Kwame Rose

Rose speaking at Baltimore’s City Hall on May 2, 2015

Kwame Rose (born Darius Kwame Rosebrough) is an American social activist, artist, writer, musician and public speaker.

Rose gained notoriety during the Baltimore Uprising for his confrontation with Fox News reporter Geraldo Rivera, challenging the media's representation of protestors after Freddie Gray's death.^[1] Since then, he has become one of the more visible protesters in Baltimore.

Early Life

Kwame was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. His passion for public speaking once earned him a full scholarship to the University of Texas at San Antonio as a member of the Debate team. As a student, he advocated for hip-hop-infused education as a means to educate the youth and give a voice to the voiceless. After the completion of his freshman year, deteriorating social conditions in his hometown of Baltimore prompted the permanent return of the young activist with a firm commitment to improve and serve his community.

In 2013, Kwame helped form the organization Brothers In Action, Inc., a mentoring group for young Black males in Baltimore City. He served on the Executive Board until recently stepping down to launch BE Foundation, in an effort to not only highlight Black youth but also, help them excel in pursuing their dreams and aspirations.

Freddie Gray Protests

On April 29, 2015, Rose confronted Fox News reporter Geraldo Rivera during the protests for Freddie Gray, asking him to leave Baltimore due to his one-sided coverage of the protests and the city. The video went viral, showing Rose admonish Rivera and Fox News for reporting about the negative aspects of the protests, but not the poverty and social issues of Baltimore and how these affect the lives of its citizens. Rose noted how the media paid attention to the violence in Baltimore, but failed to cover the community's efforts to unite and clean up the city.^[2]

On Sept. 2, Rose was controversially arrested during protests at the courthouse. The arrest was videotaped. Many Black Lives Matter protestors exclaimed how he was targeted for this arrest.^[3]

References