(BALTIMORE – May 23, 2026) – I’m glad Chezia Cager has a family legacy she can be proud of.
This week, an elder — one whom I love dearly — sort of criticized the concept of family legacy in elections. I get it. And honestly, I agree.
I do not believe that simply because one’s relative was a politician, a descendant is automatically qualified for office.
Hell no.
In this city, and in this election cycle, those things are indeed happening. But when it comes to Chezia — oh dear, big sister — she has earned her stripes.
And quite honestly, in the 41st District, she is a breath of fresh air.
Now, for clarification: I do not know any of her relatives to have been elected officials. What I do know is that her father and grandfather put in serious work in this city, and she grew up at the feet of leaders — in every sense of the word. As did I.
In fact, I actually worked with her father, Lawrence Cager, during the 1990s at the Sandtown-Winchester Transformation Project under then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke and Housing Commissioner Daniel P. Henson III. So when I speak about the family’s connection to community work, I am not speaking from a distance. I witnessed that era firsthand.
She grew up in proximity to Black political power — a power that built families, built communities, and helped shape Baltimore itself. To my knowledge, her grandfather made a meaningful impact along Pennsylvania Avenue back in the day.
But let’s be clear.
Her parents’ and grandparents’ contributions are not hers.
Uh uh. Nope.
She went out and did the work herself.
Chezia worked for Barack Obama at the White House. She also worked at Baltimore City Hall. Those experiences matter because they exposed her to leadership and governance at both the national and local levels. She understands policy. She understands systems. And more importantly, she understands people.
But one of the things I appreciate most about Chezia Cager is that she truly understands Black media.
She understands the significance of The AFRO. She understands the importance of WEAA. She understands what Radio One has meant to Black Baltimore. And she understands why BMORENews.com matters.
That is important.
Because far too many politicians only show up around Black media when they need votes. They do not truly understand why independent Black-owned media exists in the first place.
Chezia gets it.
She understands that Black people must have our own voice to tell our own narrative. She understands the power of controlling our own storytelling rather than allowing others to define us.
And beyond understanding media, she also understands Black business.
She understands the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses here in Baltimore — not just with rhetoric, but with action. She puts her money where her mouth is. She employs Black people. And frankly, that is refreshing in a political climate where everybody talks “Black economics,” but too few actually practice it.
If you’ve ever met Chezia Cager, you already know she is absolutely capable of carrying a thought, an idea, a movement, or a bill — all the way into law.
She is articulate. She is thoughtful. And she is capable.
And frankly, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland needs Black political leaders who are grounded in the community’s history.
For example, I am glad Chezia Cager helped bring attention to Laurel Cemetery in Baltimore — a cemetery for Black Baltimoreans that now has a shopping center built on top of it, with the remains of ancestors still in the ground beneath it.
Chezia has served as an adviser to the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project, which has spent the last fifteen years doing the painstaking work of identifying death certificates, researching burial records, and acknowledging the Black men and women buried there — giving them the dignity and respect they deserve.
And this was not symbolic involvement.
In 2025, Chezia helped lead efforts surrounding the unveiling of the historical marker and public commemoration honoring Laurel Cemetery — Baltimore’s first non-denominational African American cemetery. The ceremony helped shine a public light on a painful and often-overlooked chapter of Black Baltimore history.
Her work also helped elevate broader public awareness around the Laurel Cemetery history project — reconnecting descendants with ancestors and reclaiming a history that had nearly been erased.
You can read more here:
- Honoring Laurel Cemetery: Baltimore’s First Non-Denominational African American Cemetery Ceremony & Historical Marker Unveiling – September 13, 2025
- Laurel Cemetery History Unearthed, Ancestors Remembered
That kind of work tells you everything about who she is and what she values.
It tells you she understands that leadership is not just about elections. It is about memory. It is about dignity. It is about honoring the people who came before us.
I also appreciate the fact that she helped recognize the late Herb Brown during his centennial celebration. And I especially appreciate that she understands the political and economic prowess Herb Brown commanded in the 41st District.
Too many people enter politics today without understanding the shoulders they stand on.
Chezia does.
And that matters.
So no, elder — respectfully — this is different.
Chezia is all that and a bag of chips.
And anybody running in the 41st District should be wary. She comes to win, and there will not be a stone left unturned because sister has the goods.
Running alongside Malcolm Ruff for State Senate, the Ruff-Cager ticket represents exactly the kind of grounded, community-rooted leadership the 41st District deserves.
Keep your eyes on this one.
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.
