ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Anne Arundel Caucus of African American leaders have launched a statewide notification system that alerts leaders and journalists when a racial incident, threat or suspected hate crime occurs in Maryland.
The new system is the first of its kind in the country and will alert members of civil rights groups, including the Maryland Black Legislative Caucus, NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The National Action Network, and the Maryland Association of Black Journalists, of such incidents.
Carl Snowden, the convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders, announced the system at a news conference Monday at the Kingdom Celebration Center, a church in Gambrills where last month authorities found a racial slur written on the door. A suspect has been charged in the case.
"When the FBI director, Christopher Wray, says white supremacist groups are the greatest threat to domestic tranquility we should take that threat very seriously," Snowden said. "This alert system is designed to make sure that our leaders are aware of any racial incidents, threats or hate crimes."
People who believe a hate crime or threat has occurred can report it to members of the civil rights groups, who vet the tip. Snowden then gives final approval before a notification is sent out through a phone app similar to the child emergency system, Amber Alert, he said.
The app will be limited initially to Black officials in Maryland along with Black national organizations. However, Snowden said he believes the system will continue to evolve and expand.
The alert system is named after Emmett Till, a a 14-year-old boy who was abducted, tortured and murdered Aug. 28, 1955, in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. This month, just weeks before the 67th anniversary of Till's murder, a grand jury declined to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who accused Till of making advances on her.
"Emmett Till has become the best example of a horrific hate crime, so that's why we chose his name," Snowden said. "Now those who receive an alert will understand the potential of the alerts."
Anne Arundel County police are investigating a series of racially motivated incidents this year, including the discovery of the racial slur scrawled on the doors of Kingdom Celebration Center last month. Local leaders gathered at the church to decry the rash of vandalism incidents at houses of worship in western Anne Arundel that are being investigated as hate crimes.
In May, police investigated multiple incidents at Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church in Odenton where a pride-themed rainbow banner and a Black Lives Matter banner were both defaced. The banners were defaced again in June after they were replaced.
The man suspected of the vandalism at Kingdom Celebration Center, Donald Eugene Hood Jr., was arrested Aug. 5 but has since been released on his own recognizance. He faces three hate crime charges and a fourth charge of malicious destruction of property.
Anne Arundel police are not involved with the alert system, Snowden said.
It will cost approximately $6,000 a year to keep the privately funded alert system up and running.
"We've come to the conclusion Anne Arundel County is in no way exempt from this country's tolerance of hate crimes toward the African American community," said Bishop Antonio Palmer, who leads Kingdom Celebration Center and is president of the United Black Clergy. "This new alert system is just a part of the reform efforts to protect the community."
Daryl D. Jones, a former Anne Arundel County Council member and the board chair of the Transformative Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization, believes the alert system should be implemented across the country.
"We are still finding evidence regarding the killing of Emmett Till where an arrest warrant was never served" on Donham, Jones said. "With this new alert system, issues like this won't be unattended to for so long. This is a model system for all of America."
