2026 Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award Honoree (BALTIMORE – July 31, 2026) – Every city has its detractors. Every city has people who come into distressed communities looking for profit, attention, notoriety or fame. But every city also has its heroes and sheroes. Donna Brown is one of Baltimore’s. I have known Donna for more than a decade. I remember her during the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death in 2015, when Sandtown-Winchester became the center of national attention. That was when you saw the real heart of Baltimore—the heart of Sandtown, the heart of Upton, the heart of Penn North, the heart of West Baltimore and, ultimately, the heart of the entire city. You saw the people who genuinely cared. Helping to restore a fractured, torn and traumatized community takes people who are real. There are people who fake it. There are people who enter struggling communities for personal gain. They hold press conferences, take pictures and disappear when the cameras leave. Donna Brown is different. Donna is from this community. She loves the people here, and the people know it. When Donna walks down Pennsylvania Avenue, she does not need a bodyguard. From Pennsylvania and Laurens Street to the heart of the Avenue, the young people look out for her because they know how deeply she cares about them. That is how big her heart is. Organizing for Change Donna is a community strategist, youth advocate and founder of Making Changes, a grassroots organization that uses community organizing to confront social injustice and pursue systemic change. For more than a decade, she has worked at the intersection of youth empowerment, substance-use prevention and community transformation. Her work is grounded in undoing racism, advancing equity and building collective liberation. Following Freddie Gray’s death, Donna became a founding member of the Campaign for Justice, Safety and Jobs. The coalition emerged during one of the most painful periods in Baltimore’s modern history, advocating for police accountability, public safety and systemic reform. Her commitment did not end when the national cameras left Baltimore. Donna has continued challenging systems that disproportionately harm young people, incarcerated citizens, returning citizens, women and families. As an organizational partner with the Citizens Policing Project, she helps train young organizers to understand those systems, find their voices and advocate for change. Gov. Wes Moore appointed Donna to Maryland’s Administrative Charging Committee, giving her an opportunity to help advance accountability within the state’s police disciplinary process. Going Where the Work Is Needed Donna has also volunteered inside Maryland prisons for 12 years, working with both young people and adults. Through ministry, mentoring and transformational programming, she has invested her time in people whom society too often overlooks. That kind of service requires more than words. It requires courage, consistency and compassion. Donna’s advocacy is also deeply personal. As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, she draws from her lived experience to help other survivors find support, healing and a path forward. She understands that transformation cannot be…
(BALTIMORE – July 30, 2026) – I ask this question with love—and it hurts me to ask it. I am…
Indigenous Series. Sundays. 8 pm EST. Uncover the shocking truth about African ancestry, the Indian slave trade, and how ……
Harlem recognition celebrates more than 30 years of media, advocacy and community leadership (HARLEM, N.Y. — July 27, 2026) — New York State Senator Cordell…
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Senator Cleare, Vito Jones, Virginia Douglas, and Harlem, Inc. celebrated some of Harlem’s heroes at Black Wall Street HARLEM. Watch full video on YouTube
One unforgettable coat traveled across four social-media platforms—and revealed the value of an audience BMORENews has spent decades building. (BALTIMORE – July 21, 2026) –…
(SANDTOWN – July 20, 2026) – Greetings to you all on this amazing Monday! It’s that time of year again for the Sandtown-Winchester Community’s Annual…
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(BALTIMORE – July 16, 2026) — The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has opened a 30-day public comment period on a proposed drone initiative designed to…
(BALTIMORE – July 4, 2026) – America turns 250 today. The Ledger at 250 That is not a small thing. Empires rise and fall in less time. Constitutions get rewritten. Borders get redrawn. And yet here we are in 2026, still arguing under the same flag, still building on the same foundation, still calling ourselves one country. I have spent my life covering this country from a particular vantage point—Baltimore, Maryland, a city that has given America more than it has ever been credited for and has taken more punishment than it ever deserved. From that vantage point, I want…
(PHILADELPHIA – July 4, 2026) — The 4th Annual HBCU Swingman Classic returns to Citizens Bank Park on Friday, July 10, bringing together many of the nation’s top Historically Black College and University baseball players for a celebration of Black excellence, culture, and the game’s future. Presented by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, the nationally televised showcase will begin at 7 p.m. on MLB Network as part of MLB All-Star Week. But the event is about far more than baseball. This year’s Classic honors the late legendary Southern University baseball coach Roger Cador, who died June 30 after dedicating…
Event Information Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition Wednesday, August 5, 2026 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 … Watch full video on YouTube
(BALTIMORE – July 3, 2026) — For more than a century, the Greater Baltimore Urban League has stood at the forefront of the fight for economic opportunity and civil rights. Today, one of the leaders carrying that legacy forward is Tershea “Shea” Rice. Rice, the Interim President & CEO of the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL), will be honored with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center in Baltimore. Presented by…
(BALTIMORE – July 7, 2026) — The countdown is on. The Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition returns to Baltimore on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, bringing together leaders from business, government, education, real estate, media, and the nonprofit community for an evening focused on leadership, opportunity, and community empowerment. Presented by BMORENews and BlackUSA.News, the Summit will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center, 1315 Division Street, Baltimore. The evening features The Doni Glover Show LIVE, engaging forums, networking, and the presentation of the Joe Manns Black Wall…
(BALTIMORE – July 3, 2026) — This year’s class of Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award honorees is filled with dynamic, emerging leaders—people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside and watching grow. I can tell you with confidence: our future is bright. In politics, you can earn a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or even a Ph.D. in political science. But the truth is, you don’t really learn politics until you’ve worked on a campaign. That’s where the rubber meets the road. That’s where the textbook ends, and real life begins. On this year’s campaign trail, I had the…
(BALTIMORE – July 3, 2026) – Every day, I have the extraordinary privilege of speaking with excellence. Not occasionally. Daily. Just a couple of days ago, my phone rang. On the other end was our beloved former president of Coppin State University, Dr. Calvin Burnett. He opened the conversation with a smile in his voice. “Usually, you’re checking on me,” he said. “This time, I’m checking on you.” Ninety-four years old and still loving life. Conversations like that nourish my spirit. Yesterday, I stopped by Benedetto Haberdashery to film Kevin Scott. We recorded another edition of our “Cold-Blooded Sneakerhead Challenge,”…
(NEW YORK – July 2, 2026) – Black journalism has never lacked talent. What it has often lacked is visibility. For more than 198 years, Black-owned newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television networks, and digital publishers have documented our communities, challenged injustice, celebrated achievement, and preserved the history of Black America. Yet in today’s digital landscape—where search engines, algorithms, and social media increasingly determine what people read—many of those trusted voices struggle to reach broader audiences. That challenge inspired the next evolution of BlackUSA.News. The national news platform has unveiled a redesigned website that serves as a gateway to some of the…
Daughter of education pioneer Dr. Sterling Keyes, the retired Baltimore jurist redefines justice through accountability, presence, and an unshakable belief in people. (BALTIMORE – July 2, 2026) – Judge Wanda Heard does not believe justice ends at sentencing. For her, probation is not paperwork. It is a promise. “I put them on probation,” she says. “That’s my responsibility. I sentenced them. I signed the probation papers. Why am I not responsible to the person who’s on probation just like they’re responsible to me to do what they’re told?” That philosophy sets her apart. Inside her courtroom, there are rules. Structure.…
(BALTIMORE – July 2, 2026) — Some people work in economic development. Charlyn Nater lives it. A tireless advocate for entrepreneurs, neighborhood revitalization, and community empowerment, Nater will be honored with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center in Baltimore. Presented by BMORENews and BlackUSA.News, the Summit brings together leaders from government, business, media, education, real estate, and the nonprofit community to answer one important question: How do we create and…
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