By Kendra Bryant
Special to the AFRO

The NAACP Baltimore County branch hosted the “State of Civil Rights Address,” delivered by President Roland Patterson Jr. at St. Stephen AME Church in Essex on May 30. 

Issues within the Black community, including excessive force, redistricting and an increase in traffic stops were discussed. 

On Feb. 16, Samuel Brown, 56, was approached by a Baltimore County Police Department officer during a welfare check after allegedly falling asleep behind the wheel. Brown approached the officer, and a physical altercation occurred. 

Brown suffered a broken jaw, nose and brain damage. After 10 days, he was transported to hospice and died one day later on Feb. 27.

On the matter, Patterson proposed questions such as, “Does it appear that the regulations governing police procedures were violated on these facts?” And, “if so, was this act a misappropriation of the arrest powers delegated to the police department by the general public?”

“I raise these questions because it is important for you to know who the chief executive officers of your country, state and local governments are,” said Patterson. “Therefore, if there is a misuse of a delegated power, which is given to the authorities by the public, the public must … speak to their issues.” 

The NAACP is collaborating with sociologists at Morgan State University on the “Crime Geography of Excessive Force Use in Baltimore County.” They will analyze data from 2021-26 in county areas where excessive force allegations frequently occur. 

Patterson said he was inspired to become a NAACP member after discovering an I-Team report by WBAL-TV 11 News investigative reporter Jayne Miller. 

“From 2011-16, the report revealed that minority members, particularly African Americans, were more likely to be stopped and ticketed than members of majority groups,” said Patterson. “This occurs in areas such as Timonium, Catonsville and Arbutus. It is now 2026, and the matter is still being discussed.”

According to a Baltimore County Government report, Black drivers represented 58.5 percent of traffic stops in Maryland in 2022, despite representing 31.3 percent of the population. Overall, the disparity in traffic stops involving Black drivers remains. However, a deeper analysis of the data indicates that the disparity relative to the proportion of Black residents has slightly decreased since receiving greater public attention. 

“Everything is in racism,” said Natasha Pratt-Harris, associate professor and author of “Why the Police Should be Trained by Black People.” “When you start there, some of the questions that we have about disparity, it just makes it clear.”

She encouraged attendees to address their own thinking and stereotypes. 

“When I observe a Black person who may be behaving a certain way, I check myself,” said Pratt-Harris. “How do I respond to that child or adult? Am I thinking that they are up to no good? Was my first thought that they’re actually just existing in the same world that I am in?”

Patterson also discussed redistricting, or the redrawing of voting districts. In 2024, Baltimore voters passed a ballot measure to increase the council from seven to nine seats. At the time the legislative body had only one Black representative. Following extensive and sometimes contentious debate, and several iterations, the council approved a 5-2-2 map consisting of five districts with a majority-White population (White), two composed of mostly African Americans and another two BIPOC. 

“Here in Essex, you’ve gone without adequate representation for almost 25 years,” said Patterson. “We violate our own civil rights when we fail to make informed choices as a whole.”

Another concern raised was education. According to Baltimore County Public Schools’ key reports, between the 2019-22 and 2021-24 cohorts, there was a 1.06 percent increase in the four-year dropout rate for Black students. 

“We’ve had students who are struggling and parents asking, ‘Is the system working for my child?’ The answer to our parents is no,” said Makeda Scott, Baltimore County Council District 3 candidate. “Some children come to school ready to learn, and many sometimes come carrying burdens that we may never know about.” 

With midterm election campaigning on the rise, the Baltimore County Board of Education is preparing to select a new superintendent. 

“We need leadership that understands all of our children, children who come from all different backgrounds and socioeconomic realities,” said Scott. “We need someone who understands what it means when a child comes to school hungry, when a child is dealing with trauma and what it means when a child does not see themselves reflected in what they are being taught. Regardless of ZIP code, race and gender, this is a decision that will shape our children’s future.”

Midterm voter registration ends on June 2, and elections take place on June 23 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at assigned polling locations.