(BALTIMORE – September 15, 2026) – Hard-working. Conscientious. Fearless. Productive.
The latest cohort of Joe Manns Black Wall Street honorees represents some of the excellence that continues to emerge from the City of Baltimore.
Catherine B. Orange, Timmeeka Pettus, Joan Pratt, Nicole Earle, Simon Edwards, E. R. Shipp, and Tarase Whetstone will be honored on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Black Wall Street COLIN’S.
Each is a leader in their own right.
They understand the need to support Black media and why Black media is still necessary. They understand the importance of telling our stories, documenting our communities, and creating platforms that reflect the fullness of the Black experience.
They are willing to go farther than their counterparts.
They breathe determination and pour out production—all right here in the City of Baltimore.
Catherine B. Orange
Catherine B. Orange is a beloved Baltimore educator, mentor, and longtime leader at Arena Players. For generations of students, she was far more than an English teacher. She was a mother figure who taught discipline, excellence, and the importance of taking education seriously.
Her former students still seek her wisdom decades after leaving her classroom. Her influence extends from William Hugo Lemmel Junior High School and Baltimore City College to one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating African American community theaters.
Timmeeka Pettus
Timmeeka Pettus represents perseverance, service, and professional growth.
After becoming a mother as a teenager, she overcame numerous challenges while building a life for her family. She dedicated 18 years to safely transporting and supporting Baltimore’s children as a Baltimore City Public Schools bus driver, including students with disabilities.
In 2025, her dedication and continued professional development led to her promotion to school bus trainer.
Joan Pratt
Joan Pratt has spent years operating at the intersection of public service, financial leadership, and civic responsibility.
Her career reflects the importance of experience, institutional knowledge and a commitment to serving the people of Baltimore. She represents the kind of leadership that understands both the responsibility of public office and the economic challenges facing our communities.
Nicole Earle
Nicole Earle is a developer, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader committed to strengthening communities.
Through Dominion Community Development Corporation and Billie’s Promise, she helps create pathways for entrepreneurs, businesses, and residents along Pennsylvania Avenue. Her work reflects a belief that development should do more than transform buildings—it should create opportunity, build wealth, and empower the people already rooted in the community.
Simon Edwards
Simon Edwards is a youth mentor and speaker who understands the power of being present.
His work in the community reflects a commitment to encouraging young people, protecting neighborhood history and celebrating the people who built Baltimore’s communities. From Cloverdale and beyond, Simon continues to demonstrate that mentorship begins with showing up, listening, and caring.
E. R. Shipp
E. R. Shipp is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, scholar, and founding faculty member of Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication.
Her distinguished career has included The New York Times, The New York Daily News, and The Washington Post. In 1996, she became the first Black woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
Today, she prepares the next generation of journalists while ensuring that students understand the role of Black media and community-based storytelling.
Tarase Whetstone
Tarase Whetstone is the founder of T Whetstone Connects, a Baltimore-based event hosting and community engagement brand.
As a host, MC, and community connector, she has supported live entertainment, nonprofit programs, conferences, fundraisers, weddings, and small-business events. Known for her engaging personality and natural ability to bring people together, Tarase describes herself simply as being “in the people business.”
We Salute Them
From the college classroom to the public schools, from boardrooms to Arena Players, from Lemmel to Columbia, from City Hall to Pennsylvania Avenue, from Cloverdale to City College—this ensemble of local talent represents the excellence the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards most value.
They teach. They mentor. They build. They serve. They write. They lead.
Most importantly, they make us proud.
For their commitment to Baltimore, their professional excellence, and their willingness to pour into others, we salute Catherine B. Orange, Timmeeka Pettus, Joan Pratt, Nicole Earle, Simon Edwards, E. R. Shipp, and Tarase Whetstone.
Join us as we give these outstanding Baltimore leaders their flowers at Black Wall Street COLIN’S on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP to BlackWallStreetColins2026.eventbrite.com.
We salute them!
