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Open letter to Prince: In Baltimore, Visit the Grassroots. Otherwise, You’re Drowning Them Out

The Grassroots are helping to bring peace to Baltimore, if only people could see their work, so often drowned out by "well meaning" celebrity cameos.

Dear Prince,

As a Baltimore native, I want to personally thank you for your interest in helping Baltimore.

However, as someone who has worked on social justice issues in the city for most of my adult life, I’m writing to question your timing/methods.

I was out of town on Monday, so I saw what the city looks like from the outside. Knowing people I worked with in the city were helping to lead protests, I was terrified from what I saw on cable news.

I thought Baltimore was basically done for as a functional city.

To my surprise, when I got home, about 5 minutes walk from the scenes of “ground zero”, I found very little visible damage from the so called “riot”, but a community so structurally neglected as to make it difficult to see how the community would change much even if a full scale riot had broken out.

Seeing Baltimore from the outside last weekend, I can also see why you may feel the need to come. Baltimore is in pain; the people are angry and mistrustful and need help. As a Baltimore native, I also know exactly why that narrative is so problematic. From the outside looking in, you would assume Black Baltimore is rudderless, without unity and devoid of the ability to heal itself. This image is useful for the media, politicians, and elite “saviors” to frame West Baltimore as needing the benevolence of philanthropic institutions.

It also happens to be incorrect.

West Baltimore is full of institutional and communal leadership structures which are ignored, disavowed, and often directly attacked by the very same politicians and institutional non-profits that I’m sure are welcoming, and perhaps directly benefiting from, your planned visit. This may shock or even confuse, but let me explain. Few cities have mastered the illusion of democracy, the veneer of justice, and the art of co-option as well as Baltimore. A city run largely by Black politicians and saturated with non-profit organizations, all claiming to “love Black people” and wanting to “empower” (read “save”), Black Baltimore is yet the home of some of the highest inequity in the country.

There is an industry in Baltimore around peddling solutions to the misery of Black people, framing programming as the “solution” for people deemed culturally or intellectually deficient. Thus, many of the “youth organizations” your benefit concert would be benefiting are not controlled by the community, are not accountable to the communities they serve, and are not staffed by people who have immersed themselves within the cultural and intellectual heritage of the communities they serve. This is not to say the people there are mean spirited or bigoted, but structurally there is a system which props up institutional nonprofits as de facto “civilizing missions,” viewing the youth they serve as needing to be properly ingratiated into the dominant culture, a process which tacitly demonizes their indigenous culture and frames those in these communities who do not wish to take this path as inferior, problematic, even “thugs.” This raises questions about the concert; at 2-4 hundred dollars a ticket, how much of this money actually goes to charity, and which charities? Far from fixing Baltimore’s problems, by ingratiating yourself into a system which ignores at best and demonizes at worst the very communities most affected by these events, you risk exacerbating these problems.

Second, your visit is going to hurt the autonomous actions of the Baltimore grassroots. With all due respect, only we can heal ourselves, and while we welcome those who seek to build and empower indigenous institutions, the cavalcade of celebrity cameos to Baltimore this week only distracts from the long term need to build independent institutions within oppressed communities so that the people there have the power to save themselves. An example of this is the massive action we have planned for Saturday, May 9^th, Bmore Youth Rise.

Organizations from all over the city have chosen to have a series of events (murals, town halls, marches, and concerts) to unify and build West Baltimore. Unfortunately, many “over west”, as we say, will not be at your concert. They won’t be able to afford it, will need to sleep to prepare for work on Monday morning, or will be running the numerous religious, sports, or community programs people never hear about. We thus decided to bring these actions to them, planning a march directly through some of Baltimore’s most forgotten neighborhoods leading to a day of music and consciousness rising at Harlem Square Park all afternoon.

You might not be able to find it on Baltimore’s map, but if you can find time to get here early, and are comfortable being around the community, we’d love to have you. We could use help feeding the 2-10 thousand people we are expecting, and would also love for you to add your voice to the numerous local artists who will be performing.

I’m seeking confirmation on this, but I do believe there will even be basketball.

I’m writing this letter because, without this, I know how this is going to go. I’ve seen it before, when we hosted the Stop the Drug War Caravan for Peace, a massive community event for peace and unity, and no media showed up, and when we had a grassroots led town hall for mothers of victims of police brutality TWO YEARS before Freddie Gray, and though media was in room no story was written. You will come to town, do a few songs, and get the credit for bringing “peace” to Baltimore, flanked by politicians and business leaders who probably think Harlem Park is somewhere in Manhattan. The peacemakers in these Baltimore communities are the reason there was not a “real riot,” but the question is can they get a piece of the credit and media attention the outsiders are getting? After you leave, we will still have a city to rebuild, not from the riots, but from 50 years of structural neglect and institutional racism.

The Baltimore Grassroots need the resources to work with and the space to breathe, but instead we will get drowned in “purple rain.”

Sincerely,

Lawrence Grandpre

President of Research for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS)

Member of the #BmoreUnited Coalition

Bmoreunited.org

For those that do not understand:

It is not just Baltimore or any other random US city where the police kills someone.

It is the US of A.

It is a pervasive problem.

It is a side efect of the country going down the drain.

First slowly, then suddenly.

Lot of paranoia in this open letter, so I'm sure Prince will respond!!

One a more serious note, though: we all have to integrate into the dominant system - this being the capitalist system. Want something else? 'Just' change the system...

Of course, over here in the Netherlands, we can rely on (better) welfare if we are out of a job, and we don't have any ghettos etc. But still.

We of course do have very young criminals, who skipped school and getting a real job, because that would mean they'd have to wait for all the luxuries they think all people on earth are entitled to. Many of these people are now getting assassinated in Amsterdam, but hey, that's the risk.

The letter makes some very interesting points, some of them I agree with. Most importantly, is how much of the concert ticket sales will be given to charitable organizations that the concert is meant to benefit? A "portion of the proceeds" implies that only small fraction of the proceeds will be given to social programs while the remaining take is pocketed for himself. In terms of public relations, Prince could disclose in a press release the charities he is involved with for this benefit show. Secondly, it is a fair question to ask-would he be willing to visit a grassroots event in Baltimore like a rally or town meeting to bring media attention to neighborhood grassroot organizations that are rarely taken seriously without celebrity cameos? Maybe because the concert was organized on such short notice that to cover the logistical expenses of the show he had to price most of the tickets so high, but the good will he has generated for this event could degenerate into accusations of opportunism if Prince doesn't at least answer some of the questions posed in this open letter. I would hate to see P caught in that controversy.

Maybe he could, I don't know, release a deluxe version of Purple Rain, and donate half the profits to charity. Cheaper and easier all round....

Pentacle said:

Lot of paranoia in this open letter,

.

At lest there's some awareness.

You, on the other side, appear to do nothing much with the information that makes you perceive the letter as paranoia.

udo said:

Pentacle said:

Lot of paranoia in this open letter,

.

At lest there's some awareness.

You, on the other side, appear to do nothing much with the information that makes you perceive the letter as paranoia.

What should I do with it? As far as I'm concerned, this world is beyond saving.

But I'm glad that you and the LBS think a march and some jolly community singing will change things around.

But the grass would stain his velvet heels

NouveauDance said:

Pentacle said:

What should I do with it? As far as I'm concerned, this world is beyond saving.

Well, that shows some awareness! Of course your 'world' definition may vary but I guess I get the idea.

But I'm glad that you and the LBS think a march and some jolly community singing will change things around.

I did not say or think that.

As I explained: the USSA is going down the drain (and much will go with it). It's just that we do not know well enough how fast or how soon.

Protest might help in certain ways: it can raise awareness, show that people with these ideas are not alone, etc.

You're always pretty hard on the USA, Udo. Why is that country so special?

Isn't it just, in many cases, that the problems we all have stand out more?

Because of the way the media works over there, because of the way

the media works over HERE (we're always looking to the USA as an example,

either of the latest fad or the harbinger of the Apocalpyse - oh no, another school shooting)?

Oh, and I'm a nihilist, Udo, which, as you know, is pretty exhausting.

Better though than all those people going to events like LiveAid and pretending

to care about the causes, when they're just there to party.

KingSausage said:

Oh, shit. A Prince charity gig? Better hope this thread isn't disappeared!

Hahaha!

KingSausage said:

laurarichardson said:

SNIP -OF4S

Always with the potty mouth.

Pentacle said:

You're always pretty hard on the USA, Udo. Why is that country so special?

Isn't it just, in many cases, that the problems we all have stand out more?

Because of the way the media works over there, because of the way

the media works over HERE (we're always looking to the USA as an example,

either of the latest fad or the harbinger of the Apocalpyse - oh no, another school shooting)?

Oh, and I'm a nihilist, Udo, which, as you know, is pretty exhausting.

Better though than all those people going to events like LiveAid and pretending

to care about the causes, when they're just there to party.

.

I am not hard on the USA.

Some people in there say that the US of A people are exceptional.

Yet they lost so much in the past few decades. Moral and ethical high ground, decency, their money, financial stability, freedom, their jobs, justice, safety, etc, etc and much much more.

And they pulled parts of the word into the same type of direction, even.

I was just an observer.

And yes the problems stand out more because of that; also the EU is a weird and bad type of 'government' structure.

.

In fact I mean to say that mr P should do a tour across the USA of the Baltimore type show he intends. Because the whole of the USA needs it, if it means anything to them.

laurarichardson said:NouveauDance said:But the grass would stain his velvet heels SNIP -OF4S He has done a lot for charities over the years.He just does not make it public. Even on the musicology tour some free tickets were given to youth groups. He also did some work with a group at Essence fest to help kids learn to code. -----Right on Laura!! Tell it like it is!

Good points. It would be nice to think that Princey will read and think about how best to work with these grassroots organisations who've now extended an invitation to him. We'll see if he does or not.

deebee said:

Good points. It would be nice to think that Princey will read and think about how best to work with these grassroots organisations who've now extended an invitation to him. We'll see if he does or not.

I do hope he responds and acts in kind.

udo said:

Pentacle said:

You're always pretty hard on the USA, Udo. Why is that country so special?

Isn't it just, in many cases, that the problems we all have stand out more?

Because of the way the media works over there, because of the way

the media works over HERE (we're always looking to the USA as an example,

either of the latest fad or the harbinger of the Apocalpyse - oh no, another school shooting)?

Oh, and I'm a nihilist, Udo, which, as you know, is pretty exhausting.

Better though than all those people going to events like LiveAid and pretending

to care about the causes, when they're just there to party.

.

I am not hard on the USA.

Some people in there say that the US of A people are exceptional.

Yet they lost so much in the past few decades. Moral and ethical high ground, decency, their money, financial stability, freedom, their jobs, justice, safety, etc, etc and much much more.

And they pulled parts of the word into the same type of direction, even.

I was just an observer.

And yes the problems stand out more because of that; also the EU is a weird and bad type of 'government' structure.

.

In fact I mean to say that mr P should do a tour across the USA of the Baltimore type show he intends. Because the whole of the USA needs it, if it means anything to them.

Let's not forget the USA is also at the bottom in education. And at the top in heart disease. Baltimore is a prime example but just one of many cities that have turned to shit.

Well written. I live in Virginia and know how the media distorts and makes the Black community look "less than" at best and animalistic at worse. I hope someone gets this letter into Prince's hand and that he partners with a grassroots organization. Thanks for your insite Judas.

aaroncanderson said:

isnt it enough for him to bring ANOTHER awareness to a situation?

luvsexy4all said:

KingSausage said:

luvsexy4all said:

isnt it enough for him to bring ANOTHER awareness to a situation?

I think people are plenty aware of what has transpired in Baltimore and other cities recently regarded systematic police brutality and the devaluing of black lives. What people need awareness of is the variety of historical, political, and economic factors that create these situations. His horseshit lyrics and a concert with $400 tickets isn't going to generate or inspire any such awareness.

im in NYC and it made the local news..where the baltimore thing was also a big story....just his name attached to the story will make more people aware...thats the best he can do

The only thing I am critical of is the high ticket prices for the Mother's Day show in Baltimore in honor of Freddie Gray. From a PR standpoint it looks opportunistic and "portion of the proceeds" is veryy vague. "Baltimore' lyrics didn't blow me away, but Prince doesn't need to be Curtis Mayfield or Gil Scott Heron. At this time, as long as it's from the heart, that should be enough.

West Baltimore is full of institutional and communal leadership structures which are ignored, disavowed, and often directly attacked by the very same politicians and institutional non-profits that I’m sure are welcoming, and perhaps directly benefiting from, your planned visit. This may shock or even confuse, but let me explain. Few cities have mastered the illusion of democracy, the veneer of justice, and the art of co-option as well as Baltimore. A city run largely by Black politicians and saturated with non-profit organizations, all claiming to “love Black people” and wanting to “empower” (read “save”), Black Baltimore is yet the home of some of the highest inequity in the country.
.

There is an industry in Baltimore around peddling solutions to the misery of Black people, framing programming as the “solution” for people deemed culturally or intellectually deficient. Thus, many of the “youth organizations” your benefit concert would be benefiting are not controlled by the community, are not accountable to the communities they serve, and are not staffed by people who have immersed themselves within the cultural and intellectual heritage of the communities they serve. This is not to say the people there are mean spirited or bigoted, but structurally there is a system which props up institutional nonprofits as de facto “civilizing missions,” viewing the youth they serve as needing to be properly ingratiated into the dominant culture, a process which tacitly demonizes their indigenous culture and frames those in these communities who do not wish to take this path as inferior, problematic, even “thugs.” This raises questions about the concert; at 2-4 hundred dollars a ticket, how much of this money actually goes to charity, and which charities? Far from fixing Baltimore’s problems, by ingratiating yourself into a system which ignores at best and demonizes at worst the very communities most affected by these events, you risk exacerbating these problems.

This part of the letter seemed to me to raise the most salient points. There's sometimes a tendency to say of this kind of event, "Well, at least they're doing *something*!" But whether that 'something' actually helps advance people's interests or not depends very much on what it is. It's to be hoped that this doesn't bypass and undermine organisations run by people that actually represent the community, understand the nature of the problems it faces, and put in the hours on a daily basis to make things better. There's something unpleasant if people's consciences get salved off a great night out for the rich folk and a Nike-sponsored basketball court for the proles.

KingSausage said:

luvsexy4all said:

isnt it enough for him to bring ANOTHER awareness to a situation?

I think people are plenty aware of what has transpired in Baltimore and other cities recently regarded systematic police brutality and the devaluing of black lives. What people need awareness of is the variety of historical, political, and economic factors that create these situations. His horseshit lyrics and a concert with $400 tickets isn't going to generate or inspire any such awareness.

• Black Mayor
• Black Baltimore City State Attorney
• Three of the six officers accused are black

Can we please not lump Baltimore in with the other cities which seemingly lack black leadership and representation? Let's fix the police culture issue without assuming everything is about race in all cases.

Is it true that they added this to the tour poster at the last minute? ......."Don't forget to wear gray, because it will match your pubes."