Community
Numbers Don’t Lie, Ceasefire Saves Lives
THE AFRO — August 2017, Erricka Bridgeford, Letrice Gant, Ogun Gordy, Darnyle Wharton, Jakia Jason and Michelle Herring, launched the first “Nobody Kill Anybody” Baltimore Ceasefire weekend.
By Sean Yoes
August 2017, Erricka Bridgeford, Letrice Gant, Ogun Gordy, Darnyle Wharton, Jakia Jason and Michelle Herring, launched the first “Nobody Kill Anybody” Baltimore Ceasefire weekend.
It was two short years after the Uprising of 2015, two dreadful years that saw the city easily eclipse the 300 murder mark, and we were in the midst of a third consecutive year of 300 homicides. By August 2017, the city and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) had been slapped with an historic Consent Decree by the U.S. Department of Justice, in the aftermath of the homicide of Freddie Gray while in BPD custody. The garish quality of seemingly ubiquitous police corruption was headed towards an all-time high (The Gun Trace Task Force and the homicide of Det. Sean Suiter were still on the bleak horizon), and community confidence in the police was at an all-time low. The audacity of six Black people to come forward and command a cessation of murder in Baltimore, the most violent city in America seemed remarkable. Their request seemed implausible.
Yet, despite tremendous doubt, outright resistance and ridicule the Ceasefire crew pressed forward by faith. At the end of 72 hours, the Ceasefire movement mourned the deaths of Lamontrey Tynes and Donte Johnson on day two of the Ceasefire. However, there were no murders recorded for a total of 67 of the 72 (41 continous hours without a murder) hours at a time when the city was averaging a murder approximately every 19 hours.
The eyes of the world were on Baltimore for that first Ceasefire and although we tragically lost the lives of two more young Black men, the majority of the city responded positively to the challenge.
Thousands of Baltimoreans eschewed violence, murder and mayhem and celebrated life, at least for 72 glorious hours. The concept of Ceasefire had fired the imaginations of many. The three subsequent Ceasefire weekend after the first, the homicide numbers came down from two to one, to none, to none again.
Now, two years after the first Ceasefire there is empirical evidence available as we head towards the August 2019 Ceasefire, which supports what many believe, the movement is working.
In a study called, “Modeling the Effect of Baltimore Ceasefire,” published June 13, by Open Baltimore (a city agency), statistical data on shootings during the Ceasefire weekends indicate there have been 60 percent fewer shootings during the 72 hour period. “The effect of the Ceasefire is classically significant and suggest an approximate 60 percent reduction in shootings during ceasefire weekends,” according to the report.
Further, the report indicates, “Without a ceasefire, we would expect about three or four people to get shot on the first day of the weekend, on average. But, this will be a Ceasefire weekend, so the model expects about two fewer shootings each day.” It is a stunning tangible result born out of an organic grassroots movement, an answer to mind-numbing violence (one of the group’s mantras is, “Don’t be numb.”)
The statistical affirmation is welcomed by the leaders of Baltimore Ceasefire, although they knew in their spirits that their work was making a significant difference in the city.
“Having this data confirms things we knew instinctively. With over 30 events every Ceasefire weekend, we knew Baltimoreans were shifting the atmosphere,” said Erricka Bridgeford, one of the Ceasefire co-founders, who has become the face of the movement globally.
“When people told us they were going to keep their neighborhoods safe, we knew they were keeping their promises. But now, with proof that there are 60 percent fewer shootings during Ceasefire weekends, we can see that the more people know about a Ceasefire, the more peaceful Baltimore becomes,” she said.
“This also proves that it is a good choice to believe in Baltimore.”
Sean Yoes is the AFRO’s Baltimore editor and the author of Baltimore After Freddie Gray: Real Stories From One of America’s Great Imperiled Cities.
This article originally appeared in The Afro.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

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Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow.
The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, which included a special oversample of Black workers and retirees, found that the wealth gap remains wide at every income level. Among households earning $75,000 or more, only 33% of Black Americans reported having $250,000 or more in savings and investments, compared with 63% of non-Black Americans. Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.
While many Black Americans expressed confidence managing day-to-day budgets, fewer felt prepared to invest or plan for the long term. The study showed that Black Americans with higher incomes were less likely to have personally saved for retirement, 77%, compared with 87% of non-Black Americans. Retirement experiences also differed sharply. Forty-four percent of Black retirees said they retired earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability, compared with 32% of non-Black retirees. After leaving their main jobs, Black retirees were more likely to work for pay to make ends meet, and more often said their retirement lifestyle was worse than expected. Access to financial advice and planning remains uneven. Just 31% of Black respondents reported currently working with a financial advisor, although nearly half expect to do so in the future. Black Americans were more likely to seek help with reducing debt, creating wills or estate plans, and arranging life insurance than simply determining if they had saved enough to retire.
Researchers Craig Copeland and Lisa Greenwald wrote, “Black Americans reported disproportionately lower financial resources, and how they feel about retirement and financial security is clearly impacted by having less resources.” They continued, “In particular, Black retirees are struggling with higher likelihoods of their retirement lifestyle being worse than expected and having to retire earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability.” “Still,” the researchers concluded, “there are some modifications in the financial system that could help improve their prospects, such as increased assistance in balancing competing financial priorities like debt reduction, supporting family, and building long-term savings.”
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Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.
The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned. The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis. “Americans are connecting extreme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, Executive Director of ecoAmerica.
Nearly nine in ten respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.” This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups. Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed. Those concerns are not abstract. Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA, and others show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt. Studies have documented that historically redlined neighborhoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.
In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise. Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves. Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021. The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.
These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington. The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief. The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.
The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.
Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action. “These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said.
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