A panel of local leaders will discuss whether Baltimore's homicides are an epidemic at the university's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, to be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, at University Baptist Church, 3501 N. Charles St.

The panelists will be Peter Beilenson, Baltimore City health commissioner; Robert Lawrence, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Philip Leaf, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention of Youth Violence; Antonio Williams, chief of detectives in the Baltimore City Police Department; and Clayton Guyton, founder of the Rose Street Community Center. The moderator will be Marc Steiner, who hosts a public affairs show on WYPR-FM.

The objective of the gathering is to establish a meaningful dialogue among experts, the city and the community. The discussion will focus on the initiatives being implemented and alternate approaches to dealing more effectively with the city's high number of homicides.

The event, which includes a reception, will also honor the efforts of the Rose Street Community Center for its work against drugs and violence in East Baltimore.

The evening is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, the Office of Community Affairs, the Center for Social Concern, Campus Ministries and Season for Non-violence. Co-sponsors are the Black Student Union and the Health and Human Rights Group at the Bloomberg School.

For more information, e-mail snv@jhu.edu or call 410-516-2224.

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