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Numbers Don’t Lie, Ceasefire Saves Lives

THE AFRO — August 2017, Erricka Bridgeford, Letrice Gant, Ogun Gordy, Darnyle Wharton, Jakia Jason and Michelle Herring, launched the first “Nobody Kill Anybody” Baltimore Ceasefire weekend.

Published

6 years ago

June 26, 2019

Sean Yoes

By Sean Yoes

August 2017, Erricka Bridgeford, Letrice Gant, Ogun Gordy, Darnyle Wharton, Jakia Jason and Michelle Herring, launched the first “Nobody Kill Anybody” Baltimore Ceasefire weekend.

It was two short years after the Uprising of 2015, two dreadful years that saw the city easily eclipse the 300 murder mark, and we were in the midst of a third consecutive year of 300 homicides. By August 2017, the city and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) had been slapped with an historic Consent Decree by the U.S. Department of Justice, in the aftermath of the homicide of Freddie Gray while in BPD custody. The garish quality of seemingly ubiquitous police corruption was headed towards an all-time high (The Gun Trace Task Force and the homicide of Det. Sean Suiter were still on the bleak horizon), and community confidence in the police was at an all-time low. The audacity of six Black people to come forward and command a cessation of murder in Baltimore, the most violent city in America seemed remarkable. Their request seemed implausible.

Yet, despite tremendous doubt, outright resistance and ridicule the Ceasefire crew pressed forward by faith. At the end of 72 hours, the Ceasefire movement mourned the deaths of Lamontrey Tynes and Donte Johnson on day two of the Ceasefire. However, there were no murders recorded for a total of 67 of the 72 (41 continous hours without a murder) hours at a time when the city was averaging a murder approximately every 19 hours.

The eyes of the world were on Baltimore for that first Ceasefire and although we tragically lost the lives of two more young Black men, the majority of the city responded positively to the challenge.

Thousands of Baltimoreans eschewed violence, murder and mayhem and celebrated life, at least for 72 glorious hours. The concept of Ceasefire had fired the imaginations of many. The three subsequent Ceasefire weekend after the first, the homicide numbers came down from two to one, to none, to none again.

Now, two years after the first Ceasefire there is empirical evidence available as we head towards the August 2019 Ceasefire, which supports what many believe, the movement is working.

In a study called, “Modeling the Effect of Baltimore Ceasefire,” published June 13, by Open Baltimore (a city agency), statistical data on shootings during the Ceasefire weekends indicate there have been 60 percent fewer shootings during the 72 hour period. “The effect of the Ceasefire is classically significant and suggest an approximate 60 percent reduction in shootings during ceasefire weekends,” according to the report.

Further, the report indicates, “Without a ceasefire, we would expect about three or four people to get shot on the first day of the weekend, on average. But, this will be a Ceasefire weekend, so the model expects about two fewer shootings each day.” It is a stunning tangible result born out of an organic grassroots movement, an answer to mind-numbing violence (one of the group’s mantras is, “Don’t be numb.”)

The statistical affirmation is welcomed by the leaders of Baltimore Ceasefire, although they knew in their spirits that their work was making a significant difference in the city.

“Having this data confirms things we knew instinctively. With over 30 events every Ceasefire weekend, we knew Baltimoreans were shifting the atmosphere,” said Erricka Bridgeford, one of the Ceasefire co-founders, who has become the face of the movement globally.

“When people told us they were going to keep their neighborhoods safe, we knew they were keeping their promises. But now, with proof that there are 60 percent fewer shootings during Ceasefire weekends, we can see that the more people know about a Ceasefire, the more peaceful Baltimore becomes,” she said.

“This also proves that it is a good choice to believe in Baltimore.”

Sean Yoes is the AFRO’s Baltimore editor and the author of Baltimore After Freddie Gray: Real Stories From One of America’s Great Imperiled Cities.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

3 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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5 days ago

May 30, 2025

Oakland Post

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

5 days ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”