Baltimore’s Mayor Rawlings-Blake has been criticized for failing to act to swiftly quell the rioting in her city. But her reticence was not due to a lack of competence or experience.  Rather, it is symptomatic of a dilemma faced by black leaders throughout the U.S. when they rise to power. Black leaders get elected by assuring their electorate that they will stand by them and join in their battle against white oppression. Her first instinct was to sympathize with the rioters that their anger was caused by the pent-up frustration of living in poverty created by an oppressive white society.  As the rioting was taking place the mayor is alleged to have ordered the police to stand down. One person stated that she said “let them loot it’s only property.”  Even if she did not clearly make these statements it’s obvious that the police only stood by on Tuesday evening and she did say that an aggressive police response would only...(Read Full Article)