Community Outreach Leaders Joseph Brown and Bruce Bennett to Speak in Baltimore on Civil Unrest

As riots and protests over the deaths of Freddie Gray and other victims of law enforcement violence continue across the country, noted community outreach leaders Joseph Brown and Bruce Bennett were on Capitol Hill meeting Senators and Congressmen and will hold a press conference. The press conference, to be held on May 5, 2015 at the Cultural Arts Center in Downtown Baltimore, located at 401 North Howard Street, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST, will address the state of civil unrest created by these continued tragedies and voice support for “The Grand Jury Reform Act of 2015 (House Resolution 429, 1232 and 1102),” designed to demilitarize local law enforcement.

“Our aim is to change the tone of conversation and shift it to a matter of domestic terrorism. The American uprising for justice is here,” said Joseph Brown. “The first step is to stop killing unarmed citizens with no regard for human life. As major supporters of appropriate policing, we have to rid ourselves of bad cops who contaminate the water for the majority of good officers. We intend to launch a national grassroots program, to change the perception of police in communities of color: the Police Officer Training Core (POTC), which was born out of the ROTC model, which is proven and sustainable. POTC will be implemented at elementary, middle and high school levels, organically growing police candidates in troubled communities. We are taking steps to address the violence that is a root cause of these troubling events and the first cities targeted for the POTC program will be New York City, NY; Miami, FL; St. Louis, MO; and Norfolk, VA.”

Joseph Brown has more than two decades of hands-on experience as a community outreach professional. His portfolio of service includes the founding of the Citizens Opposing Profile Police Stops (COPPS) organization in 1995 and work done pioneering the racial profiling movement, where he worked as part of a White House and Department of Justice problem-solving group about policing with Attorney Generals Janet Reno and Eric Holder. Mr. Brown’s opinions and voice have been featured in the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, among other noted publications.

Speaking in conjunction with Mr. Brown at the Baltimore Summit is Bruce Bennett. Mr. Bennett is trained as an attorney and has worked with law enforcement and community groups as a human rights lawyer. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and also holds a degree in International Relations and Economics from UCLA. Mr. Bennett has been instrumental in helping to craft policy proposals designed to empower local communities.

“The state of affairs we’re currently seeing throughout the country as it pertains to police violence is staggering,” said Bruce Bennett. “I agree that My Brother’s Keeper Program should be expanded, and is a very important part of the solution. I however, believe that focusing on income inequality, holding police accountable for murders of innocent people, as well as urging bailed-out banks to invest in urban America is also part of the solution.”

Mr. Brown and Mr. Bennett will be speaking at the Cultural Arts Center in Downtown Baltimore, located at 401 North Howard Street, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST on May 5, 2015. This event is open to the public. For more information, please contact Joe Brown.