By D. Thompson
Wes Moore, Maryland’s Democratic candidate for Governor, met with a rousing crowd of hundreds of Bowie State students to reaffirm his commitment to the university and answer questions central to his campaign to become the state’s first Black governor. One of his key messages honed in on reducing poverty.
The forum sponsored by the Department of History and Government and the BSU-UMD Social Justice Alliance, provided an opportunity for students to engage the gubernatorial candidate with direct questions.
Rondez Green, a history and government senior, president of BSU’s Philosophy Club and vice president of the History and Government Student Organization, says having Wes Moore on campus to address students was huge. “It was the perfect opportunity to ask questions of potentially the first Black Governor of Maryland,” said Green. “Listening to Moore speak was very important for BSU students because they heard from a candidate who understands marginalized communities and is concerned about problems facing all Marylanders.”
Poverty and juvenile crime were two of the hot topics that the gubernatorial candidate did not waste any time articulating his position on the issues.
“I don’t understand how a society as prosperous as ours allows people to live in poverty,” said Moore. “It’s a choice of society not the people who live in poverty. We need to use all of the tools at our disposal including education, transportation, health care, housing, and other areas to reverse the cycle of poverty that people face daily.”
Moore told students he believes investing in additional apprenticeship and job training programs is imperative and that looking at every aspect of our society that feeds into the cycle of poverty must be addressed to make any enduring changes to the lives of individuals. “We have to indict systems not people,” said Moore. “If we are not attacking policies and the systems that perpetuate the policies, we’ll find ourselves continuing to clean-up broken systems.”
That point became particularly clear this summer when crimes committed by juveniles surged across the nation. In Prince George’s County, youth crime rates have more than doubled in the past year. In early September, the county introduced a curfew to reduce a wave of violent car jackings and other crimes committed by juveniles that were overwhelming residents, law enforcement, and the juvenile justice system. Moore was asked how his administration will deal with youth crime if he is elected Governor.
“We need to address the problems and causes of juvenile crime,” said Moore. “There needs to be a better support system for our youth. We’re never going to arrest our way out of the juvenile crime problem, nor by making every sentence a life sentence. The criminal justice system needs to focus on rehabilitation, re-entry, and expungement for convictions of possession of cannabis,” he said.
“Wes Moore’s presentation enabled students to foster a shared understanding of what’s at stake politically in Maryland when the midterm elections are held in early November,” said Green.
“I’m not a friend of Bowie State, I’m a fan and when I’m elected Governor, I’ll make sure we invest properly in the university,” Moore told students. “In January you’ll have a partner working with you in Annapolis.”
The Republican candidate Dan Cox declined to participate in the forum.
