2026 Joe Manns Black Wall Street Honorees Announced
(BALTIMORE – July 31, 2026) – I don’t mean to brag, but I have to say it: this cohort of Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award honorees is one of the most genuine, most authentic groups we’ve ever assembled. These are people who love Baltimore — ten toes down.
And love, real love, isn’t something you say. Love is a verb. Love is action. Love is doing. Every person on this list is a doer, a standout in their own field.
The Honorees
When I think of Dr. KSAL and the empire she’s built — pouring years into lifting up young people alongside her work — I’m inspired. When I think of Donovan Murphy and Island Quizine, a business that started right here in greater Baltimore and has grown into seven locations, including in Montgomery County, I’m inspired. When I think of Al Wylie, who built his empire from the ground up — Kevin Scott once said he bootlegged it, brick by brick — I’m inspired.
These are entrepreneurs at heart. Some are community leaders. Others are professionals making Baltimore better in ways that don’t always make headlines but matter every single day.
I think of Chezia Cager and how she keeps alive the history of Northwest Baltimore and its Black political leaders — names like Herb Brown come to mind. I think of Theo Rogers, Little Willie Adams. And then there was Otis Warren. Real estate, law, medicine, business — Baltimore built giants in every field, even when the city didn’t get the credit it deserved.
And then there’s the next generation, already making their mark: Xavier Harper, Oluwa “Toni” Elewa-Gidado, Carson Ward, and Darius Beckford among them. We see you. We are proud of you. Keep going higher — and never forget where you come from.
One of this year’s honorees is a friend — practically a brother. We’ve been through some wars together, seen some things together. He is a hero to us, and we’re proud to call his name among this cohort.
I think of Winston Philip over at Elevate Baltimore, and all the work being done there to support our schools. I think of Donna Brown, who loves Pennsylvania Avenue, Upton, West Baltimore, and Mondawmin like few others love their community. I think of Jennifer Wicks, running outreach for the President’s Roundtable, and Julianna Jones, doing the work at the Urban League.
The full 2026 cohort:
Anthony Jones · Chezia Cager · Linda Dorsey-Walker · Donna Bruce · Brandon Burrows · Xavier Harper · Oluwa “Toni” Elewa-Gidado · Derrick Whiting · Carson Ward · Darius Beckford · Slimmyko · Young Goldie · Julianna Jones · Jennifer Wicks · Shea Rice · Curtis Dunham · Charlyn Nater · Mia Blom · Winston Philip · Ray Conaway · Donna Brown · Dr. KSAL · Donovan Murphy · Al Wylie
We have a lot to celebrate.
A Word of Thanks
None of this happens without support. A very special thank-you to Wayne Frazier, CEO of the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association, for sponsoring this event. Special thanks as well to Dionne Waldron, Robert Harrington, and Fulton Bank.
Without people like these — and the businesses and enterprises they’ve built — BMORENews would not be able to continue its work. Because of their generous support, we keep the lights on and keep growing. They are the reason the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards are able to happen at all.
And on that note — special thanks to Legacy Awards, formerly known as the Joe Manns Awards, for producing these awards for 15 years running. We are deeply grateful for the love the Manns family has shared with us across all these years.
Join Us
Come celebrate with us on Wednesday, August 5 at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center for the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition.
