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Susan,
I recently had the opportunity to visit this museum and pay my respects at George Perry Floyd Square in Minneapolis. Justice was deeply on my mind after standing on the street where Mr. Floyd was murdered, as was the associated history of overpolicing, overincarceration and under investment in Black communities, seen in cities across the country, including our own Baltimore.
The MAAHMG’s quilts were made by community members, both in George Floyd Square and in neighborhoods of color most harmed by structural racism. While there were many powerful testimonials in the quilts, the quote above jumped out to me like a lightning bolt.
We as a society talk a lot about loving our neighbor, being kind to strangers, jumping in to lend a helping hand to someone in need. And yet, we often don’t make the connection that playing our individual roles in pursuing justice can be just as important and profound and immediate as helping a family after a house fire or helping someone cross a busy street.
George Floyd’s interaction with the police cost him his life. Black individuals in our country are far more likely than their white counterparts to have an encounter with a police officer that leads to criminal charges, incarceration, or worse, as well as a devastating future with little hopes of stable housing or sufficient employment. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 24 percent of all arrests in America are related to drug offenses. The American Civil Liberties Union found that Black individuals are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana. This is despite the facts that that white and Black people use marijuana at an equivalent rate AND that white people make up 75% of the population and Black people make up just 14% according to the 2022 U.S Census. Those are truly shocking numbers.
When we think about justice, sometimes it’s hard to figure out how one can plug in as an individual to help. While you and I may not be able to fix overpolicing and overincarceration with the tools available to us today, we can - as attorneys, advocates and supporters - take action right now.
On July 1st, Maryland legalized marijuana and new expungement options became available for those caught up with cannabis charges. Another wave of expungement opportunities is coming on October 1st. At MVLS, we are committed to ensuring that every item that can be removed from someone’s record is, so that they have a meaningful opportunity to create housing, financial and family stability.
We have recently hired four staff members focused exclusively on expungement. They are working throughout the state to get out the word about these new opportunities and to connect individuals to free legal services. We are sending postcards to every expungement client we’ve helped since 2015, asking them to reconnect with us so we can do a fresh analysis of their record with the new cannabis law and the shortened waiting periods taking effect on Oct. 1st. We are taking out a full-page ad and distributing 20,000 expungement factsheets in the (August 2023 Issue of the Baltimore Beat.)
As one our new staff members shared -
"I am extremely excited to be a part of MVLS for the next year tackling challenges and opportunities presented by the new law in the state of Maryland. MVLS' mission speaks to my experience growing up in Baltimore, where many people I know are affected by barriers to racial justice embedded in the legal system. The goals of MVLS present me with a great opportunity to do impactful work for the future of marginalized communities across the state!"
But we need you to help us, we can’t accomplish justice on our own. If you are an attorney, please plan to take some expungement cases this fall as our outreach efforts begin to hit their stride. We expect a significant demand for expungement services. Our entire workforce team has just two staff attorneys, and the clients we could be serving will easily be in the thousands. That’s easy math - we can’t do this on our own.
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If you haven’t joined our volunteer panel, now is the time to do so.
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If you haven’t taken an expungement case before, please update your volunteer profile and let us know that you’d consider taking an expungement case.
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We have trainings and many helpful resources on our website, and our staff is here to help.
If you aren't an attorney, we still need your help.
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Connect us with community partners you’re working with.
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Spread the word about these new expungement laws.
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Educate others about the harms that have been committed on far too many Black and brown communities.
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Reach out to us to find other ways to engage and get more involved.
While we continue our efforts towards a more equitable and just legal system, I invite each of you to join MVLS, and think about your own role in ensuring justice. The reality is that while we can make substantial and life-changing differences in the lives of MVLS clients one case at a time. We need your help to do that, and we invite you to join us in demonstrating our shared compassion for all of community members.
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