Black History did not start nor end with slavery (BALTIMORE – August 29, 2025) – When most American history books introduce Black people, they start at 1619, when “20 and odd” Africans arrived in Virginia. But that narrative is not just incomplete — it is a deliberate erasure. Black presence in the Americas begins long before Jamestown, and Black contributions run far deeper than slavery alone. From the Nile Valley shipbuilders, to West African emperors who launched Atlantic fleets, to the Moors who ruled Iberia, to Black navigators who guided European voyages, to Freedmen whose land and identity were stolen, and to Black Seminoles who fought the U.S. military to a standstill — the struggle for recognition tells the true story of America. African Foundations of Navigation Long before Europe dreamed of ocean crossings, Africans had mastered the waters. Ancient Egyptians built reed and wooden ships as early as 3,000 BCE, navigating the Nile and the Red Sea with skill. They sailed to Punt (the Horn of Africa), proving African civilizations had the technology, astronomy, and seamanship for open-water voyages millennia before Columbus. Centuries later, West African kingdoms extended this legacy into the Atlantic. Chroniclers recorded how Mansa Abubakari II of Mali abdicated his throne around 1311 to lead hundreds of ships westward into the ocean — a fleet launched not for war but for discovery. Oral histories and scattered evidence suggest African fleets reached far into the Atlantic, if not the Americas themselves. The Moors and the Birth of Navigation For nearly 800 years (711–1492), the Moors — Muslim powers that included countless Black Africans from North and West Africa — ruled much of Spain and Portugal. They transformed Iberia into a center of learning, leaving behind: Mathematics and astronomy that advanced navigation, Shipbuilding innovations like the lateen sail, Tools like the astrolabe and advanced maps that guided ships across oceans. When Europeans launched the so-called Age of Discovery, they sailed on the foundation of Egyptian science, West African ambition, and Moorish engineering. Black Navigators Before Columbus Was Famous History books often put Columbus on a pedestal, but the truth is he wasn’t sailing alone. Black navigators and explorers were at the heart of those voyages: Pedro Alonso Niño (“El Negro”): A celebrated African-descended navigator who guided Atlantic crossings and later commanded his own expedition to South America. Juan Garrido: A free African who joined Cortés in Mexico and became the first to plant wheat in the Americas. Estebanico (Estevanico de Dorantes): A Moroccan Berber who explored the American Southwest as a guide, scout, and interpreter. Sebastián Toral: A free African who fought in the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán. These were not background figures. They were navigators, explorers, and founders. The Beginning of Whitewashing In 1492, the same year Columbus sailed west, Spain expelled the Moors from Granada. From that moment, a project of whitening Iberian identity began. African roots were erased. Black navigators were minimized. European monarchs recast themselves as the sole “discoverers” of the New World. This…
(BALTIMORE – August 27, 2025) – As we step into the 2025–26 school year and data, funding, and policy dominate…
Alexis Solis for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District Alexis Solis, a proud Prince George’s County native, has over 30 years of…
Tee off with a former NFL Star and support a great cause at the same time. Merritt Companies is proud to host our 15th annual…
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This was the 20th year since this group first started meeting at Cactus Willie’s. It has evolved into one of the greatest … Watch full video on YouTube
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Executive Summary In 2025, Doni Glover and BMORENews.com continued to amplify Black voices, celebrate entrepreneurship, and address critical community issues across the country. From launching Black Blueprint: Baltimore to Burkina…
(BALTIMORE – July 2025) — Delegate Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk is no stranger to fighting the tough battles in Annapolis. As Chair of the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee, she’s spent her career advocating for those too often left out of the conversation — the working poor, the undocumented, the sick, the voiceless. On April 1, 2025, Peña-Melnyk again showed that resolve as she fiercely defended an amendment to Senate Bill 587, the Maryland Reparations Commission legislation. Her leadership helped the bill pass its second reader on the House floor — a vital step toward historical accountability and repair.…
Registration opens today! We are looking forward to an eventful September at the Pratt Library! Registration opens today, July 21st at 12pm for many speaker events held at the Central Library. Space is limited so please don’t delay in reserving your free spot once registration opens. Robin Wall Kimmerer: Bud Finds Her Gift Friday, September 5th at 7pm Central Library From the bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass comes a beautiful and lushly illustrated tale celebrating gratitude, reciprocity, and finding our place in the natural world, ideal for sharing with the youngest readers. Learn more Shaka Senghor: How to Be Free Thursday, September 11th at 7pm…
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(OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO – July 21, 2025) – MEET Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso.In Office Since: September 30, 2022Rank: Transitional Military Leader Profile: Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the transitional president of Burkina Faso, having come to power through a military coup on September 30, 2022. At the time, he was just 34 years old, making him the world’s youngest head of state. His rise followed the ousting of Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, amid growing public anger over the government’s failure to contain jihadist violence destabilizing the Sahel region. Since assuming leadership, Traoré has embraced a strong anti-imperialist stance,…
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(BALTIMORE – July 18, 2025) — Following overdoses Friday morning in Penn North, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, first responders, public health officials, and community partners responded to provide emergency care and ongoing support to Penn North residents. The on-site briefing can be viewed here. In light of Friday’s incidents, the Baltimore City Government wants to remind residents of key public health information that can potentially save lives. Anyone experiencing or witnessing an overdose should call 911 to seek immediate care. Under Maryland’s Good Samaritan laws, residents can seek emergency medical care without fear of arrest. Additional resources are available through the…
The overdoses at Penn-North have resurfaced to alarming proportions. City agencies station at the intersection. Watch full video on YouTube
Pulley is not pleased with City’s response to multiple overdoses at Penn-North. Watch full video on YouTube
Multiple overdoses reported Friday at Penn-North just a week after several other ODs. Watch full video on YouTube
(BALTIMORE – July 18, 2025) — In the wake of a mass overdose incident that sent 27 people to local hospitals, BMORENews.com has published an exclusive in-depth feature titled “Penn-North Tragedy Reveals Deep Cracks in West Baltimore’s Response System.” This comprehensive article goes beyond the headlines to expose the systemic neglect, policy gaps, and historic disinvestment that continue to plague the Penn-North intersection — a flashpoint made internationally known during the 2015 Freddie Gray uprising. Despite reports of antifreeze- or xylazine-laced narcotics circulating as free “testers,” Baltimore city officials have remained largely silent. No official press conference has been held…
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