Doesn't Baltimore need an African American Art, Business and Entertainment District??!!

[bmorefella]

It used to be Pennsylvania Avenue, royal theater, arch social club, etc. But as you can see, Crack Hit Hard!!

[Infinite_heights77]

Crack was placed there to destroy the community, stop youth activistism and development.

Originally Posted by bmorefella

It used to be Pennsylvania Avenue, royal theater, arch social club, etc. But as you can see, Crack Hit Hard!!

[dogpark]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Crack was placed there to destroy the community, stop youth activistism and development.

Proof?

[Woodlands]

I found out the other day that there used to be a train station on Pennsy Ave where the current Dollar General is next to the Ave Market. If you are riding on Amtrak/MARC you pass an area in between the tunnels south of Penn where there are a series of staircases leading down to the tracks...underneath West Baltimore.. This particuliar area is where the station platform used to be. I guess there was no way to retrofit this area into an actual station.. Seems like if it could be.. this would be a perfect location for a MARC Station. The train leaving Penn could stop here.. then express West Baltimore MARC.. and visa versa..trains stopping at West Baltimore would express Pennsy AVe.. I wonder if it were still a viable commuter rail station if it would change the dynamics of Pennsy Ave? I could picture a nice station ediface along Pennsy.. taking you down to the tracks..... You would also have an almost direct connection between the Metro Subway and the MARC.. less than one block.. Of course it would mean the likely demise of the public housing in the area since that would be the easiest thing to 'redevelop' but it would also be a boost to Res Hill, Bolton Hill, and some of the streets such as Madison Ave, Druid Hill Ave etc between Bolton Hill and this area.......

Thus an "African American Historic District" would be directly connected to DC.. though likely would not become the next Shaw (DC) or H Street.. but a Baltimore version that is much improved than it is now.....

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by dogpark

Proof?

This has been wildly debated from accusations of the CIA selling of guns/drugs in South Central LA to fund activities covert activities in Latin America to back to the days of old J Edgar COINTELPRO which investigated people from MLK to the Black Panthers and used informants and subversives to undermine their activities..I wonder how much "proof" exists...since it would be a direct indictment of the Feds and the US Government...I guess we can debate whether or not its true... just depends on your perspective since.. any evidence could likely be linked to other cladestine activities from several government agencies and you have to untangle a complicated web of who knew what, when, and where.. which would make any credible accusation seem like conjecture, coincidence, and a conspiracy theory and any nuances seem like absolute facts and irrifutable evidence and thus proof of the Government's complicity

[Infinite_heights77]

Woodlands,

Conspiracy theories, conjecture, psudeo-science? Maybe?!! May be not..

I someone hesitated to even respond to this showing of "proof" because of the implications and accusations of victimology that gets thrown around anytime one can provide empirical evidence, statistics and other primary sources to back up such claims of "arrested development" within the African American/Black communities around the country.

Historically, we can look at certain instances within the US narrative, where self-sustaining Black communities around the country were completed terrorized, bomb and destroyed (e.g. Black Wall Street). The issue of the "CIA/Iran Contra/Crack cocaine, Gary Webb (who, to some, died under mysterious circumstances) thingy", is just one cog in that wheel of debatable "proof" linked to such "clandestine government activities." COINTELPRO!! (*sighs with snarky chuckling) Well, we can be here all day discussing this program, its working, inner-working and processes of how this entity investigated many civil right rights and human rights organizations in the U.S. during the 1950's/60's and 70's. There are plethora of research, books, magazines, journals, films and videos talking about the role the CIA/FBI/NSA played in the neutralizing such social movements during that era!!! One recent work I'd like to mention is from young Baltimore scholar, Dr. Derek Musgrove who's work, Rumor, Repression and Racial Politics: How The Harassment of Black Elected Officials Shaped Post-Civil Rights America (The University of Georgia Press) speaks to how harassment through negative political tactics aided in the surveillance, and downfall of Black elected officials (not to say that some of these officials were dirty). These simple examples are just a small fraction of what took place.

Black Officials More Likely Probed For Corruption?

http://www.npr.org/2012/07/13/156724...for-corruption

Thanks for bringing this up.

Originally Posted by Woodlands

This has been wildly debated from accusations of the CIA selling of guns/drugs in South Central LA to fund activities covert activities in Latin America to back to the days of old J Edgar COINTELPRO which investigated people from MLK to the Black Panthers and used informants and subversives to undermine their activities..I wonder how much "proof" exists...since it would be a direct indictment of the Feds and the US Government...I guess we can debate whether or not its true... just depends on your perspective since.. any evidence could likely be linked to other cladestine activities from several government agencies and you have to untangle a complicated web of who knew what, when, and where.. which would make any credible accusation seem like conjecture, coincidence, and a conspiracy theory and any nuances seem like absolute facts and irrifutable evidence and thus proof of the Government's complicity

[Infinite_heights77]

We can speak as well to the overwhelming self-destructive behaviors and attitudes within the African American/Black communities, that transcends all socio-economic levels in the Black community. The same behaviors that are prevalent amongst so-called low income African American, can be found within the middle class structures as well (middle class Blacks are just better at masquerading themselves).

[Infinite_heights77]

Hoover claimed that the Black Panther Party (BPP) was the greatest internal threat to America's security during its existence? Multiple simple rhetorical questions from anyone with any inkling of common sense would be.."how is feeding children with breakfast programs, literacy programs" be an internal threat to anyone?? How is defending yourself against police brutality and misconduct be an internal threat? The BPP's internal threat came from the inside. Dealing with its members maladaptive and anti-social behaviors, on top of external repressive governmental actives, could possibly bring any organization down.

Originally Posted by Woodlands

This has been wildly debated from accusations of the CIA selling of guns/drugs in South Central LA to fund activities covert activities in Latin America to back to the days of old J Edgar COINTELPRO which investigated people from MLK to the Black Panthers and used informants and subversives to undermine their activities..I wonder how much "proof" exists...since it would be a direct indictment of the Feds and the US Government...I guess we can debate whether or not its true... just depends on your perspective since.. any evidence could likely be linked to other cladestine activities from several government agencies and you have to untangle a complicated web of who knew what, when, and where.. which would make any credible accusation seem like conjecture, coincidence, and a conspiracy theory and any nuances seem like absolute facts and irrifutable evidence and thus proof of the Government's complicity

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Hoover claimed that the Black Panther Party (BPP) was the greatest internal threat to America's security during its existence? Multiple simple rhetorical questions from anyone with any inkling of common sense would be.."how is feeding children with breakfast programs, literacy programs" be an internal threat to anyone?? How is defending yourself against police brutality and misconduct be an internal threat? The BPP's internal threat came from the inside. Dealing with its members maladaptive and anti-social behaviors, on top of external repressive governmental actives, could possibly bring any organization down.

Yeah.. I not saying there isnt some merrit that goes beyond mere coincidence.. but its just hard to prove and folks have been saying it for years but it hasnt gotten any traction primarily because if any of it were found true....it would be disasterous for the Feds/US Government and result in Congressional Hearings ,deeper scrutiny of the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security etc who are already reeling from public scrutiny on some of their snooping/meddling.... thus they would be heavily invested in surpressing that info... just like AREA 51....the alledged shooting down of 9-11 United Flight 93 over PA, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Kennedy and MLK Assasinations and other whodunit conspiracy theories that are out there....