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In the Media: Ravens Players Visit Flint, Mich.; Donation to MSU Will Fund 10 Scholarships

Ravens running back Justin Forsett went to Flint to help the water crisis.
Justin Forsett
/
@TheRavensLive
Ravens running back Justin Forsett went to Flint to help the water crisis.

A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.

From the Baltimore Sun: Justin Forsett on Trip to Flint, Mich.: ‘We Just Don’t Know How Good We Got It’

"Ravens running back Justin Forsett and former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith went to Flint, Mich., on Thursday with help for the city's water crisis. They came back with a lot of sad stories.

"After delivering antibacterial body wipes and bottled water to a day-care center in Flint, where thousands of children were exposed to dangerously high levels of lead after the city's water supply was changed to the corrosive Flint River, the two former teammates headed to Southwestern High.

"'Flint was crazy, man,' Forsett said Thursday on Periscope. 'Unbelievable experience. Really sad about what the people have to go through there.'

"They listened to students tell stories of lives dependent on bottled water. Bottled water for cooking food. Bottled water for brushing teeth. Bottled water for washing dishes.

"'It's just a hassle every day,' Forsett said. 'You've got to go out in the snow, go get the water, come back, and then just imagine just living with your house full of bottled waters everywhere. It's just not comfortable for them.'”

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From the AFRO American and WEAA's Sean Yoes: Confronting Police with Mediation, Not Conflict

"Last week it was announced that Baltimore residents would get the chance to confront police officers face to face that they’ve had beef with, in a formal, controlled context. Many who see the Baltimore City Police Department as an occupying force in poor communities of color, have waited for this opportunity for a long time. 

“'Most of these mediations that are going to happen…are going to be perceived breaches of ethics, perceived breaches of policy…and for a misuse of their discretionary power,' said Ako 'Changa' Onyango, executive director of Community Mediation in Baltimore. 

"The organization Onyango leads will play a significant role in facilitating the Police Complaint Mediation program, which is ultimately aimed at narrowing the chasm between police and some communities. The current process for citizens to file complaints against police, consists of people making a complaint against an officer, which is then investigated by the Police Department’s division of internal affairs and there is never any face to face interaction between the officer and citizen alleging the misconduct. 

"Many complain the process is cumbersome and inherently a conflict of interest. With mediation the emphasis is dialogue and the sessions are private and kept confidential by law. 

"Mediation has been an alternative to conflict in communities across the state for several years and in certain scenarios has had a dramatic impact. 

"According to Community Mediation Maryland, when individuals engage in mediation before they are released from prison, the probability for future conviction is reduced by 15 percent (after just one session) and the probability decreases further (by nine percent) with each additional mediation session. The organization also claims mediated cases are more likely to show a decrease in police and court involvement after mediation compared to cases that aren’t mediated. "

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From the Washington Post: He Couldn’t Afford to Stay at Morgan State, But Once He Made It He Gave Back Millions

"Calvin E. Tyler Jr. would have been the first in his family to graduate from college, but by his junior year in 1963, he could no longer afford to attend Morgan State University in Baltimore. The newlywed had a family to provide for and a part-time job that didn’t pay enough to cover tuition and household bills. So his degree in business administration was put on the back burner.

"Tyler landed a job as a driver at United Parcel Service in 1964, just as the company was gaining a foothold in Baltimore, he said. In a matter of years, Tyler became a manager and continued to climb the corporate ladder all the way up to senior vice president of U.S. operations before retiring in 1998. All the while, he never forgot how Morgan shaped his life.

"Tyler and his wife Tina have pledged $5 million to endow a scholarship fund at Morgan, the largest individual donation to the historically black university. The gift is scheduled to be announced Wednesday from the Tylers’ home in Las Vegas.

"The gift will initially fund 10 need-based scholarships to cover full tuition for Morgan students from Baltimore City, the Tylers’ hometown. The scholarship, which can be renewed every year, will be offered to incoming freshman with at least a 2.5 grade point average in high school."

Full Article