(BALTIMORE COUNTY – March 16, 2026) — Admittedly, I am hard on my Baltimore County brethren. Why? Because time after time, I receive phone calls asking for help — political advice, strategic insight, introductions, or media coverage. And yes, I help when I can. But I have also tried to push something equally important: self-empowerment.
Yet somehow, incredibly, we keep returning to the same place.
Let me also be clear about something. I’m a Baltimore City guy. Always have been. City all day. But much of my family lives in Baltimore County, and I’ve spent plenty of time out there over the years — even lived there briefly. So when I talk about what’s happening along the Liberty Road corridor and throughout Baltimore County’s Black community, understand that I’m not throwing stones from the outside. I’m speaking as someone who knows the people, knows the history, and cares deeply about the future of that community.
Frederick Douglass said it best: “Power concedes nothing without demand.”
That truth is just as real today as it was in the 1800s. No one is coming to save us. And yes, in some ways we do need saving — from our own political complacency.
Since the era of Black empowerment represented by pioneers like Ella White Campbell, the Liberty Road corridor has become home to one of the most vibrant Black communities in the region. Baltimore County’s Black political presence did not happen by accident. It was built through organization, sacrifice, and relentless civic engagement.
That struggle eventually produced leaders like Ken Oliver, the first Black person in Baltimore County history elected to the County Council — a breakthrough that opened doors for generations to come.
Those victories were not gifts. They were earned.
And they should never be taken for granted.
Today the Liberty Road corridor represents one of the most upwardly mobile Black communities in the Baltimore region. By many measures, it reflects the highest median household incomes among Black residents in the area.
I’m not saying everyone is rich.
But let’s be honest — the quality of life is different from many parts of Baltimore City.
You see it in the neighborhoods.
You see it in the schools.
You even see it in the wildlife.
Deer. Foxes. Bunny rabbits.
If that’s not suburban living, I don’t know what is.
But comfort can breed complacency.
And complacency is dangerous.
Because while some of us are enjoying the suburban lifestyle — networking, attending social events, or simply living our lives — there are always forces quietly working to reshape the political landscape around us.
If we are not careful, a predominantly Black community will end up being represented by voices that do not reflect its interests.
That’s how power slips away.
Not through some dramatic confrontation.
But through silence.
Through disengagement.
Through low voter turnout.
Right now, Maryland’s state officials are still in Annapolis finishing the legislative session. But the political clock is ticking. The Maryland Primary Election is June 23, 2026.
That is not far away.
Early voting will arrive even sooner.
Yet in some parts of our community, there is barely a whisper of political preparation. Some candidates are barely visible. Some campaigns are barely organized. Some voters barely know who is running.
That should concern every one of us.
Because elections determine:
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Who controls development
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Who shapes public safety policy
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Who influences school funding
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Who decides zoning and economic growth
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Who speaks for your neighborhood when critical decisions are made
Politics is not abstract.
It affects property values, business opportunities, public investment, and the future our children inherit.
Baltimore County voters must wake up.
We must know:
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Who is running
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Who they are connected to
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What they actually stand for
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And whether they truly represent the interests of the community
Political power requires participation.
Every graduating high school senior who is eligible to vote should be registered.
Every elder in the community should be mobilized.
Every civic association should be discussing this election.
And yes — every Black church in Baltimore County should be preparing voter education efforts right now. The same institutions that helped build political power in this community must once again help protect it.
Because if we sit out the June 23 election, we are not neutral.
We are surrendering power.
And history has already shown us what happens when that occurs.
The victories won by pioneers like Ella White Campbell and Councilman Ken Oliver were not meant to be temporary. They were meant to be the foundation for future generations.
The question now is simple:
Will Baltimore County’s Black community protect that foundation — or sleep through the next chapter of its political future?
June 23 is coming.
Baltimore County, it’s time to wake up.
