(RANDALLSTOWN – August 3, 2026) – What if the District 10 Unity Team’s endorsement of Ruben Amaya was never primarily about the Baltimore County Council? What if it was about protecting Delegate N. Scott Phillips? That is my theory. District 10’s legislative team represents a majority-Black district. Yet members of that team threw their political weight behind Amaya, a young Latino candidate, in the race to represent another majority-Black district on the Baltimore County Council. Let me be clear: The issue is not that a Latino candidate cannot represent Black constituents. Black and Latino communities should not be pitted against one another. Voters have every right to support whomever they believe will serve them best. The real issue is whether political insiders attempted to influence the outcome behind closed doors—and whether two Black candidates were told one thing while the political establishment did another. According to accounts shared with me, Lawrence Williams and Danita Tolson were told that members of the District 10 legislative team planned to remain neutral in the council race. Then the political establishment lined up behind Amaya. Why? I believe Amaya may have been encouraged to run for County Council—and offered the support of powerful political figures—so that he would not run for the House of Delegates again. I cannot presently prove that such an agreement was made. But the certified election results provide a factual basis for asking the question. The 912-Vote Problem In the 2022 Democratic primary, voters could select three candidates for the three District 10 delegate seats. Adrienne Jones finished first with 12,591 votes. Jennifer White finished second with 8,410 votes. Phillips claimed the third and final nomination with 5,161 votes. Ruben Amaya finished fourth with 4,249 votes. Only 912 votes separated Amaya from Phillips and a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. Amaya was not some distant or theoretical threat. He was the candidate standing directly behind Phillips. Phillips has also established a pattern of finishing third among the District 10 winners. He finished third in the 2022 Democratic primary. He finished behind Jones and White again in the 2022 general election. Then came the 2026 Democratic primary. Jennifer White Holland finished first with 11,871 votes. Robin Harvey finished second with 10,648 votes. Phillips captured the third and final nomination with 9,354 votes. Once again, Phillips won. But once again, he was the last winner across the line. Inside Annapolis, however, Phillips holds a much stronger position. His legislative colleagues elected him chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, which has been described as the largest state legislative Black caucus in the country. That creates an extraordinary political contrast: Phillips holds one of the most important positions in Black political leadership, yet at home he has repeatedly occupied the delegation’s most vulnerable electoral position. What might have happened if Amaya had challenged him again in 2026? Would Phillips have survived a rematch with the young candidate who came within 912 votes of taking his seat four years earlier? Would…
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(BALTIMORE – July 20, 2026) Background Baltimore is changing. The reduction in violent crime is primarily grassroots-driven and under-recognized. The landscape and narrative around our community is literally like tectonic plates shifting beneath our feet. And the impact is seismic. The story has gone viral and praise is being showered upon several individuals in high places. My biggest problem with that is, the people most responsible for that seismic shift are rarely the ones you hear credited with these accomplishments. In today’s political climate I want to reframe the conversation, not take a victory lap. Our reimagining of public safety…
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(BALTIMORE, MD – July 16, 2026) — Some leaders build organizations from the outside. Others strengthen them from within. For more than two decades, Winston Philip has quietly helped nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and community partners build the infrastructure, systems, and strategies necessary to create lasting change. It is for that reason that BMORENews and BlackUSA.News are proud to honor Winston Philip with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during The Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in West Baltimore. Philip currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Elev8 Baltimore, where…
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(BALTIMORE – July 15, 2026) — Some people spend a lifetime trying to build a name. Sister Sa’Leeah, better known as Slimmyko, built hers simply by being herself. Known throughout West Baltimore’s 21217 community—what many proudly call Zone 17, or Ovawest— Slimmyko has earned a reputation as someone who gives without hesitation, encourages without judgment, and serves without expecting anything in return. “I’m a giver,” she says. “I give all the time. I don’t like receiving anything because I’m a giver. That’s what God asked me to do.” That simple statement explains almost everything you need to know about her.…
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