On August 8, at the maglev information meeting in Greenbelt East, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) members from Greenbelt and nearby cities made it clear that they do not stand with their leadership in supporting the project.
The maglev is a proposed train that would take commuters from Washington to Baltimore in 15 minutes by levitating the train over its tracks using magnets. It would use both a tunnel and an above ground track. Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail (BWRR) is the company developing the maglev project.
In June, the Maryland Chapter of the NAACP announced its support for the high-speed rail project. Their support was based largely on the 74,000 construction-related jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs that may result from the project, according to a press release. In the same release, the Prince George’s County Chapter President Bob Ross stated, “We are excited to find a partner in the Northeast Maglev that is willing to launch the world’s most advanced train here in a way that will be sensitive to local concerns.”
Allies and NAACP members of Greenbelt and neighboring communities disagreed.
For more of this story, see the August 22 News Review.