Mary Carole McCauley, The Baltimore Sun
- The Rev. Al Sharpton dropped by Baltimore on Monday to seek support for a fledgling plan to create a new arts district in the city to honor African-American cultural achievements.
The proposal, by a group calling itself the African-American Arts Cultural & Entertainment Consortium, is still in the preliminary stages. But Sharpton said he supports the development of such a district because it would bolster the self-image of local youths.
“This is not just an investment in the business community, it’s an investment in the social order,” Sharpton told an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 during an early evening rally inside the War Memorial auditorium. “This is not just about developing nightlife, but about developing the day and nightlife of our local youth, by reinterpreting for them who they are.”
