Baltimore and change 

Last night was a quiet evening.  We came across the documentary Baltimore Rising.  The documentary explores the city after the death of Freddie Grey, a 25 year old black man. Allegedly he was carrying a knife and was arrested for carrying an illegal weapon.  Incarcerated and transported in a police van, Gray fell into a coma and subsequently died of "spinal chord injuries.".  Ten days later, 6 Baltimore police were charged with manslaughter and trials commenced.  The city erupted into massive rioting through out the 10 day period during which the cops were allowed to get their stories straight.

The documentary focused on the aftermath of the verdict. The documentary follows  African American activists, some of whom work with the police to try and stem the violence in the city.  And some of whom work tirelessly to seek justice against the deeply rooted racism in the Baltimore police department.  Kwame Rose, a young activist is prominently featured.  We watch him get arrested twice for minor disobedience.  The documentary portrays the racism endemic to the city and the lack opportunity for African American youth who are systematically targeted because of the color of their skin.  The tragedy of youth being wasted due to poverty compounded by police brutality is hard to fully understand.  I guess the constant question in my mind is why?  Why is there so much anger against people because of the color of their skin. Or is it fear? Those that are supposed to serve and protect are literally the enemy of the people.

I found the documentary powerful and inspiring. A former gang member turned activists is charismatic and fearless in his vulnerability.  Raging against the system that that produced him,  he is trying to find a way to use the anger for good, to help his community.  Tears streaming down his face he tries to convey what it's like to deal with the helplessness of being ignored because he's black yet stigmatized by the police for being black.  It breaks your heart to see the frustration and anger.  Quite frankly it made me want to help.  If anything I felt such anger on behalf of the communities and such respect for the young adults trying to change the system.  If you've got nothing going on I highly suggest you give it a go.  It will provide you with tremendous insight into the passion and pride of a community struggling in an American city.  You will see people being hurt and beaten down.  It's sheer injustice.  It's wrong vs. right. The Department of Justice did come down on the Baltimore Police and conducted a review.  It was scathing. Awareness was raised but change takes time.  It's reassuring to know that the people are being heard.  Check it out if you have a 90 minute window. 

A little adventure 

Last weekend N and I went to Pittsburgh for a little getaway.  We had a fantastic time as we always do when we travel together.  We arrived around dinner time and parked our car at the hotel, the stunning Fairmont in the centre of the city.  We immediately hit the market square for some dinner and people watching.  Then it was back to the hotel bar for a nightcap.  The next day we made our way to the strip district which is essentially a market.  Lots of cool old school stores and restaurants.  We lined up for brunch at the famous diner De Lucas.  It's awesome if you like a big, greasy breakfast with bottomless coffee.

Then it was back to the car because the main purpose of our day was to check out Frank Lloyd Wright's brilliant Fallingwater.  It's well worth the 90 minute drive to tour the stunning home built in 1936 for the Kaufmann family.  Their only son bequeathed the home to the Western Pennsylvania conservancy in 1963.  Since then, 6 million people have visited the home and it's a UNESCO world heritage sight.  I highly recommend a visit if you have any interest in architecture or just an interest in history.  The attention to detail and the ingenuity of the home is unbelievable. We bought a sketch that we will have framed as a reminder of the experience.  The home was built into the falls and Wright's vision was to immerse nature and the home.  Here's a shot of the outside, we weren't aloud to take pictures on the inside.  There are plenty of pictures on line if you are interested.  Each room has been preserved as though the family was still living in the home.

This is the goal, to get to a point where we can do this for weeks at time.  Explore and learn.  Leave the grind behind.  Be gypsies. I can't wait.