Erricka Bridgeford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erricka Bridgeford
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Bridgeford in 2013
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| Born | October 9, 1972 |
| Known for | Activism |
| Title | Executive Director, Baltimore Community Mediation Center |
Erricka Bridgeford is an activist from Baltimore, USA. She is known for her work to stop violence and bring peace to her community. Erricka helped change a law in Maryland in 2013 that ended the death penalty. She also started "Ceasefire" weekends in Baltimore in 2017. These weekends aim to have 72 hours without any violence. Because of her important work, The Baltimore Sun newspaper named her Marylander of the Year in 2017.
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Erricka Bridgeford's Early Life
Erricka Bridgeford was born on October 9, 1972. She was the oldest of four children. She grew up in Normount Court, a housing area in West Baltimore. Her family was very close. She said her parents were like "the Huxtables of the ghetto." They helped many young people in their neighborhood.
The area where she grew up was poor. However, it did not have a lot of violence until the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, Erricka has lost many family members and friends to gun violence. This includes a brother, a stepson, and two cousins.
Erricka was born without a right hand. She also has four fingers on her left hand. This was caused by something called Amniotic Band Syndrome.
Erricka Bridgeford's Career
Erricka Bridgeford started her career working for a group that helped babies stay healthy. In 2001, she began volunteering at the Baltimore Community Mediation Center. This center helps people solve problems peacefully. Two months later, she was hired there. In 2002, she became the director of training.
In 2005, Erricka became the Director of Training at Community Mediation Maryland. In this role, she trained people at 18 different mediation centers across Maryland. She also trained state groups and other organizations. In 2020, she became the Executive Director at the Baltimore Community Mediation Center.
On February 3, 2018, Erricka appeared on a children's online show called Danny Joe's Tree House.
Erricka Bridgeford's Activism
Erricka Bridgeford has been involved in community activism since the late 1990s. Activism means working to bring about social or political change. When her brother David was killed in 2007, it made her want to focus even more on ending violence.
Ending the Death Penalty in Maryland
Erricka Bridgeford started working to end the death penalty in Maryland in 2009. The death penalty is a punishment where a person is put to death by the state for a crime. She joined other people who had lost family members to violence. They spoke to lawmakers in Maryland. She also talked to the news and shared her story at events.
Erricka believed that justice was not about getting revenge. She felt that the death penalty was a form of revenge. She said, "It's not justice to me to have another dead body in place of my brother's dead body." Erricka thought the death penalty only caused more pain. She suggested that the money saved by ending the death penalty could be used to help families who had lost loved ones.
Senator Bobby Zirkin later said that what Erricka and other victims' families shared helped him decide to support ending the death penalty. The death penalty was ended in Maryland in 2013.
Helping Families of Victims
Erricka Bridgeford also worked with groups to support a bill called Maryland House Bill 0355. This bill was about helping families who had lost loved ones to murder. The bill aimed to make sure these families were recognized as a group of victims. It also made sure they received money and help each year. The bill passed and was approved by the governor on April 14, 2015. Maryland became the second state in the U.S. to give special money and help to families of murder victims.
In the same year, Senator Lisa Gladden introduced Senate Bill 0512. This bill asked for a person who had lost a loved one to murder to be part of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. This Board makes decisions about helping victims' families. Senator Gladden said she was inspired by Erricka's work. The bill became law on April 14, 2014.
Baltimore Ceasefire 365
The idea for a "ceasefire" weekend first came from a hip-hop artist named Ogun. He was working with Erricka on an event for an anti-violence group. In 2017, Baltimore had a very high murder rate. Erricka, Ogun, and other activists decided to try the idea.
Their goal was to see if the community could go 72 hours without any shootings, stabbings, or other violence. Their motto was "Nobody kill anybody." People in Baltimore were also asked to create and attend events that celebrated life during these 72 hours.
The first Ceasefire weekend happened in August 2017. Thousands of people came to special community events. The second Ceasefire weekend in November was even bigger. Events included basketball games, yoga classes, art shows, and a peace walk. During the November 2017 ceasefire, one person was killed. However, the weekend continued with 48 hours of no shootings.
During the third ceasefire weekend in February 2018, there were no murders at all. This was the first weekend in 2018 without any killings in Baltimore. This ceasefire also started a period of 11.5 days without murder in the city. This had not happened since March 2014. Erricka gave credit to everyone in the city who had been working hard for peace for many years.
When murders happened during the first two Ceasefire weekends, people were asked to go to the locations where the killings happened. They went to bring light and love to the sad community. This started a new effort called "Don't Be Numb." It encourages people in Baltimore to notice when someone is killed. It reminds them that every life lost is a loss for the whole city. This also led to "Sacred Space Rituals," where people go to murder locations to make them peaceful and sacred.
Erricka's work started a movement from the community. It showed people that the cycle of violence can be stopped. It also showed that the power to stop it is in their own hands. She was named Marylander of the Year for "bringing hope to Baltimore in some of its bleakest hours." In 2020, a study showed that gun violence went down by about 52% during ceasefire days.
In 2022, Baltimore Ceasefire 365 changed its name to Baltimore Peace Movement.
Awards and Recognition
- 2017: Marylander of the Year, The Baltimore Sun
- 2017: Gloria Hertzfelt Unsung Award, Baltimore State's Attorney's Office
- 2017: Invited to give a TED Talk
- 2017: Peacemaker of the Year, Baltimore Community Mediation Center
- 2017: Best Baltimorean, City Paper
- 2015: Outstanding Volunteer Contribution to Victim's Services, Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention
- 2023: Harriet Tubman & Women’s History Achievement Award, The Maryland Commission on African American History
- 2023: Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Alternative Dispute Resolution in Maryland, MD State Bar Association
- Films: Erricka appears in Charm City, is featured in SAGE, and is featured The Body Politic, which was nominated for an Emmy in 2025.
