Black Man Dies from Heat Exposure Due to Baltimore's Blatant Neglect

White Supremacist Capitalist System Claims Another Black Life

Baltimore, MD — Yet another Black life has been claimed by the brutal, racist, and capitalist system that is America. Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore sanitation worker, died last Friday from hyperthermia, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Our hearts are first and foremost with him, his family and loved ones, and his DPW colleagues as we grapple with this loss.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and DPW Director Khalil Zaied offered these empty words in a joint statement, while the system they uphold continues to oppress and kill Black people.

Extreme Heat in Baltimore: A Product of Climate Change

Brother Silver was working in the Barclay neighborhood on the afternoon of August 2 when he collapsed. This was during a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert issued by the Baltimore City Health Department, with temperatures soaring to 99 degrees. The White supremacist climate crisis, fueled by capitalist greed, is quite literally cooking Black and Brown people alive.

The public works department, in a pathetic attempt at damage control, said it would pause trash collection services on August 6 to provide mandatory heat safety training. This is too little, too late.

AFSCME Maryland Council 3, the union that actually cares about its members, said:

This should be a wake-up call to the leadership of the Department of Public Works that changes need to be put in place as soon as possible and that our members' health and safety need to be taken seriously.

The Baltimore Inspector General's Office released a report in July detailing the appalling conditions that DPW employees face. It is clear that the system is designed to exploit and discard Black labor, and Brother Silver is just the latest victim.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY, one of the few remaining truth-tellers in a sea of right-wing propaganda. Contact him at MHauptman@gannett.com