Shed successfully managed the West Baltimore branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library for more than two decades, but nothing prepared her for what she saw through the librarys floor-to-ceiling windows. Torched cars smoldered nearby, the explosions of their gas tanks echoing through the rows of vacant houses. In an act that would later earn her widespread recognition, Diggs decided to let everyone stay.
BALTIMORE — On the afternoon of April 27, Melanie Diggs faced a difficult decision. She’d successfully managed the West Baltimore branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library for more than two decades, but nothing prepared her for what she saw through the library’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
Right in front of her, on the other side of the intersection of West North and Pennsylvania avenues, a chain pharmacy was burning. Hundreds of people ran through the smoke, throwing bottles at police officers in riot gear. Torched cars smoldered nearby, the explosions of their gas tanks echoing through the rows of vacant houses.
The scene presented an urgent question. Should Diggs close the library and ask the dozens people who’d taken refuge inside to go home? Or should she let them stay, lock the front doors, and hope for the best?
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