The Body Politic

In a city overwhelmed by violence, the only thing worth fighting for is peace.

Like many areas in the United States, the City of Baltimore has been plagued by gun violence. Amid the George Floyd uprising, Brandon Scott, a young, black, reform-minded leader, is elected mayor. He grew up here during the city’s most troubling years and has lost friends to gun crime. He hopes to lower violence rates with a new more supportive approach. While previous administrations relied on policing and incarceration, Scott stresses the need for prevention and offering alternatives. He wants to give people hope.

But after entering office and barely getting a chance to enact his first safety reforms, violence surges to new highs. As the media and political foes attack his ‘woke’ policies, his commitment to his principles put his political future in jeopardy. For months, the Governor of Maryland, who controls access to State funding, refuses to even meet with him.

With unfettered access, cameras follow him and his team of young leaders throughout their first year in city hall. Will his holistic approach lead to healing and serve as a blueprint for the rest of the nation?