“They are not a problem to be solved; they are the sons of Baltimore and they deserve our very best.”

Baltimore Deputy Mayor Faith Leach, regarding squeegee workers in the downtown area. There has been growing debate about these young men washing windshields for cash after a deadly confrontation occurred last summer. On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the city’s police department launched a new program that would allow officers to issue panhandling citations in six zones where squeegee work is most common, but many argue that the workers are simply trying to survive under difficult circumstances and systemic issues facing the Black community. (Associated Press — Jan. 10, 2023)