>> caller: yes. >> ben jacobs from the guardian, appreciate you calling in to us. >> caller: thanks so much. >> what ben's been reporting is multiple fires raging that do not seem to be at the center of active protesting but do seem to be raging through the large quad rants of the city, overtaxing the fire department. today thousands and thousands and thousands of people packed into the new shiloh baptist church for the funeral of freddie gray. it was completely packed today, plus there was standing room, and people in an outflow. mourners and supporters of freddie gray and his family. public officials, including the mayor and head of the naacp. elijah cummings spoke and promised justice for freddie gray. but the eulogy was delivered by a local pastor. and that eulogy brought the house down. >> i don't know how you can be black in america and be silent. with everything that we been through ain't no way in the world you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice. you mighty people accomplish what you will. this is not the time for us as a people to be sitting on the corner drin

>> caller: yes. >> ben jacobs from the guardian appreciate you calling in to us. >> caller: thanks so much. >> what ben's been reporting is multiple fires raging that do not seem to be at the center of active protesting but do seem to be raging through the large quad rants of the city overtaxing the fire department. today thousands and thousands and thousands of people packed into the new shiloh baptist church for the funeral of freddie gray. it was completely packed today, plus there was standing room and people in an outflow. mourners and supporters of freddie gray and his family. public officials, including the mayor and head of the naacp. elijah cummings spoke and promised justice for freddie gray. but the eulogy was delivered by a local pastor. and that eulogy brought the house down. >> i don't know how you can be black in america and be silent. with everything that we been through ain't no way in the world you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice. you mighty people accomplish what you will. this is not the time for us as a people to be sitting on the corner drinki

i'd like to bring in ben jacobs. he's a political reporter for the guardian. ben, you're on the site of that fire talking to people. members of that church as it burns. what was the scene like? >> they were heartbroken that this was an evident in a community that is -- the church is built after. the second senior center being built and people were in tears. they were holding prayer circles. one woman kept on saying this is sinful, i can't believe it. it was the level of how distraught people were was really astonishing. >> was there a conviction -- honestly, we don't know at this hour or figuring out why or how a fire is set is hard. some indications it was related. is there a sense among the folks what their belief was about whether it was happenstance or related to the unrest we've seen in baltimore all day. >> people seemed to believe it was related to the unrest. it left a little bit -- no one had seen the fire started. there's the belief that there's -- there was soom lootme looting, six or seven blocks away. that that was the -- people were sort of shocke

brave guy, ben jacobs of the guardian thank you very much.reciate it. >> thanks for having me. >>> you see all these kids here right? the ones that were snapped pictures of? they're accused of stealing liquor from a store. how does that help their cause, if it is a cause at all, what do you think? >> obviously, it doesn't help the cause. it's -- it makes everything worse obviously. it's one of these things where i think one of the bigger problems -- you talked with ben about the age of some of these looters is the idea that notify it's justified. and we heard the mayor of baltimore on saturday what sounded like to most people she actually gave the green light -- >> she tried to dial it back. we heard what he heard. >> i think everyone who lives in baltimore -- by the way, we also saw the actions. we saw the actions last night, you know as it developed, police having to stand back and sit on their hands. of course the more they sit back, the more they sit on their hands -- >> the initial response was to stand down. >> right. there's absolutely

and at this moment i would like to bring in ben jacob, who is a political reporter for the guardian. and ben, you were there on site talking to the members of the church. what was it like? >> they were heartbroken. that this was an effort where they had built the church the senior center people were in tears. one woman kept saying this is sinful, i can't believe it. the level of how distraught people were was really astonishing. >> some indications it was related, was there a sense of the folks there about their belief if this was happenstance or related -- >> people seem to believe it was related to the unrest that no one had seen the fire started but there is belief there are talks about molotov cocktails. and the police presence about six or seven blocks away. and that was the general belief people were shocked. and there is a level of disbelief. people were going out to the other side of the city to try to stop the unrest. and doubling back they saw their old church in the neighborhood. >> ben, you have been reporting all day in the streets of baltimore. can you walk us through wh

i would like to bring in ben jacobs a political reporter for the guardian. and you are on the site of that fire. talking to members of that church as it burned. what was the scene like? >> they were heart broken that this was an effort in the community that is this was the second senior center that they built and people were in tears. they were holding together in prayer circles. one woman kept saying this is sinful. i can't believe it. it was really the level of destruction was astonishing. >> was there, we don't know definitively at this hour in figuring why or how a fire is sext although some indications it was related. was there a consensus about whether this was happenstance? >> people seem to believe it was related to the unrest. that there is a little bit, no one had seen the fire started but there is the belief. talks about molotov cocktails, reports of looting. about six or seven blocks away. and that was the general belief that people were sort of shocked. and there is a level of disbelief. that people were going out the other side of the city to t

coming up apology from ben aflaek, what he is saying about asking the makers of aing due you wanttry to hide his family's slave owning past. >> and jacob's journey. a rare look inside the life of a child who is transgender, a story that will get people talking. >> plus, the cover of people's beautiful issue in 2004. 14 i should say. who will it be this year? we reveal the choice and share your guesses with our #orangeroom. my vote this most beautiful. this is "today" on nbc. bc. say hi. good morning, >>> coming up can you spare 90 seconds on trending the quick trick to energize you for the entire day. >> plus what has some of the biggest stars talking about corn dogs and cheetos after your local news. in small business you have to work hard, know your numbers, and stay focused. i was determined to create new york city's first self-serve frozen yogurt franchise. and now you have 42 locations. the more i put into my business the more i get out of it. like 5x your rewards when you make select business purchases with your ink plus card from chase. and with ink, i choose how to redeem my points for things like cash or travel. how's the fro-yo