Grace, Accountability and the Miracle at Upton Boxing Behind the celebrity, controversy and millions of followers is a young Baltimore mother fighting to become the woman she believes God has called her to be. Interview conducted by Ericka Alston-Buck, Arts & Culture Reporter. Video and accompanying article by Doni Glover. (BALTIMORE – August 25, 2026) – “Every time I look back, it’s like, ‘How the heck did I get out of that?’” Then came the tears. For a moment, there was no celebrity. No livestream. No controversy. No boxing match to promote. No crowd waiting for Chrisean Rock to entertain them. There was only a young woman looking back over her life, trying to understand how she had survived everything she had been through. “And the only answer is God,” she said. That was the Chrisean, aka “Holy Hands,” I heard. Not a headline. Not a viral clip. Not the version of her that strangers debate in comment sections. A human being. A mother. A fighter. A young woman trying to grow while millions of people watch. Let me tell you something: Chrisean is dynamic. She is dynamic because of her God-given inner strength. Let me tell you something else: I do not have a heaven or a hell to put her in. I do not know every detail of her story—and, really, do I need to? Hell no. You know why? Because I am too busy working to improve my own life. What I can do as a journalist is listen. I can report what I see. And what I see is the evolution of a young Baltimore woman who knows she has made mistakes, knows she can do better, and is working to become better. That story deserves to be told, too. Something About Her Stood Out Before this year, I had never heard of Chrisean. She prefers to just use her first name these days. I met her during a random visit with Coach Calvin Ford and Coach Kenny Ellis at Baltimore’s Upton Boxing Center. There she was, doing the drills alongside the other women fighters. She was not being treated like a celebrity. Inside that gym, fame does not complete the rounds for you. Followers cannot do your roadwork. A blue check cannot protect you from a punch. The bag does not care whether your name is trending. Boxing demands discipline, repetition, focus and control. Chrisean was in a room filled with serious talent, including Mia Ellis. Still, she carried her own mystique. Something about her stood out. I later learned about the reality shows, the millions of social media followers, the controversy, and the intensely public life she has led. But I met the fighter first. That matters because celebrity can cause the public to forget the person. Before the Celebrity, There Is the Person We see boxers on television. We see pieces of the training, but what we really pay attention to is the fight. After the fight, the media stays in their faces. The…

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(BALTIMORE – August 16, 2026) – It was a super-duper, super-busy Saturday in historic West Baltimore. From Harlem Park to Sandtown-Winchester, Gilmor Street was alive with brotherhood, basketball, poetry, African drumming, community service, filmmaking, and Black cultural expression. And at the center of it all were Black men. Black men were up and down Gilmor Street setting the world on fire—in a good way. They were collecting shoes for people in need. They were organizing basketball games for the next generation. They were beating African drums, celebrating Marcus Garvey, creating opportunities for vendors and restoring a historic Black theater. These…

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A Workforce Development Learning Management System Rapid Skill Development for the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow (BALTIMORE – August 13, 2026) – STEM City USA Ascend LMS™ is a scalable skill-building and workforce development platform designed to prepare people for career opportunities in months, not years. After this first formal reference, the platform is referred to as Ascend LMS. Ascend LMS brings together workforce training, employer knowledge, career development, emerging technology, and digital learning within the STEM City USA ecosystem. The concept is simple: build skills faster, expand access to opportunity, and help people ascend to the next level of…

“The business panel guests provided important and useful information for those wishing to learn about business—as well as some who are already in business but may not be performing at their best. I sincerely hope our young people take advantage of the generous offers of assistance. “The political panel was extra special because it gave attendees an opportunity to see and hear directly from their incoming community representatives. Now, residents must remain engaged, follow their progress once they take office, and hold them accountable. “The awards segment is always meaningful because you recognize commitment and service within our community. “As…