Forgotten in Baltimore

OPINION:

If you told me my life would change in a matter of hours by trying to raise awareness about an ongoing problem endured by one of the most vulnerable groups in America, I wouldn’t believe you. If you told me my $250 red Sony camera would capture video that would play around the world, I would laugh. If you then told me that powerful political forces in Baltimore —  along with well-known “journalists” in the national media — would turn on me for exposing the city’s blight in six videos I would later post, I might have thought twice before hitting SEND.   

After watching Congressman Elijah Cummings on a Sunday morning talk show claim his constituents were afraid of President Trump because of his rhetoric, I got curious and decided to investigate. The first two men I stopped to ask about Mr. Trump in West Baltimore gave me answers I never expected. They initially laughed. As we began conversing, the men explained they were on board with the president’s immigration policies. I was shocked. National media such as CNN never reports such views from people in neighborhoods like this. Not only were these men not afraid of Mr. Trump as their congressman claimed, they found hope for their community in President Trump. 

You see, I had no idea the elected city officials were putting illegal immigrants above the residents until I heard about the issues the gentlemen had with all of the contracting jobs being filled by “Mexicans without ID taking cash and accepting lower wages.” Apparently, many residents in the neighborhood are against Baltimore becoming a “sanctuary city.” However, there is never anyone around to listen to their perspective. It quickly became apparent that city officials were operating on their own agendas. These constituents in Mr. Cummings’ 7th Congressional District had absolutely no input. 

Mr. Cummings hasn’t been seen in this area in years, they told me. His listed home address is just six blocks north. After a brief conversation, I allowed one of the men in my car. I know, not smart. We drove two blocks down to the congressman’s home that he shares with his wife. In his row home, there are three separate apartments. Very hard to believe considering how small the home looks from the outside. The gentleman took me to the side alley where mounds of garbage have sat since December 2018. It was easy to see the trash was dumped by a contractor. Old carpet, furniture and drywall all strewn about. I learned illegal dumping was a huge problem in West Baltimore. Residents constantly call the city to pick the dumped items up, but no one shows for months. An abandoned row home shared the same alley, so we went inside. Also not smart, but I now I was on a mission. 

Inside I found pill bottles, used needles, blankets and feces. It smelled of urine. According to my new friend, homeless people — especially addicts — use the home for shelter. I shuddered at the thought of living next door to such a mess. However, after thinking of the children I saw on the block living near it, I felt sick to my stomach. Definitely a vision I wish I could un-see. I was told rats and all sorts of rodents were a problem. After being in the home for two minutes, I was attacked by fleas. Which was actually a relief considering that bedbugs exist.  

My focus quickly shifted from questions about President Trump to getting the neighborhood some help. I spent four days capturing video of the living conditions. I posted each video on Twitter, adding Mr. Cummings to each post in hopes he would see it and make the necessary calls. Thanks to a few retweets from a friend at the Daily Wire, Fox News producers I have never spoken to before contacted me and asked me to come in and explain. I thought, great, this will reach people across the country and there will be many urging Mr. Cummings to do something about the conditions in his district. 

As I prepped for the morning show, I came across all of the videos of Mr. Cummings being outraged about the conditions at the border. I immediately knew I had to address the hypocrisy. I had no idea the president would be watching.

After President Trump retweeted my videos, the story took on a life of its own. Brian Stetler aired a “hit piece” about me. CNN later corrected some of the mistakes Stetler made but not others. He falsely claimed I was just trying to help President Trump. Actually, I was just trying to help the residents in Mr. Cummings’ district by exposing horrid conditions in the neighborhood.

Fellow conservative commentators I thought were friends lashed out. One “friend” told me my videos weren’t comprehensive and needed data and research. As it currently stands, I have a total of three friends in the industry. It seems people want you to do well, just not better than them. Knowing I trusted a stranger to guide me through an abandoned row house, you probably guessed I am too trusting and believe in applauding everyone’s success. Silly me. 

Now that you know the truth about how all this began, I am excited to see this through. I was able to raise money for the gentleman and the interviewees for my videos. We found shelter for the homeless man living in the neighboring abandoned house. Scott Pressler busted his tail to get a neighborhood clean up together. Hundreds of volunteers from across the country is no small task. Currently, I am working on a permanent solution to introduce to Congress in hopes every major city in America implements the idea and allows the average resident — you know the ones unable to pay-to-play — to have oversight. 

Forgotten neighborhoods are not forgotten by the residents, they either live there or drive through them. Forgotten neighborhoods earned the name because those particular voters do not have the money to donate to campaigns, nor do they reside in a tourist attraction. They are forgotten by the people they’ve elected.   

• Kimberly Klacik is executive director of Potential Me, a workforce development non-profit based in Baltimore.