Baltimore— Baltimore author, activist and filmmaker Kevin Shird has donated, and personally delivered, 500
copies of his latest book, “Uprising in the City,” to five Baltimore City public schools.
The books were evenly distributed in classrooms at Frederick Douglas High School, Renaissance Academy High School, Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, Achievement Academy at Harbor City High School, and Baltimore City College. The books will be used for various purposes, including classroom study, reading assignments and other ongoing initiatives.
“Uprising in the City,” which was released in August of 2016, takes a scholarly look at the various factors
that contributed to the unrest that hit Baltimore’s streets in 2015 shortly after the death of Freddie Gray, who
died as a result of injuries sustained while in the custody of Baltimore City Police. The donation comes shortly before the anniversary of the riots next month. Shird says he donated the books because he feels it’s important for Baltimore City students to understand the various historical and social factors that contributed to the demonstrations and riots.
“When I wrote this book, I approached it as a student of history,” said the self-published author. “The death
of Freddie Gray was an unnecessary tragedy but that was more of a catalyst than a cause for the outpouring
of frustration and anger that we saw two years ago. There are issues in this city going back over 30 years
that are far more responsible, and I think it’s important for students to understand that, because eventually it’s going to be on them to address those problems and try and make it better.”
Shird’s previous book,”Lessons of Redemption” has reached o acclaim as an international best seller.
He has long been an outspoken advocate for education and Baltimore’s youth. Although he spends a considerable amount of time conducting speaking engagements at colleges and universities around the
country, students in Baltimore are near and dear to him.
As part of his donation, Shird is also personally sponsoring an essay contest with a prize of $500. Details of
the contest will be announced soon, and the winner will be chosen and announced later this year.
For more information about Kevin Shird, visit: www.kevinshird.com