Peacemaker works to stop bloodshed in Baltimore

In an alley where a teenager became one of Baltimore's latest bodies to fall, Erricka Bridgeford whispered prayers and directed smoke from burning sage in a gathering intended to transform spots where people are slain into a kind of sacred ground.

The spiritually minded activist began to cry, letting her tears fall on asphalt where the 17-year-old boy she didn't know was fatally shot the night before. She called out "You matter! You matter!" in a raw voice that came from somewhere deep inside her 5-foot-2 (155-centimeter) frame.

Over the past year, the African-American woman from West Baltimore has become the city's clearest voice calling for people to lay down their weapons. A professional conflict mediator, she's the main organizer behind "Baltimore Ceasefire," a citizen-led effort to reverse one of the worst homicide rates in the United States. To Read More

Peacemaker works to stop bloodshed in Baltimore

Peacemaker works to stop bloodshed in Baltimore

A woman in Baltimore who has lost numerous family members to violence is being recognized for her efforts to stop the bloodshed.

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