants, and attractions. Local citizens and tourists have the opportunity to discover new businesses, get their steps in, and simply enjoy being outside.

We should prioritize space for people more often. Consider the positive outcomes from opening select streets on daily or weekly routines. One outcome is towns better serve and support the needs of their residents. Most citizens want a strong connection to their neighborhoods and businesses, but it is difficult to do that when we prioritize space for cars over people.

Pushing the Eastern Shore Open Streets Movement Forward

Eastern Shore towns like Cambridge, Chestertown, Denton and Easton have already started this process, working with business owners and volunteers in their respective communities to close streets to cars and creating places for people to dine out at a local restaurant or enjoy the open space, while maintaining safe distances. They see these changes as a way of supporting their local businesses and their residents. 

The temporary transformation of streets into places for people to walk and bike is well-suited to become a permanent practice and a different type of conservation – one that enhances public space for people without the requirements of a car. This is the method championed by groups like Tactical Urbanism, Better Block Foundation, Project for Public Spaces, AARP Livable Communities, and Strong Towns who advocate for building people friendly places (Placemaking) and doing so step by step. 

Whether these measures work or not, they should be tried and tested. This is Placemaking. Try what you think is best for your community. Get feedback, make changes. If it works, consider making it a part of your town’s unique fabric. 

Owen Bailey is the Town Projects manager of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is lives in Chestertown, Maryland.