From Waterfront Wealth to Generational Vision — Southern Maryland Shows What Black Ownership Looks Like (ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MD – February 25, 2026) – First and foremost, I thank the good Lord for getting me to Southern Maryland and back safely. That was quite a ride. It had been some time since I’d traveled through St. Mary’s County. I passed sprawling waterfront homes, crossed a bridge that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and couldn’t help but think about Harriet Tubman. I wondered if she had traveled these same roads. The locals assured me she did. That alone set the tone. But let’s be clear about something: This didn’t just “happen.” The inaugural Black Wall Street SOUTHERN MARYLAND ceremony featuring the Joe Manns Awards was the result of vision — and that vision belongs to Alexis Solis. This was her idea. She understood something powerful: Southern Maryland is not just growing — it is thriving. And thriving Black communities deserve platforms that celebrate ownership, innovation, and generational wealth. Alexis saw the opportunity to connect that prosperity to the Black Wall Street legacy — and she made the call. That matters. A special acknowledgment must also be given to Doris Spencer, whose leadership and steady support helped bring the vision into reality. Every movement needs both the spark and the structure. Southern Maryland had both. Edsel Brown, Esq., leader of the Southern Maryland Chamber of Commerce, served as a gracious host. The room was packed — multi-generational, full of business owners, entrepreneurs, and families. There were hints of Baltimore in the room, a strong presence from Prince George’s County, and the home team representing with pride. Everywhere you turned, there was a story of risk, faith, and perseverance. Listening to their entrepreneurial journeys reminded me of my own. Because that’s how it starts. Somewhere deep in the night, an idea hits your spirit. And that idea demands action. So you move. You follow it. With the right tools, discipline, and guidance, that whisper can become a brewery, a restaurant, a construction company — whatever the spirit assigned you to build. That’s Black Wall Street. And let me tell you something — just because they’re outside a major metropolitan center doesn’t mean they’re disconnected. These folks move. Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond — they travel, they network, and they handle business. I sensed a community that knows exactly who it is and where it’s going. The data supports that confidence. As of the 2020 Census, Charles County is the highest-income majority-Black county in the United States, with a median household income of $103,678. For years, Prince George’s County held that distinction. Today, both counties rank among the wealthiest majority-Black counties in the nation. That is not accidental. Federal employment has long been a stabilizing force in Maryland’s Black middle and upper-middle class communities. Any shifts in that sector will be worth watching. But what I witnessed in Southern Maryland was not dependence — it was diversification. Entrepreneurs. Builders. Visionaries. And that is the future.…