(BALTIMORE – May 17, 2026) — The question has been asked in barbershops, church pews, community centers, and living rooms across this city for years: Despite the number of Black elected officials holding political office in Baltimore, has life for Black people in this city actually gotten better?
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, BMORENews.com — in conjunction with Dr. Al Hathaway of the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center — will bring that question into the open.
Chaos or Community: A Political Conversation will be held at 6:00 PM at the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center, 1315 Division Street in West Baltimore. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 PM.
The forum will put candidates for the House of Delegates in the 40th and 45th legislative districts, the Senate race in the 41st District, and the Baltimore City Sheriff’s race face-to-face with voters — moderated by a panel that will not let them off easy.
Meet the Panel
Tonya Bana, Esquire, brings the weight of the law to the table. Attorney Bana has been on the front lines of community advocacy, standing shoulder to shoulder with her husband in taking on institutional giants like BGE. She knows how power operates — and how to hold it accountable.
Jason Rodriguez is a longtime Radio One professional and one of Baltimore’s most trusted voices in Black media. Rodriguez has used his platform consistently to uplift, inform, and advocate for the community. He brings credibility, energy, and an ear always tuned to the people.
John Rydell has covered Maryland politics as well as anyone in the business. A veteran journalist with decades of experience, Rydell has earned a reputation for getting the story right and asking the questions that powerful people would rather dodge. He brings institutional knowledge and a reporter’s instinct for accountability.
Marc Clarke is a seasoned media personality who has worked in multiple markets but continues to call Baltimore home. His television show represents the latest chapter in a career built on storytelling and truth-telling. Clarke brings both polish and purpose to the conversation.
Together, this panel — spanning law, radio, television, and print journalism — represents exactly the kind of multi-disciplinary, no-nonsense accountability that this moment demands.
Why This Matters
Baltimore is a majority Black city. It has Black leadership up and down the ballot. And yet too many Black Baltimoreans are still wrestling with urgent, unresolved questions — about public safety, economic development, quality of life, and whether the political class is truly working for the people or simply working for itself.
Chaos or Community is not a rally. It is not a campaign event. It is a reckoning — a direct, respectful, and necessary conversation about who is running for office, what they actually stand for, and what they plan to do about conditions that too many of our neighbors face every single day.
BMORENews.com has been covering Black Baltimore since August 9, 2002. We have never lost sight of the neighborhoods that shaped us. This forum is an extension of that same mission: give the people the information they need to make the decisions that shape their lives.
The voters of the 40th, 41st, and 45th districts — and every Baltimorean who cares about the direction of this city — deserve serious answers. Not soundbites. Not slogans. Answers.
Event Details
📅 Thursday, June 11, 2026 🕕 6:00 PM (Doors open at 5:30 PM) 📍 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center 1315 Division Street, Baltimore, MD. RSVP to https://chaosorcommunity.eventbrite.com
Free and open to the public.
Presented by BMORENews.com and the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center.
Doni Glover is the founder and publisher of BMORENews.com, now in its 24th year of covering Black Baltimore, and the founder of the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, now in its 15th year. He is also the host of the Emmy-nominated Doni Glover podcast and The Doni Glover Show on WMAR-TV 2.
