A lesson from Emmanuel Price about freedom, brotherhood, and never being jealous of a Black man making money
(BALTIMORE – September 9, 2026) – BMORENews.com is making moves. That’s what the word is on the street. As the publisher, all I can say is that we are working really hard not to disappoint.
When I look back over my media career, one person who has been a part of my journey is Mr. Emmanuel Price.
Unfortunately, Mr. Price attended Baltimore City College, but we won’t hold that against him. He also attended Syracuse University.
Manny supervised me when I was the co-editor, and later the editor, of the Sandtown-Winchester Viewpoint. At the time, I didn’t like him very much. That was probably because he fired me three times.
But there is a silver lining: Every time Manny fired me, he also had the good sense to hire me.
Our story reminds me a little of Dickie Kelly and Coach Sugar Cane. Looking back, I am pretty confident that Mr. Price was simply trying to help a young brother grow.
Manny taught me something that has stayed with me for more than 30 years.
“Never be jealous of a Black man making money.”
I was around 30 years old when he told me that. I am 61 now, and I have always appreciated the message.
Often, the little things and small lessons build character. Sometimes, a person says something to you in one moment, and you end up carrying it for the rest of your life.
Let me tell you another Manny story.
For quite some time, Manny had been asking me to travel with him to Canada. He was taking a small group, just enough people to fit inside an Explorer or something similar. Finally, I went.
It was Manny, Donna, Dave, and me.
We drove through the cold of upstate New York on our way to Niagara Falls. As you might imagine, there was plenty of storytelling during that long ride. They kept telling me about a place I was going to see, but they only gave me snippets. They never told me the entire story.
Eventually, we arrived in the Niagara Falls area, but the place Manny wanted me to see was next door in Lewiston, New York.
That is where I saw the Freedom Crossing Monument on the bank of the Niagara River.
Lewiston was one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad. From there, freedom seekers crossed the Niagara River into Canada. The monument honors the courage of the people escaping slavery and the local residents who helped them make that final crossing.
For those who have never seen it, the Niagara River is wide and powerful. The only American river I had seen that felt comparable was the Mississippi.
Standing there and learning what had happened at that place stopped me in my tracks.
My heart was full.
This was a place where people escaping North American slavery could look across the water and see Canada. They could see freedom. But between where they stood and the freedom they sought was a cold, dangerous river.
About two weeks after we returned home, Manny and I talked again.
He said, “Now, I showed you the river.”
Then he had the audacity to make me think even more deeply about what I had seen.
“Now think about how many people didn’t get across that river. Think about how many people died trying to get to freedom.”
It was as if I were reliving the entire experience, only this time it hit ten times harder.
Imagine reaching that river after traveling hundreds of miles, avoiding slave catchers, hiding, running, praying, and surviving. Then imagine having to decide whether to cross into freedom while knowing that members of your family were still behind you.
Do I stay because my family is still back there?
Or do I cross this river and go for freedom?
That thought has never left me.
Manny did more than take me on a trip. He gave me an experience. Then, after allowing me time to process it, he returned with the lesson.
That is what a great big brother does.
So, I want to take a moment to acknowledge Mr. Emmanuel Price. He has been helpful, insightful, informative, and encouraging throughout my journey.
We need more people like him.
And although he attended City, Manny is Eastside for life. Don’t get it twisted. That is why I still don’t know how they let him work in Sandtown.
We appreciate you, Emmanuel Price.
Thank you for showing me the river.
