We, who have suffered the most from the sting of racism, cannot continue to stereotype all of Baltimore's corporate leaders. Over the past 38 years, Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development or BUILD has had numerous strong disagreements with various Baltimore corporations ("Baltimore march shows protesters have more on their minds than Freddie Gray," May 16). Our contention has been that, at best, too many corporations believe in benign neglect. At worst, developers treat the city as a honey pot from which to draw unwarranted subsidies without responsibility.
Now, we hear people talking about how our corporations do not care about the city. While we hear them, we have learned not to stereotype. The constituency of BUILD, predominantly African-American, has long suffered from stereotyping. Stereotyping has led us into the insidious institutional racism that plagues our country. This is why we do not paint all corporate leaders with a broad brush.
For example, BUILD has not always had an effective relationship with Johns Hopkins University, but under the leadership of Johns Hopkins President Ronald Daniels and Ronald Peterson, president of Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, things are changing. Johns Hopkins has been working with BUILD and TRF Development Partners to redevelop the Oliver neighborhood. They have contributed to our low interest loan fund and have offered up to $36,000 to their employees who buy a home in East Baltimore where BUILD has built and renovated over 300 homes.
Most recently and at BUILD's request, Presidents Daniels and Peterson convened a breakfast for ex-offender hiring. Over 100 leaders in "eds and meds" sat at tables of eight with returning citizens to hear their stories rather than stereotype them. Representatives of Hopkins, an institution already leading in ex-offender hiring, encouraged corporate leaders present to do more for these fellow citizens.
So we have a great opportunity now. Let's continue to identify areas of common interest that we can tackle together with real leaders like those at Johns Hopkins and other like-minded corporations.
Revs. Calvin Keene and Marshall Prentice, Baltimore
The writers are leaders in Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development (BUILD).