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Over 60 people and a half dozen Maryland political leaders attended the meeting at the Harriet Tubman Cultural and Educational Center, where they discussed the caucus’ involvement around the state and in matters concerning the Eastern Shore.

Carl Snowden, convener of the caucus, spoke to the power of collective action in addressing civil rights issues. He pulled examples from history. Snowden said that the 13-month bus boycotts succeeded through collective activism, and the people were able to make sacrifices together and accomplish goals together.

Snowden spoke of the bumblebees and the hornets to drive home the point. Though the bumblebee is bigger than the hornet, the hornet is by far more feared, he said.

“There can be a thousand bumblebees, and you can kill each bumblebee one at a time, but not a single bumblebee will do a thing. They just wait their turn,� Snowden said. “But if you put your hand on a hornet, every hornet in that mess will come out. They organize their collective. They understand when you touch one of us, you touch all of us.�

He continued, “The purpose of the Caucus of African American leaders is to make it crystal clear that … wherever Black people are, when you go to injure one of us, you’re going to have all of us to deal with.�

Snowden encouraged attendees to join the Caucus of African American Leaders and be prepared to “be like hornets to deal with an issue.�

In the crowd, Snowden pointed out Kionte Williams-Taylor, who Snowden said had been beaten and, as a result, hospitalized by police in a Somerset County community last Saturday. According to Snowden, the case is being reviewed by the ACLU and involves a video of the incident.

“For those of you who don’t know it, we have a young man among us who was the victim of police brutality,� Snowden said to attendees. “... according to what he told me, the police officer told him, ‘Nobody can do anything about this. Nothing will be done.’ He’s about to experience what happens when hornets come together.�

Robert Johnson, a representative for the campaign to elect Angela Alsobrooks, spoke of the importance of working together as a community and looking closely at the systems that make communities fight each other and divide against each other.

He urged attendees to register to vote and take the time to be politically active.

“The biggest enemy against us right now is complacency and individuals saying that it doesn’t matter,� Johnson said. “Do whatever it takes to get people off of the couch. And here, if they don’t want to, if they’re not thinking about the top of the ballot, politics of what? Local. Start local and work your way up.�

Students were honored during the meeting for their academic high achievements and leadership. Those who earned recognition were Armani Black, Willoh Ryans, Aliyah Black and Tearra Brown.

Toward the end of the meeting, Carl Snowden spoke again. He expressed the importance of working together to rename the Frederick C. Malkus Bridge, which spans the Choptank River, in honor of Gloria Richardson, a civil rights activist and leader of the Cambridge Movement.

Snowden stressed the importance of not waiting around for an official change by the government and that the collective power of the Black community has the power to effect change regardless of official documents. Snowden said about 50 years ago, in Washington, D.C., Black people decided to honor Malcolm X, an American revolutionary and human rights activist, by renaming Meridian Park after Malcolm X.

“Now, the government did not officially change it,� Snowden said. “The government didn’t pass any resolution. The government didn’t approve it. But Black people said, ‘We want to remember Malcolm X,’ and they named Meridian Park after Malcolm X. Well, I would request those of you here, when you cross the bridge and go into the bridge, just tell people you are going into the Gloria Richardson Bridge.�