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MARYLAND AND SOCIAL DISTANCING BEGAN. >> I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE MY SON EVERY TIME HE DOES RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SOMETHING POSITIVE. LISA: THAT'S TOYA GRAHAM'S FOCUS THESE DAYS. SHE CAN NO LONGER DISCIPLINE HER SON OR KEEP HIM IN THE HOUSE. MICHAEL SINGLETON IS 21 YEARS OLD NOW. BUT FIVE YEARS AGO, HE WAS A YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE UNREST IN THE AFTERMATH OF FREDDIE GRAY'S DEATH. >> I JUST WANTED THE MESSAGE TO BE OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, I LOVE MY SON AND I KNOW HE KNEW BETTER THAN WHAT HE, YOU KNOW, HAD GOTTEN HIMSELF INVOLVED IN. LISA: GRAHAM SAW HER SON IN A CROWD OF YOUNG PEOPLE NEAR MONDAWMIN MALL THROWING ROCKS AT POLICE. >> I WAS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING AT THE TIME. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WAS ABUSING OTHER THINGS BY THE POLICE AND THE LAW, AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE WERE OUT THERE FOR. LISA: GRAHAM TOLD SINGLETON TO COME STRAIGHT HOME FROM SCHOOL AND NOT GET INVOLVED. SHE WENT TO MONDAWMIN MALL AFTER HEARING SCHOOL HAD LET OUT EARLY HOPING TO NOT FIND HIM IN THE CROWD AND YANKED HIM UP. BETTER HER THAN POLICE. >> COULD HAVE INJURED ONE OF THOSE POLICE OFFICERS, AND THEY COULD HAVE RETALIATED JUST BY INSTINCT. NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE POLICE BUT THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS BECAUSE HE HAD A BIG ROCK. >> I ALWAYS SAY IT WAS TOUGH LOVE. BECAUSE, LIKE SHE SAY, OTHER THINGS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE VICTIM TO SOCIETY. LISA: THAT MOMENT IN TIME PUT GRAHAM AND HER SON IN THE SPOTLIGHT. THEY WERE ON NATIONAL NEWS AND TALK SHOWS GOING TO PLACES THEY'VE NEVER BEEN TO. NEW YORK AND HOLLYWOOD. TRIPS THEY WERE GRATEFUL FOR. BUT A LOT OF UNKEPT PROMISES WERE MADE FOR HOUSING, SCHOLARSHIPS AND MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR SINGLETON. >> MICHAEL WAS ANGRY. MICHAEL WAS VERY ANGRY. HE WAS VERY UPSET BECAUSE HE WAS PROMISED SO MANY THINGS. >> IT HURT ME AS A YOUNG GUY. LISA: SINGLETON DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BUT DID GET HIS G.E.D. HE HAS SEVERAL JOBS BUT IS FOCUSED ON MAKING MUSIC. ONE SONG IS CALLED "TRYING BLOW." >> ♪ WHEN I BURN THIS ♪ >> I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN THIS RIOT THAT THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT. LISA: HE'S MADE MUSIC VIDEOS MANY OF THEM FEATURE HIS MOTHER. >> ♪ SHE TOOK ME STRAIGHT FORWARD ♪ >> OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS. LISA: AND SINGLETON HAS FOUND A MENTOR IN ANTI-VIOLENCE ACTIVIST AND YOUTH ADVOCATE RUNNING FOR MAYOR CARMICHAEL STOKY CANNADY. HE'S APPEARED IN THE VIDEOS ABOUT GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO VOTE. HE SAID YOUNG BLACK MEN USE RAP TO VENT. >> SO IF YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO COLLABORATE WITH YOUNG INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES SUCH AS YOURSELF, I THINK IT'S A PROPER AND EXCELLENT PLATFORM TO DO SO. >> HELPED ME CHANGE MY LIFE. >> HOW? >> GOT ME INTO LIKE VOTING, READY TO VOTE. I TALK TO HIM ON A DAILY BASIS LIKE SOME BIG BROTHER, LITTLE BROTHER TYPE STUFF. LISA: SINGLETON SAYS HE GETS DISCOURAGED BY THE YOUNG FRIENDS THAT HE'S LOST, MORE THAN HE CAN COUNT ON TWO HANDS. ALL HAVE DIED OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE. HE HOPES MUSIC CAN BE HIS TICKET OUT OF POVERTY AND CHARM CITY. >> TRYING TO GET OUT. TRYING TO GET OUT OF BALTIMORE CITY. IT AIN'T TOO HARD TO GET INTO IT, THOUGH. >> IT'S HARD TO GET OUT. >> HARD TO GET OUT. LISA: GRAHAM SAYS SHE DOESN'T THIBAULT MORE HAS GOTTEN BETTER SINCE THE RIOTS. SHE THINKS IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND EVERY DAY SINGLETON LEAVES THE HOUSE, SHE IS TERRIFIED. >> ALL I CAN DO IS MAKE A PHONE CALL AND IT'S SCARY. IT'S SCARY AS A MOM BECAUSE YOU WANT HIM TO BE OUT THERE IN SOCIETY, BUT YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. AND I'M SCARED FOR MY SON. LISA: SHE DOES ALL SHE CAN TO KEEP HER CHILDREN CLOSE AND WORKS HARD TO PROVIDE FOR THEM.

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(Video Note: This story was filmed prior to coronavirus social distancing guidelines.)BALTIMORE -- Monday marks five years since the unrest in Baltimore following the police in-custody death of Freddie Gray. Baltimore mother Toya Graham made headlines around the world after she was caught on video disciplining her son near Mondawmin Mall.Graham said she and her son had some hopeful moments after they were put in the spotlight, but in many ways, they are still struggling."I'm going to encourage my son every time he does right, something positive," Graham said.Graham can no longer discipline her son or keep him in the house. Michael Singleton is 21 years old now. But five years ago, he was a young high school student who got caught up in the unrest in the aftermath of Gray's death."I just wanted the message to be out that I love my son and I knew he knew better than what he had got himself involved in," she said.Graham saw her son in a crowd of young people near Mondawmin Mall throwing rocks at police."I was going through something at the time. A lot of my friends were abused by police, the law, and I just, and that's what we were all up there for," Singleton said.Graham told her son that morning to come straight home from school and not get involved. She went to Mondawmin after hearing school had let out early, hoping to not find him in the crowd and "yanked him up." Better her than police, she said."He could have injured one of those police officers. They could have retaliated just by instinct, not because they are police, but because they are human beings, because he had a big rock," Graham said."I always say it was tough love. Like she says, all those things could have happened and I could have been another victim to society," Singleton said.That moment in time put Graham and her son in the spotlight. They were on national news and talk shows, going to places they'd never been to, such as New York and Hollywood. They were grateful for the trips, but a lot of unkempt promises were made for housing, scholarships and mentoring programs for Singleton."Michael was angry. Michael was very angry and he was very upset, because he was promised so many things," Graham said."It hurt me as a young guy," Singleton said.Singleton dropped out of high school, but got his GED. He has had several jobs, but is now focused on making music. One song is called "Trying blow." Some of the lyrics read, "Trying to blow, be big, I am to be remembered for something other than this riot that they keep talking about."Singleton has found a mentor in Baltimore, anti-violence activist and youth advocate Carmichael Stokey Cannady, who is running for mayor. Singleton has appeared in his campaign videos about getting young people to vote.Cannady said young black men use rap to vent. "If you can find a way to collaborate with young individuals who have similar experiences such as yourself, I think it's a proper and excellent platform to do so," Cannady said."(Cannady) helped me change my life. He got me into voting. I registered to vote. I talk to him on a daily basis -- big brother-little brother type of stuff," Singleton said.Singleton said he gets discouraged by all of the young friends he has lost -- more than he can count on two hands. All have died of senseless violence. He hopes music can be his ticket out poverty and Baltimore."I'm into doing my music now, trying to get out of Baltimore City. It ain't hard to get in, but it's hard to get out," Singleton said.Graham said she doesn't think Baltimore has improved since the riots. She thinks it has worsened, and every day that her son leaves the house, she is terrified."All I can do is make a phone call to him now. It's scary, as a man, because you want him to be out there in society, but you know everything that's going on, and I'm scared for my son," Graham said.She does all she can to keep her children close and works hard to provide for them.