Today Baltimore city’s Board of Estimate is deciding on a bond to support the controversial Port Covington Project owned by billionaire Kevin Plank of Under Armour. ACLU and other groups are protesting this continued white wealth expansion in Baltimore in the midst of continued financial racism-historic and persistent underfunding of Black communities. Today Wednesday June 17, 9am, the hearing at City Council will decide if City tax bonds should support this infrastructure development at Port Covington. Baltimore’s tax dollars would be part of the $660 million public support from the city for this development voted on in 2016. At that time the Port Covington plan did not show a racial equity analysis benefiting Baltimore’s historically disenfranchised Black communities. In the midst of the economic downturn from the COVID19 pandemic, public support of this gentrification project is even more questionable as nationwide calls for racial justice continue.
The pandemic has further revealed how racially fragmented and segregated our nation is, especially in majority Black cities like Baltimore. Because of the structural violence of segregation and underfunding of the infrastructure that supports these communities, health and economic disparity is severe. The pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and Brown and poor communities resulting in more cases and deaths than white and middle class communities. Public funding to address the necessary resources and infrastructure is necessary to begin to change this legacy of slavery, redlining, urban renewal, gentrification and mass incarceration that has left Black and communities of color with greater levels of unemployment, abandoned housing, health and income disparities.
This structural violence perpetuated through policies that continued and continues to segregate and under-resource Black and poor communities can be changed in re-investment into existing communities. The Port Covington Project targets a majority white and well-off population through its planned housing and amenities. Allocation of Baltimore city tax dollars can change this old game by directing funds for more even development, instead of continued gentrification.
Today’s Board of Estimates hearing: June 17 Wednesday at 9AM: Members of the public can call in to listen live at 1-408-418-9388 (Access code: 711 183 482) and/or stream it live using the following link: http://charmtvbaltimore.com/watch-live.
The meetings will be live on CharmTV (Channel 25) as normal.