The Baltimore Uprising and the Stunted Transformation of Urban Black Politics

Abstract

Although some scholars and observers rightly hail the 2015 Baltimore Uprising as an act of resistance against systemic oppression, the Uprising was also a moment of interrupted promise. Revolts and rebellions are often the result of ongoing legacies of domination being met with resistance which has reached a tipping point and sparked direct action from the masses.1 For the most part, the Baltimore Uprising was no different. The tipping point for large-scale protest in Baltimore came as a result of the fatal injury to West Baltimore resident Freddie Gray Jr. while in police custody. And although the “riot” portion of the Uprising occurred on April 25 and April 28, 2015, the legacies of domination in Baltimore have been evident for much longer.