Almost a year has passed since Freddie Gray died in police custody, resulting in riots, protests, and unprecedented conversations about police brutality in Baltimore.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was criticized for her response to unrest in Baltimore, and many assume that’s why she decided not to run for re-election. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that Rawlings-Blake won’t be in Baltimore on the one-year anniversary of Gray’s death–a day which some are already planning to commemorate with peaceful protests.
Instead, Rawlings-Blake will be on the other side of the world — Qatar, to be precise — where she’ll be attending a five-day trip along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. It should be said that the timing of the trip was not up to Rawlings-Blake; even so, her proposed absence is already drawing some criticism, which the mayor dismisses: “I am constantly engaged whether I am in Baltimore, whether I’m in Towson, D.C.,” she told CBS.
Glad you have the opportunity to enjoy and grow from the conference
Safe travels