Baltimore: Another Crisis. As usual, we are enraged. We are enraged about the senseless death of another young black man. We are enraged about the response of other young blacks who want to meet confirmed violence with violence. We have been here before, all too frequently within the last several years. After this crisis, what?

Everyone has a comment while the cameras are rolling but after the initiating occurrence becomes old news, then it is business as usual. After this crisis, we can ill afford ‘business as usual.’ We must be enraged enough to act and I don’t mean to burn, loot and riot. I do mean to attack and keep the pressure on those factors that permit the climate for the disregard of black life to exist.

After this crisis, what? Climate change! Not a change in the conditions that produce weather concerns, even though that is a problem that needs to be addressed, but rather a change in the prevailing trends and public attitudes regarding race in America. Climate change! A great deal of the citizenry of our country, including blacks, has no regard for life especially life in the black community. This climate permits those who are hired to protect and serve the liberty to take life at will. The response of the young who feel singled out is civil unrest.

What? This writer believes that cultural climate change in these United States is past due. This is what I propose. Let me preface these thoughts by saying, I do not believe that a national action is the answer but rather the problem must be attacked locally. Every hamlet, village, town, city and metropolitan area must take an in-depth look at the climate of that particular area and take action to rectify negative climatic conditions. Case in point: All of Ferguson, MO knew the prevailing public attitude in that city. If those problems had been addressed, the resulting tragic crisis could possibly have been avoided.

Who should do the analysis? A diverse group of citizens familiar with the specific community should do the work. By diverse group, we speak not only of diversity of race, but also, age, gender, political thought, education, income, and religion. The group should be charged not only with defining the problems but with making a transparent specific action plan. The community should then be held to the implementation of the plan. After the Rodney King’s incident in Los Angeles some years ago, professional made a study of the police department with accompanying suggestions. Were those suggestions implemented, who knows. After the uproar died down . . . After this crisis, what?


By: Rev. Gerald Adams
Religious and Social Commentary
Guest Blogger, ReelUrbanNews.com
Rev. Adams is the retired pastor of
Greater True Friendship Baptist Church
in Los Angeles, California. Rev. Adams now
resides in Dallas, Texas.