Calling for a renewed effort to eliminate poverty, federal lawmakers met Tuesday in Baltimore to discuss underlying issues they said contributed to the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent riots: racism, lack of economic opportunity and disparities in education.
"The death of Freddy Gray turned the nation's eyes to the city," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Democrat who helped organize the University of Baltimore forum, which drew members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Joint Economic Committee.
"We cannot let the nation's gaze turn away" without addressing those deeper issues, Cummings said.
The lawmakers focused most of their discussion around a report released by the Joint Economic Committee in April that noted higher levels of unemployment among African Americans. The unemployment for blacks in Baltimore, 14.8 percent, is more than two and a half times the 5.8 percent rate for whites, the report found.
Baltimoreans would be familiar with most of the issues raised: The seemingly intractable problem of vacant homes in West and East Baltimore, the racial gaps in education and the lack of jobs other than the drug trade for many.
"Black America is in a state of emergency," said Rep. G. K. Butterfield, a North Carolina Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
There was some good news at the forum. Baltimore civic leader Michael Cryor, who is heading the city's OneBaltimore effort, told lawmakers the city will meet its goal of finding 8,000 summer jobs for young people this year. Cryor said that news will be announced Wednesday.
Lawmakers and panelists tossed around a handful of ideas: Gearing manufacturing tax credits toward urban areas, expanding the Community Reinvestment Act -- designed to encourage banks serve low and middle income neighborhoods -- creating savings accounts for young people that would be seeded by federal tax payers.
But few if any of those ideas are likely to advance in the current political climate in Washington, which the lawmakers later acknowledged.
The event was heavy on statistics and research until Munir Bahar, one of the founders of the 300 Men March in Baltimore, told the lawmakers there is a lack of courage in local leadership to address the underlying problems faced in impoverished communities.
"We talk, we talk, we talk. Meanwhile our young people are not connected, they don't feel connected," Bahar said to applause. "We don't even have the courage to approach our young people in the street, but we have a lot of fancy forums."
Three other members of the state's congressional delegation attended the forum in addition to Cummings: Reps. Donna F. Edwards of Prince George's County and Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County -- both of whom are running for Senate in Maryland -- and Rep. John Sarbanes of Baltimore County.
One the lawmakers asked the panel for its thoughts on the fast-track trade bill pending in Congress. The legislation -- which will allow President Barack Obama to secure an up-or-down vote on a trade deal he is negotiating with 11 other Pacific Rim nations -- has been criticized by some Democrats as allowing companies to ship jobs overseas.
"Anybody thinking about voting for that trade bill need look no further than Baltimore City," said Maya Rockeymoore, president and CEO of Global Policy Solutions.
As the lawmakers spoke, the Senate advanced the trade bill on a 60-37 vote.