MARILYN M.

Dedicated readers: An old essay.

Every once in a while, in the midst of all the ills of society, in the midst of lethargy, corruption and dishonesty, a voice of justice is heard; a voice of leadership, courage, strength and honor. Like a solitary flower blooming in a vacant lot, it brings a smile to one’s face, a sense of hope, a sign that the indomitable spirit of life and beauty and integrity will not be defeated. That voice, that flower, that soaring, daring spirit is exemplified in the person of the state’s attorney for Baltimore, Marilyn J. Mosby.

All it takes to inspire a country is a 35-year-old African American woman with the guts to do what is right. With one short press conference she did more for America, civil rights and equality than anyone has done since Martin Luther King. As the city of Baltimore and possibly countless other cities in the United States are on the verge of what President Obama blandly called a “slow-rolling crisis,” Marilyn J. Mosby came to the rescue.

As the hapless leaders of other cities caught in the harsh glare of police abuse have shuffled papers, formed committees, called for investigations, exonerated police officers and abnegated their duties and responsibilities in favor of the status quo, Marilyn J. Mosby did what needed to be done. She refused to accede to the banal babble of bureaucrats. She acted swiftly, decisively and eloquently.

The immediate effect of the indictment and arrest of the thugs was so palpable that the ripples are being felt across the entire country. Starting in Baltimore, citizens are reiterating the feeling that fairness has mitigated the necessity for violent demonstrations. The city feels calmer knowing that Baltimore is not Ferguson or Cleveland or Staten Island. Across the country the lessons of equity and impartiality, the perception that police will be held accountable for brutality, the feeling that change is in the air as the result of someone finally challenging institutional abuse is cause for joy and celebration. It marks another turning point in the road to fulfilling the American ideals of equality and freedom, a further distancing from the shameful practices of the past.

Marilyn J. Mosby is a true leader and an inspiration. She is the Rosa Parks of a new civil rights age. She knows her role and she is strong enough to make a difference. She saw the continuing injustice and recognized it was time to act. She is the right person at the right time.

All Americans should rejoice in the promise and hope offered by this courageous woman. It is a promise that will require vigilance in order to be fulfilled. It is a promise that will be met with countless obstacles. But the voice has been heard and things will not be the same again. Thanks to this woman we are all just a little closer to the mountaintop.