Amid Baltimore Protests, A 'Little Spotlight Of Joy'

Published May 3, 2015 at 6:45 AM CDT

New Shiloh Baptist Rev. Harold Carter Jr. (left) and Caleb Studivant, a 24-year-old member of the church, have closely watched the unrest surrounding the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore and the community's reaction.

On Friday, Marilyn Mosby, the Baltimore City State's Attorney, announced criminal charges for six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray. The charges range from murder to assault and misconduct.

NPR's Rachel Martin went to Baltimore this weekend to trace what has been a very difficult week in the city's history. Last Monday, TV cameras descended upon the New Shiloh Baptist church in Baltimore where mourners had gathered for the funeral of Freddie Gray.

The church is a touchstone for this community — the same neighborhood where Freddie Gray lived — and where Rev. Harold Carter Jr. presided over Gray's funeral. Later that afternoon, after the service, Carter made his way home. He turned on the TV and saw images of teenagers wreaking havoc on the neighborhood.

Martin talked with Rev. Carter, as well as Caleb Studivant, a 24-year-old member of the church, about what life in the church and in the neighborhood has been like during these turbulent weeks.

Click the audio link on the page to listen to their full interviews.