A mural dedicated to Freddie Gray is seen behind a fence, Monday, April 14, 2025, in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in Baltimore, near where he was arrested before his subsequent death in 2015. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
“It’s still justice for Freddie Gray,” activists say, repeating what became a rallying cry in 2015. “Ten years now.”
It was almost instinctual for Ray Kelly to jump into action when he heard about a group of high school students clashing with police. He wanted to help protect the kids and de-escalate things, but instead, he watched his neighborhood burn.
Unrest broke out after Freddie Gray died from spinal injuries sustained during transport in a police van in April 2015. The protesters stormed through majority-Black west Baltimore, setting police cars ablaze and looting businesses. They were fighting the generations of oppression experienced by Black Americans, from racist housing policies and crumbling schools to limited job opportunities, rampant gun violence and poor living conditions.
A community activist from Gray’s neighborhood, Kelly had focused on police accountability for years. As federal investigators launched a probe into the Baltimore Police Department and local prosecutors charged the officers involved, he doubled down in calling for stronger oversight at a time of growing national outrage over police brutality.
Ten years later, his ongoing efforts illustrate Baltimore’s progress — and lack thereof.
Among the positive changes, Kelly said, there are more mechanisms to address police misconduct and hold officers accountable. Homicides and shootings are trending downward after a prolonged surge that began in the wake of Gray’s death. And while west Baltimore still faces widespread poverty and neglect, he said, at least elected officials are paying more attention.
Source: 10 years after Freddie Gray’s death, calls for police reform and racial equity persist in Baltimore
Recent Comments