(BALTIMORE – July 9, 2025) – Baltimore isn’t just a city of struggle — it’s a city of grit. This town has raised champions: Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Ray Lewis. Cal Ripken. Lamar Jackson. Sam Cassell. Mo’Nique. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Jada Pinkett Smith. What do they all have in common? Baltimore. This city doesn’t fold. It fights. It rises. Baltimore raises people who don’t flinch in the face of adversity. We fight for what we believe in. We don’t quit. We resist — and we win. As long as there is life, there is hope. And as long as there’s a Baltimore, there will be boldness, resilience, and the audacity to triumph. Just ask Derik Queen — University of Maryland basketball standout and now New Orleans Pelican. When asked how he made it, he gave the only answer that mattered:”I’m from Baltimore. That’s why.” And right now, we’re watching something extraordinary: a rebirth. A city that’s been counted out too many times is striding forward with fight in its heart and vision in its step. The Brandon Scott Era At the center of this renaissance is Mayor Brandon M. Scott — one of the youngest mayors in America and a proud son of Park Heights. Say what you will, but the record stands: no scandals. No corruption. No headlines for all the wrong reasons. What we’ve gotten instead? Steady hands. Focus. And a genuine commitment to the people. He rolled up his sleeves. Not perfect — but present, visible, and working. A perfect example of that is the bold, transformative Harborplace redevelopment.Developer P. David Bramble of MCB Real Estate didn’t need this deal — his firm already manages millions of square feet. But he stepped in out of love for the city. He stepped in when others didn’t — and when he did, the backlash came. Much of it laced with bias. Harborplace sat neglected for two decades. Then a Black developer from West Baltimore dared to reimagine it, and suddenly critics got louder. Mayor Scott didn’t duck the controversy. He called it out. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bramble, attended public forums, listened to community voices, and helped push through the legislation to move the project forward. He worked behind the scenes to ensure Harborplace would stay in local, Black-led hands, not be lost to outside speculators. This is a new kind of leadership — strategic, principled, unshaken. And to be fair, I didn’t start off as a Brandon Scott supporter. I backed Sheila Dixon, proudly. And my dear friend and mentee, Catalina Byrd, often reminded me that Brandon was quietly doing more than people gave him credit for. Over time, I’ve come to see it: she was right. He’s growing in the role — with clarity, courage, and commitment to Baltimore. But this moment is bigger than one mayor. A Renaissance Built on Bold Leadership What we’re seeing is an ecosystem of equity-minded leadership — and Baltimore is better for it. Shelonda Stokes: Architect of Inclusive Economic Growth As President…