The Intersection Mag LLC

12/17/2024

In The Intersections newsletter, we talk about Calvert County and Prince George's County Police Accountability Boards. This week high light some data. The data is from both counties 2023 end of year report. We also invite Prince George's County residents to take a poll about the new county executive's choices.

Counties PAB data is important, and should be known by its residents.

12/13/2024

From The Baltimore Banner:

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday proposed scaling back parts of the state’s ambitious public education improvement plan as the state faces a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.

Moore, a Democrat, said the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is due for changes but offered few specifics.

“We will pause the elements that need a closer look or require laying a stronger foundation for full implementation,” Moore said, according to remarks prepared for an audience of local government leaders.

One specific proposal from Moore is to pause a Blueprint program that gives school teachers more “collaborative time” out of the classroom to work on curriculum planning, grading and professional development.

“We will pause the elements that need a closer look or require laying a stronger foundation for full implementation,” Moore said of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.

12/03/2024

From The Intersection's newsletter:
Leonardtown, Maryland — The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission held another public meeting, on Nov. 16, that commemorated the lives of Charles Whitley and Benjamin Hance, who were victims of extrajudicial killings in Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties. Whitely was lynched in 1886 in Calvert County, while Hance was lynched in 1887 in St. Mary’s County.

The public hearing was held at the St. Mary’s County Library on Hayden Farm Lane. These public hearings are not criminal court cases, but an opportunity for the local community to assemble, acknowledge, and embrace its history. Additionally, the meetings propose solutions for genuine reconciliation between descendants of the victims and perpetrators.

The event had several phases: acknowledgment, history, public comment, a moment of silence for the victims, and a conclusion.

During their presentations, former Calvert County NAACP President, and local, independent historian Michael Kent and Karen Stone, St. Mary’s Museum division manager, provided important context surrounding the white mob’s crimes of extrajudicial killings.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article mistakenly made the connection between white women's false accusations and conviction rates. We regret that mistake.

12/02/2024

Earlier today, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks resigned from her position to take her position as Congresswoman Angela Alsobrooks.

Tara Jackson, chief administration officer, will temporarily hold the position until it is filled. She has held this position for 4 years. Here are the words from the charter:

"A vacancy in the office of County Executive shall exist upon the death, resignation or removal of the County Executive, or upon forfeiture of office by a County Executive. Immediately upon a vacancy, the Chief Administrative Officer shall become the Acting County Executive until a County Executive is chosen by the methods established in this Section of the Charter. In the event of a vacancy in the office of County Executive occurring during the last two years of the term, the Council shall select from among its members, by majority vote, a successor for the office for the balance of the unexpired term. If this selection by the Council is not made within fourteen (14) calendar days after the vacancy occurs, the Chair of the Council shall succeed to the Office for the balance of the unexpired term. The Council shall provide by law for the conduct of a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of County Executive that occurs during the first two years of a term and for the appointment, powers and duties of an Acting County Executive pending the outcome of such special election."

https://library.municode.com/md/prince_george's_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICHPRGECOMA_CHPRGECOMA_ARTIVEXBR_S407VA

12/02/2024

Breaking: Angela Alsobrooks is set to resign from her County Executive position at 10 am today. More on this later.

11/22/2024

In this week's newsletter, The Intersection put together a reporting timeline around the human-like figure that a resident hung from a tree. There are also government meetings from Prince George's and Calvert County in this newsletter. We want to make this information more accessible to community members. Thanks for your support. Click on the link below.

https://contextnewsletter.substack.com/p/a-reporting-timeline-of-the-human

11/22/2024

We have updated an article. We were notified that Hyattsville, in Prince George’s County, passed a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, making it the eighth municipality in the county.

Excerpt: Prince George’s County activists have pushed eight North County municipalities – Cheverly, Colmar Manor, College Park, Brentwood, Riverdale, Mt. Rainier, New Carrollton, and Hyattsville – to pass resolutions that call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

“We’ve been working diligently with local community members and elected officials across the county, who recognize that genocide is wrong – and embrace their power in standing up against it,” said Raaheela Ahmed, activist, and former county school board council member. “Thankfully, that’s led to seven municipalities (thus far) in the county passing resolutions supporting an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine.”

“I believe that local ceasefire resolutions are important as a way regular citizens can make our will and feelings known where we live, where we pay taxes, in our communities, influencing the elected officials who answer most directly to us,” said Juliana Barnet, a Jewish activist that’s participated in several direct action protests.

Chloe Waterman, spokesperson for Prince Georges 4 Palestine, said county “residents care deeply about justice, which includes standing up for the rights and dignity of people of Gaza.”

“We're grateful our municipal elected officials did all within their power to stop this atrocity by passing these resolutions,” said Waterman. “Now we need our federal representatives to show the same courage and moral clarity. Aside from our moral stake in achieving justice for Palestine, Prince George's County taxpayers are funding this genocide. Instead of sending weapons to Israel, we want to see our elected officials, like Rep. Glenn Ivey, invest federal resources here in our community - increasing access to healthcare, supporting public education, and building green infrastructure, among other priorities.”

Prince George’s County activists have managed to get several cities in North County ( Cheverly, Colmar Manor, College Park, Brentwood, Riverdale, Mt. Rainer, and New Carrollton) to pass resolutions that call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

11/22/2024

From Maryland Matters:

Maryland is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to the number of prison inmates who began their time behind bars for crimes they committed as children, according to a report set to be released Wednesday.

With 6% of its overall prison population incarcerated for crimes they committed as minors, Maryland trailed only Louisiana, Wisconsin and South Carolina, according to the report, “Disposable Children: The Prevalence of Child Abuse and Trauma Among Children Prosecuted and Incarcerated as Adults in Maryland.”

The report, by Human Rights for Kids, said Maryland also fared poorly in terms of the number of children per capita who are charged as adults, trailing only Alabama. Minority inmates make up more than 90% of those who were charged as youth in Maryland and remain incarcerated as adults, according to the report.

“Maryland is faced with a simple choice. On the one hand the state can look the other way, continuing to incarcerate children who act out behaviorally due to abuse, neglect, and community violence, or it can seek to address the root of the problem by showing these children something many of them have never had before – love,” the report said.

Maryland is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to the number of prison inmates who began their time behind bars for crimes they committed as children, according to a report set to be released Wednesday.

11/21/2024

From The Barnet:

The Calvert State’s Attorney’s Office made public its findings into the December 2023 death of a 50-year-old Great Mills man at the county detention center, clearing officers of any potential charges.

Although state medical examiners had concluded earlier this year that the manner of Angel Manuel Jimenez’s death was homicide, “The evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges against any individual or group of individuals” a release from the office stated.

The 29-page report on the incident, including the events leading up to Jimenez’s death Dec. 4 when in custody, is accompanied by a condensed video of what happened that day. The video begins with an inmate charging a correctional officer and subsequently being subdued. It ends with medical personnel trying to revive that same inmate, who is seated in a restraining chair in a holding cell.

The Calvert State’s Attorney’s Office made public its findings into the December 2023 death of a 50-year-old Great Mills man at the county detention center, clearing officers of any potential

11/19/2024

From The Baltimore Sun:

Gov. Wes Moore’s administration has hired one of the world’s largest consulting and technology firms to help prepare for the cascading effects President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration could have on the state.

The short-term contract with Accenture — which did not go through the state’s typical procurement process and will cost $190,000 — aims to examine how Trump’s platform and campaign proposals might impact all kinds of programs and funding. It will offer risk assessments with options for how the state could respond, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

Much is at stake for Maryland under the new administration, from major infrastructure projects to the state’s sizable federal workforce. The consultants are charged with analyzing how Trump, his supporters and the incoming Republican majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate could make their mark.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/11/19/moore-administration-hires-consultants-for-190000-to-prepare-for-donald-trump/

11/19/2024

From The Maryland Attorney General's Office:

BALTIMORE, MD (November 17, 2024) – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal vehicle collision following an attempted traffic stop that occurred in Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland, Saturday evening. The preliminary investigation revealed that on Saturday November 16, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., a deputy from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office was in a marked police cruiser sitting stationary in the area of MD Route 261 and 17th Street in Chesapeake Beach, MD. The deputy observed a gold Ford Mustang pass their cruiser at a high rate of speed, traveling southbound on MD Route 261. The deputy activated their emergency equipment and pulled onto the road in an attempt to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the car did not stop.

After approximately 1.6 miles, the Mustang crossed the double yellow line into the oncoming lane, left the roadway and struck a telephone pole. Deputies provided the driver of the Mustang with medical aid until EMS arrived at the scene and took over lifesaving efforts. The driver of the Mustang was pronounced dead on the scene. The involved deputies were equipped with body-worn cameras.

11/15/2024

Tomorrow on Nov. 16 - The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission will hold a meeting to acknowledge the lynchings in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's Counties. Here is our article:

Trees, over thousands of years of existence, have provided fruit and shade for human beings. And at some point, nature’s gift became a place for unnatural use. In the South, and other parts of the U.S., white people used trees as tools to lynch Black people. Recognizing this, Billie Holiday – borrowing a poem from Abel Meeropol, who was Jewish and a teacher – testified about this unjust way of using creation.

“Southern Trees bear a strange fruit; Blood on the leaves and blood at the root; Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze; Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees,” sang Billie Holiday in the song “Strange Fruit.”

On Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Maryland Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the first in the state and the country, will host a public hearing in Leonardtown, Maryland. Community members from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, and those from the commission will come together to acknowledge the extrajudicial killings of Benjamin Hance, of St. Mary’s County, and Charles Whitley, of Calvert County, and their generational impact. (Charles County has no recorded lynching. However, that doesn’t mean they didn’t occur there).

Trees, over thousands of years of existence, have provided fruit and shade for human beings. And at some point, nature’s gift became a place for unnatural use. In the South, and other parts of the U.S., white people used trees as tools to lynch Black people. Recognizing this, Billie Holiday –&nb

11/13/2024

From The Intersection Mag:

On Nov. 10, Maryland State Del. Jeffrie Long, Jr. posted a picture of a human-like figure, whose head is hunched slightly downward, bound with gray duct tape, wrapped in what appears to be a Black trash bag hanging from a tree in Dunkirk, MD (Calvert County).

The black human-like figure seems symbolic of the racist lynchings of Black men, children and women. A source close to the situation said the figure was hung in a resident’s yard near the home of Dr. Andre Townsel, the first Black Calvert County Public School Superintendent. The Intersection reached out to Townsel for comment. He did not reply to our invitation for an interview before publishing. Dr. Townsel has not posted anything on his social media about the alleged event.

Over the photo Del. Long, who represents part of Prince George’s County and Calvert County, wrote: “Dr. Townsel, I have your back. I look forward to fighting tooth and nail to support and protect you. No right wing extremist school board, complicit county commissioners or the like will take us backward. Let’s be clear, Trump may have won the Presidency, but Maryland is a blue state… and y’all are about to find out!”

On Nov. 10, Maryland State Del. Jeffrie Long, Jr.  posted a picture of a human-like figure, whose head is hunched slightly downward, bound with gray duct tape, wrapped in what appears to be a Black trash bag hanging from a tree in Dunkirk, MD (Calvert County). 

11/08/2024

From The Intersection's newsletter:

Multiple think pieces have been written about why and how Vice President Kamala Harris lost her candidacy for President of the United States when there was so much hope that she would win. We know the obvious: Some Americans voted to put a criminal back into the White House.

We are in this position because our government failed to put a criminal in prison. In a surprising move, the Department of Justice has decided to suspend its cases against Trump.

From The Conversation:

“On Aug. 1 2023, Jack Smith (special prosecuter) charged Trump with four crimes pertaining to federal election interference in connection with events prior to and on Jan. 6 2021. Trump’s lawyers argued he was immune from prosecution because he acted in his official capacity as president. The Supreme Court stepped in and raised the bar for prosecuting presidents.

Along ideological lines, the court decided that presidents have “absolute immunity” for their “core constitutional powers” and “presumptive immunity” for all other official acts. The case was handed back to the trial court to determine if the charges should be partly or wholly dismissed.”

Though those charges have been dropped, the cases in Georgia and New York aren’t. He still has to appear in court for those cases.

Multiple think pieces have been written about why and how Vice President Kamala Harris lost her candidacy for President of the United States when there was so much hope that she would win.

11/04/2024

From The Intersection's newsletter:

If Hogan is elected, he will tip the scales of the Senate. If Alsobrooks wins, she will be the first Black woman elected as a Maryland Senator. This is certainly true nationally. But all politics are local, and locals have a political memory that others don’t. How will local narrative memory shape their votes?

One of the biggest political races, besides Vice President Kamala and Donald Trump's presidential candidacies, is Prince George’s County, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks vs.

10/28/2024

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission is holding a public hearing in Leonardtown, Md on lynchings that occurred in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's Counties. The public hearings are meant to create a space for descendants of said person(s) lynched and descendants of those who did the lynchings. Community members will be able to provide testimony. The commission will also provide the history of lynchings in those counties. You can find more information here: https://mdlynchingmemorial.networkforgood.com/events/76293-maryland-lynching-truth-and-reconciliation-hearing

10/24/2024

From Patch:

The Maryland Department of State Police has agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle federal claims that the agency discriminated against Black and female applicants in its hiring process for troopers.

The settlement resolves an investigation opened by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland on July 15, 2022, prosecutors announced Wednesday. It will also include changes to the way trooper applicants are tested.

“Over the past 19 months, we have worked in complete partnership with the Department of Justice to bring this matter to a close and also to establish a plan forward that will ensure that this will not happen again,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The Maryland Department of State Police was accused of discriminating against Black and female applicants in its hiring process.