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Mayor Honors Students For Believing In Baltimore In Song

P. Kenneth Burns
/
WYPR

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake honored Wednesday students who wrote a song promoting the positive things about a city that has been reeling from the fall out of the death of Freddie Gray from an injury while in police custody in April.

The result was “Believe in Baltimore” composed by students in the Living Classrooms’ Believe in Music program.

The mayor presented resolutions to the four soloists; 11-year-old Caprice Martin, 12-year-old Amira Winchester, 13-year-old Taniyan Kutcherman and 15-year-old Yamaudi Pinder.

Amira said the students wanted to get the point across that Baltimore is not all that bad.

“We needed to get the point across that Baltimore is a great place but we just need people to help show it,” she said.  “With all the violence and stuff that’s going on you can’t really see the beauties of Baltimore.”

Yamaudi added that there were other points they wanted to make like Baltimore is one big community and it’s not about race.

“People don’t really listen to us because we’re young and we made this song to show we have the power to tell our story,” she added.

Other students in the program sang back up along with members of local music groups.

The song was recorded at Towson University’s radio station, WTMD.

The music video has clocked more than 11,000 views since it was https://youtu.be/qa-YK7snIUs">posted to YouTube two weeks ago.  

See the music video for "Believe in Baltimore" below.