Baltimore…Just because
by Legacy Forte (they/them) Manager of Events, Point Source Youth
April 8, 2024
Image Credit: Krishna Sharma, from The Baltimore Banner
Historic, resilient, and resourceful are some of my favorite words to describe my favorite place. The city that the world has secretly grown to love but loudly learned to hate. An ode to a bus stop bench that is now, due to hostile architecture, few and far between, The Greatest City in America, Baltimore City.
Baltimore has always been seen as a place that needed to be “corrected” instead of cared for. Known for things like The Black Butterfly, The Ouija Board, The Wire, and numerous uprisings dating back to colonialism, Baltimore is no stranger to attention. However, this attention that has so often amplified the city’s issues, should also amplify assistance and opportunity which we don’t see as often as we should. We have had to learn the hard way throughout history that Black leadership does not always equal Black liberation. My city has always made a way out of no way—has had to find the seeds, to grow the lemons to make the lemonade; but the bar remains open regardless.
We have continued to use the tool of the voices of the unheard and continue to fight the stigma placed on us as a city and as a people. Fighting back against injustices, sometimes perpetuated by our own officials, while continuing to inspire the revolutionary voice of Black people all around the world.
We are a food mecca, an art mecca, and a continuous birthplace of history. We are still the city that reads, so talk to us nice. Where our greetings may sound like insults, where we cut up, cook crabs, and everything in between. We are a hidden gem, so bright we couldn’t hide. We are Baltimore.
Legacy Forte, Manager of Events, Point Source Youth
About the Author
Legacy Forte (they/them), a Baltimore Native found their voice at their alma mater Baltimore City College. They have been active in LGBTQ Youth Advocacy since as early as 2014. And has served as a founder in the creation of youth groups such as Youth Against Oppression, SOMOS a Latinè community initiative, and most recently BMORE BLXCK. After Mayor Brandon Scott was elected they were appointed to his Youth Recreation Transition Team and shortly thereafter began working as the Administrative Coordinator eventually going on to be Program Coordinator for FreeState Justice. They are a Certified Critical Medical Needs Program Navigator and HIV Testing & Linkage to Care Counselor. Some of their more recent accolades include being requested to be a TedXJHU Speaker for their 2022 Main Event as well as a guest on WYPR’s “Pass The Mic Series” with Jabari Lyles for Pride month to discuss the recent anti-trans legislation. They are a Health Navigator and a certified Youth Ableism & First Aid Navigator as they continue to dedicate a lot of their time and energy to better not only themselves but the community and world around them. They now proudly serve as an Event Manager for Point Source Youth.