The Equality Equation: Balancing the Effects of Systemic Racism in Baltimore

By David Lemon.
Updated Apr 14, 2021

BALTIMORE (PRWEB) April 14, 2021 - Crime, blight, trash, and poverty have become synonymous with Baltimore in the national news. The inability to solve these issues with a black mayor and black city council, implies that no matter how much money is allocated to Baltimore for development and the relief of urban blight, black folk are destined to be the permanent underclass. One caveat of that notion is that black mayors and black city councils are only the faces of chocolate cities, they are not ever in control of the assets. Real estate, procurement, and federal dollars are never controlled by blacks or those sympathetic to the plight of black folk. These assets are always controlled by boogeymen, characters who seem to always tilt redevelopment into gentrification and perpetuate the diaspora of the black community.

Black developers, community development corporations, and minority contractors across Baltimore have a renewed sense of optimism with Mayor Brandon Scott's administration. Mayor Scott is seeking to end an era of subjective procurement practices, ambiguous contract award system, minority participation loopholes, and minority developer blackballing. In a City suffering from blight, crime, and education problems, the notion that the Mayor is starting with the root of those problems by effectuating fairness for black participation in Baltimore's economy is a signal to black businesses that equality is around the corner.

In response to the historical oppressive practices absorbed by the black community, the Equality Equation was birthed. The Equality Equation is a socio-economic development model that uses public assets, subsidies and resources, to heal blighted and distressed communities in place, by building economically viable anchors of healthcare, workforce development, and sport. In cooperation with various state government agencies, private industry, nonprofits and investors, the Equality Equation mitigates the racial wealth disparity, and provides access to the American Dream, to all of Baltimore's citizens.

The Equality Equations citizen-centered approach provides training for disadvantaged citizens which results in industry-recognized credentials, puts them to work on government contracts, utilizing minority contractors through the support of various government partners. Ultimately, disadvantaged legacy residents are utilized in the transformation of their community sparked by anchor commercial developments and market rate affordable homeownership that provides them with the tools to build generational stability and wealth.

This revolutionary development model turns systems which have historically been supports in systemic racism and makes them partners in forging equality.