(BALTIMORE – June 21, 2025) – This week reminded us why Black media is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.
The Baltimore Banner published a story that cast a dark cloud over one of Baltimore’s most committed public servants, State Senator Cory McCray. The headline alone — “A state senator aided a disgraced developer’s ‘affordable’ East Baltimore project” — was designed to provoke doubt, stir suspicion, and chip away at the integrity of a man who has spent his entire career fighting for East Baltimore.
But this isn’t just about Cory McCray. It’s about narrative power. It’s about who gets to tell the story — and how.
Let’s be clear: Sen. McCray has been on the ground since day one. From founding the BEST Democratic Club to mentoring young leaders, to knocking on doors with authenticity, he is not new to this. He’s true to this. And if the editors and writers of the Banner knew our city and its people the way we do, they would have understood that. But instead, they wrote about East Baltimore from the outside looking in — and it showed.
As Sen. McCray aptly noted, we need incentives to attract quality development in neighborhoods that have long been disinvested in. That’s leadership, not corruption. That’s strategy, not scandal. It takes bold, unapologetic Black leadership to bring resources to our communities — and it takes a special kind of media myopia to mistake that leadership for wrongdoing.
We’re not blind to Ronald Lipscomb’s past. We also know people change, partners shift, and projects evolve. And we certainly know that no development happens in Baltimore without politics, negotiation, and some hard-fought persuasion. If Sen. McCray pushed to get a neglected parcel activated in his district — then good. That’s what we elect leaders to do.
But instead of acknowledging the blight that once dominated that area — or the people finally seeing change on their blocks — the Banner reached for clickbait. It questioned motive and character. It cast shadows on a man with a proven record of service to this city.
That’s why BMORENews exists. Because far too often, our leaders are torn down by those who never built anything in the communities they cover.
We stand with Senator Cory McCray — not because he’s perfect, but because he’s present. Because he’s accountable. Because he answers his phone. Because he still lives where he leads. Because he didn’t just inherit influence — he earned it.
And when a media outlet attempts to tear down one of our own without cultural competency or context, we call it out. Because if we don’t, they’ll keep doing it. And the next generation of leaders won’t stand a chance.
This is exactly why we produce Black media. To protect the truth. To amplify it. And to preserve it for those coming behind us.
So when you say Cory McCray’s name — put some respect on it.
– BMORENews.com Editorial Board
“We cover Black history – one story at a time.”
