While we were on spring break, a cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Six workers were killed. Their names are Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Carlos Hernandez, Miguel Luna, José Mynor López, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval.
In the aftermath of the collapse, people have rallied around the families and the communities that these men left behind. Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network’s Editor-in-Chief, was able to speak to some members of Baltimore’s Latino/Latine community to discuss the devastating impact that this incident has had, and what the path ahead looks like. We’ve included an excerpt of his reporting in this issue, along with information about support services that public and private organizations are offering to assist anyone who might need them.
In this issue and on the cover of this newspaper, we highlight the work of Baltimore rapper, actor, and entrepreneur Tim Trees. This is a special honor for me because his music is a big part of the soundtrack of my young adulthood. As he told another Baltimore rapper, Eze Jackson, Trees isn’t content to rest on his success. He still has a lot more he wants to do.
“I’m always trying to top that guy,” he told Jackson.
In this issue, you can also learn about work some organizers are doing to convince Marylanders to vote “uncommitted” in our May 14 primary. They say they want to send a message to President Joe Biden that they are unhappy with the way he has handled the still-ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“This is a Democratic primary; Trump isn’t a candidate. It’s about President Biden’s policies,” Hena Zuberi, a leader of the Listen to Maryland coalition, told Jaisal Noor.
Arts and Culture Editor Teri Henderson pays tribute to OG Dutch Master, a rapper, painter, chef, and more, who we lost last February.
“To me he was just Dutchy, he was a savant,” Ac Abdullah, the owner of Baltimore event space and boutique Pipe Dreamz, told her.
“Anything he wanted to do in my space, I allowed him to do that. He was a chef. He had yoga sessions. He was a healer. He was a connector. It’s rare to find people who are that intentional with no strings attached. I deeply miss him.”
Be sure to read Dominic Griffin’s review of the new Netflix film “Shirley.” Regina King stars in the biopic, which focuses on Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s historic 1972 presidential campaign. He says that the film delivers some harsh lessons about the limits of electoral politics in this country.
And finally check out this issue’s poem, submitted by Writers in Baltimore Schools participant Lillian Green and titled “The Picture.”