If you can’t bring love, don’t bring hate

(BALTIMORE — July 20, 2026) — Early Monday morning, I received a phone call. It turned out that the caller wanted to know why I had said positive things about Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott in a recent clip posted online.

It’s simple: He is our leader.

People can choose whether to support him. That is an individual decision. As the publisher of BMORENews.com, which has continually served this city for the past 24 years, I choose to speak life over Mayor Scott, Baltimore, and its people.

Supporting Baltimore does not mean surrendering our responsibility to scrutinize its mayor. It means refusing to confuse relentless negativity with responsible journalism.

If and when Mayor Scott is wrong, we have no problem diving into the issue. At last check, though, he already had his hands full with FOX45, The Baltimore Sun, and The Baltimore Banner.

Long story short, we try to use our resources wisely. There are already plenty of people looking for what is wrong.

At BMORENews.com, we are more interested in what is being built—and who is doing the building. We are surveying the landscape for construction cranes. We are examining the viability of the Port of Baltimore. We are paying attention to the successes of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

We want to know where the opportunities are, who is benefiting from them, and whether Baltimore’s people are being included.

When a teenager calls and asks whether BMORENews will support their program, I am encouraged.

When I visit Upton Boxing Center or Mack Lewis Gym and see people of all ages training, I am inspired.

When someone calls about a high school graduate who needs a job, and I can then call Lisa Phillips or Moses Hammett—two people who always answer the call—I know that Baltimore’s network is real.

I know I can call Cynthia Brooks at the Bea Gaddy Family Center or Leon Purnell at the Men and Families Center and get something done.

That’s Baltimore.

From Cherry Hill to East Monument Street, from Belair Road to Park Heights and Edmondson Village, Baltimore has always been sustained by strong communities and extraordinarily resilient people. We possess the same toughness, discipline, and determination embodied by the world-class athletes this city has produced.

Baltimore has consistently produced champions across every profession and industry. We have scholars, scientists, lawyers, judges, doctors, astronauts, nurses, teachers, certified nursing assistants, bus drivers, truck drivers, entrepreneurs, tradespeople, artists, activists, coaches, and community servants.

This is Baltimore.

Put some respect on it.

That is why I was so bothered several months ago when journalist Don Lemon made a seemingly impromptu visit to historic Pennsylvania Avenue and asked people whether President Donald Trump should send troops into Baltimore.

It almost felt like a trick question—or some kind of game.

My response was simple: For what?

To say the least, I was perturbed that an otherwise intelligent Black man was advancing such a narrative at the most inopportune time.

My conclusion: If you can’t bring love to Baltimore, don’t bring hate.

No, Baltimore is not perfect. Neither is Mayor Scott.

Frankly, I—probably like many others—am grateful for some stability in local government. We, as a city, have endured far too much messiness over the past two decades. It is good to experience some calm.

Now, if you don’t like the mayor, do something about it. Write. Start a podcast. Run for office. Support a rival candidate. I don’t know.

But in the meantime, some of us will continue working to make Baltimore better, regardless of who is in charge.

I am not too partial to complainers.

Yes, young people are standing on the corner. Go talk to them.

Yes, there is trash in the alley. Get a broom and a trash bag and pick it up.

No, I am not sending Grandma outside to do what you or I should be doing. I am simply saying that everybody can do something to make Baltimore better.

If you don’t like my commentaries, write your own, and I will publish it—as long as you leave my momma out of it. Send it to doni@bmorenews.com.

We welcome all commentaries. I put my personal guarantee on it.

Meanwhile, if you live in Baltimore, stand up for your city—today and always. Do not allow anyone to define the place we call home through an exclusively negative narrative.

Accountability is necessary. Criticism has its place. But tearing down Baltimore without lifting a finger to help rebuild it is neither leadership nor responsible citizenship.

That would be uncivilized.