Emmett Till Alert System to bring awareness to acts of hate amid increase in Maryland
By Mindy Basara
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — A new alert system in Maryland named in honor of Emmett Till aims to bring awareness to acts of hate.
Recent acts of hate in Maryland led to the creation of the Emmett Till Alert System, which will act as a warning system if credible threats are made.
Three Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Maryland were targeted by bomb threats. A man with a cinder block attacked two Korean business owners in Baltimore. Vandals wrote messages of hate on the doors of a Gambrills church.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that Anne Arundel County is in no way exempt from this country’s tolerance of hate crimes against the African American community,” Bishop Antonio Palmer, with the Kingdom Celebration Center in Gambrills, said at a news conference held Monday afternoon for the launch of the alert system.
Civil rights activist Carl Snowden told 11 News the alert system will create more awareness and notify people of threats.
“The idea here is to have an alert system that allows the entire community to know what is happening,” Snowden said. “If they get an Emmett Till alert, it’s very serious and they should take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their family.”
If there’s an act of hate reported, a team of people will determine if an alert should go out.
“The one thing you can assume is that whatever goes out on this alert system is that it’s been vetted,” Snowden said. “We see so many incidents of history repeat itself. We have to be proactive.”
The Caucus of African American Leaders said the alerts will save lives.
“America’s greater stronghold of racism continues to rear its ugly head. While our country plays in the muddy playground of the Jan. 6 debacle, the Black community still suffers from the aftermath of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, mass incarceration and similar systemic issues,” Palmer said.
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