Working hard and pulling together

The dictionary defines community as a unified body of individuals; people with common interests living in a particular area. During the second half of the 20th century many of Baltimore’s thriving communities were faced with various urban ills, and in some cases the definition of community was lost.

One of these communities would be Sandtown in West Baltimore. For African-Americans in the 1940s and 1950s, Pennsylvania Avenue was the cornerstone of local black retail and culture, thriving with 40,000 residents.

When Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in 1968, riots broke out, businesses were burned and the community was under siege. Residents fled the devastation. 

In 1987 teenagers formed the CBS (Calhoun, Baker & Stricker Streets) gang to protect their corner. I’ve been told that CBS was started with good intentions, but over time it became a criminal entity.

By the early ’90s, Sandtown was grappling with poverty, crime, unemployment, poor health, low student achievement, substance abuse, illiteracy, teen pregnancy and thousands of abandoned houses. The lack of hope was paralyzing.

In 1986 Allan and Susan Tibbels relocated with their two daughters from Howard County to Sandtown. Through reading, study and working closely with teenagers, Allan sensed a call to work in an urban context. A core group followed the Tibbels to breathe life back into the community through a holistic approach to neighborhood development. They convinced residents that they were there for the long haul and began the interracial New Song Community Church.

Under the umbrella of the church, neighborhood-staffed programs were initiated: Sandtown Habitat for Humanity, New Song Community Learning Center and Academy, New Song Family Health Services, Eden Jobs, and New Song Arts.

To answer an outcry from parents, New Song Academy (K–8) was started. It operated with a grant before becoming part of the city public school system’s New Schools Initiative in 1997.

The New Song Community Learning Center was built in 2001 after $5 million had been raised for it. The center provides educational enrichment and assistance for youth in Sandtown, and it houses the New Song Academy. The classrooms are bright and full of energy, the 150 students split by gender for academic classes. The students dress in uniforms and greet every visitor with a welcome and a handshake. They are proud of their school and see themselves as the next generation of community leaders. 

In 2007 Sandtown residents celebrated their first college grad to come through the program. 
 Since 1989 Sandtown Habitat for Humanity has completed 225 homes and has 15 more under construction.

The city government is working with the Baltimore Development Corporation and the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Collaborative as part of a $9 million plan that includes streetscapes, façade improvements, public parks and, hopefully, retail and culture once again.

While Sandtown’s 10,000 residents continue to struggle with the problems of urban living, they are determined to move forward and not look back, committed to bringing Sandtown back one brick at a time. Once again there is hope where there was despair and pride where there was shame.
 The definition of community has returned to Sandtown. {EXA}

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