2018 Legislative Report Card

Greetings,
Thank you for engaging Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle’s 2018
Legislative Report Card. As Baltimore’s grassroots think tank,
we pride ourselves on providing public accountability and
transparency regarding both our elected officials and public
policy issues. Our unapologetic Black political analysis and policy
training allows us a unique opportunity to guide the Baltimore
community through the complex political terrain.
To establish a more racially equitable Baltimore it is essential that
we have honest and straightforward conversations about the
structural dynamics that have often plagued our city. The lesson
from the 2015 Baltimore Uprising is that when we fail to invest
directly in our communities, the entire region suffers politically and economically.
LBS’ values are grounded in the fundamental idea that the Black community can self-determine it’s trajectory
when given the appropriate resources and structure to do so. We should not simply wait for our elected
officials to do the right thing when they are in office. We elect them, and therefore, we should be the judge
that assesses whether or not they are working in our best interests. This report card, the first of its kind
produced by our organization, hopes to move our city in that direction.
Founded in 2010, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle has been a consistent voice in Annapolis on a litany of
public policy issues – particularly criminal justice reform. What you’ll read is this document are our analyses
of what legislators have done during their 2014-2018 terms as state legislators. Our report card specifically
focuses on Baltimore City legislators. We’ve also included our partners in the legislature who have worked
feverishly toward social justice.
Our goal is to help voters make more informed decisions during this election season. We hope to produce a
report card on each election cycle in hopes that it will help improve our city for everyone. Thank you for your
continued support.
In Solidarity,
Adam J. Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
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2018 LEGISLATIVE REPORT CARD