West Baltimore’s MLK Rec Center Fights for Area Youth and Resources

By Ahmed Childs

OnBckgrnd.com’s Ahmed Childs recently sat down with Arthur Kirk, a 45 year old West Baltimore native affectionately known as “Squeaky,” who reopened and currently operates the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Baltimore’s Franklin Square neighborhood.

The son of the late Del. Ruth Kirk (D-Baltimore City), Kirk serves as the director of the center, overseeing after school programming for youth, as well as general computer and GED classes for adults and senior citizens. Because of this work, Arthur has received numerous awards for outstanding community service, including The Black Wall Street Award, The Ruth M. Kirk Award, The Barbara Mikulski Award, and, most recently, the Fox 45 Champion Of Courage 2016 Award.

In our interview, Kirk, alongside Carlose Debose, the supervisor of the center, discusses the importance of the recreation center for the community it serves, as well as the fight to attract greater resources to the center and Franklin Square.

Press play above to view our conversation (video shot and produced by Jack Angelo for On Background Media, Inc.):

This video was originally published by OnBckgrnd.com, on Nov. 4, 2016.