BALTIMORE — In the wake of a deadly altercation between a man wielding a baseball bat and a group of squeegee workers, Baltimore business leaders convened with city youth this week to discuss solutions to the persistent tension surrounding their street-corner presence.
The summit, held at Coppin State University and closed to the public, was part of what Mayor Brandon Scott promised will be a “difficult” and ongoing conversation. Leaders, who included members of the business and nonprofit communities, as well as elected officials, are expected to meet again with city youth over the next several weeks.
“I will not do what was done to me. We will not kick the can down the road,” the Democratic mayor said at a news conference before the meeting, noting that squeegee workers have been a contentious topic in Baltimore since the 1980s. “It will require us having difficult conversations — extremely difficult conversations — with a diverse set of voices who all care about the city.”
