Profile in Courage: Rev. Al Hathaway

By all accounts, “Charm City” is going through a tough time. Baltimore has a well-known corruption problem and scandal-ridden public officials respond to criticism by attacking the media rather than apologizing or addressing the sources of scandal. Fortunately, a handful of prominent figures have been key to speaking out against the corruption plaguing Baltimore. In particular, Union Baptist Church senior pastor Dr. Al Hathaway has been a leader in Baltimore who hasn’t wavered in supporting Inspector General (IG) Isabel Cumming’s efforts to hold Baltimore’s powerful accountable for their crimes against public trust. And for standing resilient against the forces holding back his beloved city, Rev. Al Hathaway is absolutely a Profile in Courage.

Rev. Hathaway has seen Baltimore at its very best…and very worst. The preacher was born in Provident Hospital in 1951, just a stone’s throw away from the church that he would later serve so faithfully. Those were the days before the civil rights movement; Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech wouldn’t happen for another twelve years. Rev. Hathaway was born in a deeply segregated city where blacks and whites were treated at different hospitals, attended separate (and unequal) schools, and ate at different restaurants.

This terrible environment seemed to create a deep yearning in Rev. Hathaway for justice and freedom, and the young man wasted little time being the change he wanted to see in the world. Rev. Hathaway recalls, “I was there [in Union Baptist Church] in 1963, giving blankets and food to the people sleeping before going to the March on Washington. I was there when they were strategizing around the election of Black candidates city wide in 1968 and for Congress in 1970.” Even after the grandiose marches and rallies of the 1960s, Rev. Hathaway continued to be a force for good. His work to bridge critical gaps in health and education resulted in the pastor playing an active role in institutions such as the University of Maryland and the Family League of Baltimore.

As Rev. Hathaway has learned in his decades-long engagement with the community, injustice takes on many forms. Baltimore has had a long struggle with corruption and has seen multiple mayors (most recently Catherine Pugh) indicted on corruption charges. Now, the city’s State Attorney Marilyn Mosby is under fire for breaking the public’s trust and traveling extensively on taxpayers’ dime without prior approval. While Mosby’s office claims that no taxpayer dollars were spent on these lavish trips, organizations that funded the trips (e.g. Vera Institute of Justice) in turn have received taxpayer dollars. Mosby and her husband (City Council President Nick Mosby) are also engulfed in a battle with the IRS over thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and are the subjects of an FBI investigation.

It’s been a struggle to hold Mosby accountable, but Rev. Hathaway and his organization Act Now Baltimore have been instrumental in pushing back against the State Attorney’s actions. When Mosby responded to critical media coverage against her by complaining to the Federal Communications Commission and calling for censorship, Rev. Hathaway slammed her actions as “totally inappropriate” and “just not what should be done.”

On April 28^th, The Baltimore Sun reported that, “A lawyer for Ms. Mosby accused Ms. Cumming of ‘ill intentions against Nick and Marilyn Mosby that appear to be personally, politically and even racially motivated.’” Act Now Baltimore loudly stood with Baltimore City IG Isabel Cumming in her attempts to investigate Mosby’s office and account for all the irregularities. That’s a bold gesture in a city where the powerful rule with impunity and speaking out against city leadership can have professional consequences. Nonetheless, Rev. Hathaway is committed to fighting injustice whenever and wherever he sees it.

Even though the senior pastor plans to step down from his role at the Union Baptist Church in August, Rev. Hathaway will continue his work with Act Now. To quote the faith leader: “I’m blessed that I’m still young enough to stay active and stay engaged.” We hope that Rev. Hathaway continues to hold Baltimore officials accountable and work toward a better city for many years to come. And for constantly striving to improve life in “Charm City,” Rev. Hathaway is truly a Profile in Courage.