Baltimore pushes back against Trump while acknowledging problems

Baltimore pushes back against Trump while acknowledging problems

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After U.S. President Donald Trump described Maryland's largest city as "a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" and a "very dangerous & filthy place" last weekend, Baltimore resident Blondina Bean had mixed feelings about his tweets.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Bean is comforted at a memorial for her son.

Bean, whose 19-year-old son George Phillips was killed in a robbery attempt last year in Baltimore, said she was torn because she felt Trump was right about the majority-black city's high crime rate but wrong to use what she called racist language.

"I agree with what he said, unfortunately. We should totally be in a state of emergency. I don't agree with his delivery. I look at him and think, 'Wow, do I really want this message from him?' Because his character has shown who he is," Bean said.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Boys ride their bikes past boarded-up and abandoned row of houses

Baltimore, a city of about 625,000 people known for its scenic harbor and historic neighborhoods in addition to its urban woes, is located roughly 40 miles (65 km) north of Washington.

While many in Baltimore have blasted Trump's language - he also tweeted that "No human being would want to live there" - some black residents have acknowledged not only the city's crime problems but that its political leaders have failed to take enough action.

It is not the first time in recent years that Baltimore has found itself in an uncomfortable national spotlight.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Isiah Dixon (center) works on his truck.

Two mayors have stepped down with corruption allegations swirling around their administrations. In 2015, the death of a black man named Freddie Gray while in police custody sparked days of sometimes violent protests.

For many in Baltimore, Trump's remarks added to the damage those episodes had caused to the city's image. That has both unsettled and animated community activists dedicated to improving life in the city.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Townes relaxes near her home with a friend who lives on her block.

Francina Townes, an 18-year-old entrepreneur who had a rough upbringing in West Baltimore, took exception to Trump's remarks.

Townes also has no illusions about Baltimore's long and frustrating struggle against violence, drugs and poverty. But she resented the tone of the Republican president's Twitter remarks, saying his broadsides - directed at Elijah Cummings, an African-American Democrat who long has represented the city in the U.S. Congress - have united the city's people.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Townes dressed for her high school graduation from Woodlawn High School.

"One thing about Baltimore: We can talk about ourselves," Townes said. "But if somebody from outside comes in and tries to do something, we stick together."

Cummings, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform, has led investigations into Trump and his administration and has criticized the president's hard-line immigration policies.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Townes works as a part-time hairdresser.

Townes said she grew up seeing other young people get pregnant or go to jail, and was determined to find an alternative. Two years ago, she launched her own home business applying high-end false eyelashes and steadily built a loyal clientele. She now rents space in a salon and aspires to own her own shop some day.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
A man attends a memorial for George Phillips.

Bean, since her son's death, has created a non-profit organization aimed at diverting young people at risk into sports, therapy or job-interview training. Baltimore has other projects that aim to help young black men overcome obstacles in a troubled city where some end up on a path of drugs and violence. Some programs have been around for years.

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
Avent participates with students in a learning exercise at a summer session of a charter school called Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys.

Edwin Avent co-founded Black Professional Men (BPM) Inc in 1991 to lift up African-American men, offering lessons in topics from financial literacy to relationships. He is also board chairman of the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, a public charter school.

BPM has mentored 3,000 boys and awarded 225 college scholarships, using education and positive reinforcement to keep youths away from gangs, drugs and guns.

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Slideshow

People attend the funeral of Lakeisha Price, 42, a gun homicide victim.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

People attend the funeral of Lakeisha Price, 42, a gun homicide victim.

A woman places flowers into a van after attending the funeral of Lakeisha Price.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A woman places flowers into a van after attending the funeral of Lakeisha Price.

A line of mourners watch as cemetery workers close a bag around the casket of Lakeisha Price.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A line of mourners watch as cemetery workers close a bag around the casket of Lakeisha Price.

The girlfriend of the deceased, Gerald Brown III, has her picture taken holding a bouquet of flowers in front of his coffin.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

The girlfriend of the deceased, Gerald Brown III, has her picture taken holding a bouquet of flowers in front of his coffin.

A boy rides a bike near the parking lot of Hip Hop Chicken while a police helicopter flies overhead.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A boy rides a bike near the parking lot of Hip Hop Chicken while a police helicopter flies overhead.

People dance in the street while holding signs that read "ceasefire". Ceasefire is a local organisation that stages events to call attention to the gun violence.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

People dance in the street while holding signs that read "ceasefire". Ceasefire is a local organisation that stages events to call attention to the gun violence.

A memorial for a victim of a gun homicide.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A memorial for a victim of a gun homicide.

Brandon Donnell, also known as Cashoutboy, sits on the steps of an abandoned building while eating a meal in the Sandtown neighbourhood.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Brandon Donnell, also known as Cashoutboy, sits on the steps of an abandoned building while eating a meal in the Sandtown neighbourhood.

People attend the three-year anniversary of the death by gun homicide of Antonio Addison, 22, was shot and killed while sitting on his grandmother's front steps, in the Sandtown neighbourhood.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

People attend the three-year anniversary of the death by gun homicide of Antonio Addison, 22, was shot and killed while sitting on his grandmother's front steps, in the Sandtown neighbourhood.

The girlfriend and daughter, 9, of Antonio Addison, cry as they attend the three-year anniversary of his death.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

The girlfriend and daughter, 9, of Antonio Addison, cry as they attend the three-year anniversary of his death.

Reverend Al Sharpton from the National Action Network speaks with hecklers after a press conference addressing U.S. President Donald Trump's tweets about Baltimore.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Reverend Al Sharpton from the National Action Network speaks with hecklers after a press conference addressing U.S. President Donald Trump's tweets about Baltimore.

A woman cares for a friend's child during an event called Feed the City which provides free food primarily for the homeless one day a month, a program started by and funded by a private individual who goes by the name of Charm City Cee.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A woman cares for a friend's child during an event called Feed the City which provides free food primarily for the homeless one day a month, a program started by and funded by a private individual who goes by the name of Charm City Cee.

A woman displays a tattoo depicting her friend Christopher Yancey who was stabbed to death inside Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2017 reportedly by his wife after an argument.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A woman displays a tattoo depicting her friend Christopher Yancey who was stabbed to death inside Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2017 reportedly by his wife after an argument.

Wendell Lifford (left), a former drug addict who helps run a drug addiction program at a local facility called House of Change, receives a hug from another man on the street in the Sandtown neighbourhood.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Wendell Lifford (left), a former drug addict who helps run a drug addiction program at a local facility called House of Change, receives a hug from another man on the street in the Sandtown neighbourhood.

Two members of the Hip Hop band called the Creek Boyz sing a song together during a youth gathering at the Druid Hill YMCA.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Two members of the Hip Hop band called the Creek Boyz sing a song together during a youth gathering at the Druid Hill YMCA.

Men play a video game.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Men play a video game.

Derrick Chase from an organisation called Stand Up Baltimore speaks with teenagers at a YouthWorks site, a summer program offering employment and mentoring to teenagers.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Derrick Chase from an organisation called Stand Up Baltimore speaks with teenagers at a YouthWorks site, a summer program offering employment and mentoring to teenagers.

Young people ride their bikes on Reisterstown Rd.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

Young people ride their bikes on Reisterstown Rd.

A neighbourhood in West Baltimore is pictured with downtown Baltimore seen in the distance.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A neighbourhood in West Baltimore is pictured with downtown Baltimore seen in the distance.

A liquor bottle is seen on the sidewalk at the crime scene for a gun homicide.
. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith

A liquor bottle is seen on the sidewalk at the crime scene for a gun homicide.

"What we're doing is building black boys into the next generation of doctors, lawyers, scientists and leaders," Avent said. "Maybe even the next Barack Obama."

. Baltimore, United States. Reuters/Stephanie Keith
A homicide detective with the Baltimore City Police Department inspects a blood stain on the road at the crime scene for a gun homicide.