Farewell from Co-Founder and Executive Director, Iman Freeman
Dear BALT Community,
On July 31, I will step down as Co-founder and Executive Director of Baltimore Action Legal Team. As I begin this letter, I am overwhelmed with a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the people I've met over the years, the people I've worked alongside, and the people who let me and BALT show up for them.
Ten years ago, Baltimore was in pain, and it needed lawyers and legal workers willing to show up, not in the traditional sense, but in a way that built community and earned trust. That is what five of us set out to do, and it is something I have carried with me every day since.
Over the years, BALT has provided various services, including community education events, operating an electronic monitoring and bail fund, and providing direct legal services. Being responsive to the community required us to be adaptable and flexible. We tried to listen and respond; sometimes we got it right, sometimes we got it wrong. But through it all we showed up.
I often say that BALT was born out of Black pain, Black rage, and Black frustration. That is true of BALT, and so many organizations that rise to meet the needs of a community in the middle of trauma. I have come to understand that being born out of that kind of pain means we carry a responsibility to hold this work, and the people we serve, with real sensitivity. That understanding has shaped how I've tried to lead.
To the young Black lawyers doing this work right now, especially in this moment, under this administration: my journey with BALT exemplifies that you are enough. If you don't feel it yet, hear it from me. You don't have to be perfect when you show up. You don't have to know everything. You just have to be consistent and desire a genuine connection with the community you serve.
None of this was mine alone. Five of us started BALT with a shared vision, and I want to honor that. But more than anything, I want to uplift the staff I've had the privilege of working alongside. Their commitment to BALT is fierce, and it is the reason we have stayed open and stayed in operation as long as we have. I am forever in awe of them, and I have learned so much from them. They are more than colleagues to me, and I will always be there for them, no matter what.
BALT does not end with me. The organization is in good hands, and the board will be sharing more about what's next for BALT's leadership in the future. What I know for certain is that the mission BALT was built on, that legal support is a form of solidarity, that power flows toward community, that we take direction from and are accountable to the people we serve, will carry on.
Thank you for trusting BALT. Thank you for trusting me. It has been the honor of my career to build this with you, and I am, again, profoundly grateful.
If you have any questions about the organization’s next steps or ongoing work, don’t hesitate to reach out to info@baltimoreactionlegal.org
With love and gratitude,
Iman Freeman