(BALTIMORE – September 18, 2026) — Jacqui Cummings is at it again.
For nearly two decades, Cummings and her NMConnects.org team have worked to transform West 25th Street into a thriving corridor for Black-owned businesses. Her influence stretches from Charles Street toward Howard Street, with much of her work centered near 25th and Maryland Avenue.
Twice each year, weather permitting, that commitment comes alive through the Black Wall Street Expo—an outdoor marketplace featuring several blocks of Black vendors, food, art, music, and community fellowship.
The next Black Wall Street Expo will be held Saturday, September 26, 2026, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Geico Lot, located at 25th Street and Maryland Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
Businesses can register here: NMConnects.org.
Cummings is not simply organizing an event. She is helping build an economic ecosystem.
A longtime business and property owner on West 25th Street, Cummings owns several properties that collectively house approximately 30 businesses. She boldly and consistently promotes the entrepreneurs working along the corridor while creating opportunities for additional Black-owned businesses to reach new customers.
Remarkably, Cummings manages this work while serving full-time as a counselor with Baltimore City Public Schools. She is simultaneously supporting Baltimore’s children and helping guide the development of an entire business district.
Her work brings to mind Maggie Lena Walker, the legendary Richmond entrepreneur who used business ownership and cooperative economics to strengthen Black communities in Jackson Ward. Like Walker, Cummings is not building solely for herself. She is creating space for others to grow, earn, and become owners.
When people genuinely work to empower others, their spirit shows in their actions. Cummings has demonstrated that spirit repeatedly through her dedication to West 25th Street.
The Black Wall Street Expo represents what is possible when the community comes together around its entrepreneurs. Baltimore is home to tremendously talented business owners, and this marketplace showcases one of the largest concentrations of Black American-owned businesses in the city—and potentially along the East Coast.
Come out, bring your family, and support the businesses helping to sustain our community.
Shop. Support. Connect. Empower.
Event Information
Black Wall Street Expo
Saturday, September 26, 2026
12–6 p.m.
The Geico Lot
25th Street and Maryland Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Free to the public
