(BALTIMORE – July 27, 2026) – I had become a bit worn, to say the least, in the aftermath of Freddie Gray.
I called for a meeting in Sandtown. That meeting led to another meeting, and then another. Before long, we had held roughly 30 meetings.
It was tiring. It was frustrating. And in retrospect, many of the same people who caused disruption then are still causing disruption today.
But through it all, I met Tracey Malone.
And that made the struggle worthwhile.
Sandtown-Winchester is a 72-square-block community in historic West Baltimore. Winchester extends from the west side of Fulton Avenue to Monroe Street. Sandtown stretches from the east side of Fulton Avenue to Fremont Avenue, with the larger community running roughly from North Avenue to Lafayette Avenue.
There was a time when then-Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, working with James Rouse and the Enterprise Foundation, directed significant investment into Sandtown-Winchester. Under the Sandtown-Winchester Transformation Project and its Community Building in Partnership umbrella, the neighborhood had programs, organizations and opportunities.
There was AmeriCorps. There was YouthBuild. There were programs for senior citizens and after-school activities for young people. We even had our own community center at 1114 North Mount Street.
I also wrote for the Sandtown-Winchester Viewpoint, our community newspaper.
Sandtown was not perfect, but there was activity. There were resources. There was a coordinated effort to transform the neighborhood.
When a new mayoral administration came into office in 1999, things changed. In terms of comprehensive neighborhood transformation, they never quite returned to what they had been.
Then came Freddie Gray in 2015.
Gray’s death following injuries sustained in police custody ignited outrage throughout Baltimore and far beyond it. Some described it as police brutality. Others called it murder. Whatever language one chooses, Sandtown-Winchester was filled with rage.
From the Western District Police Station to Penn North—located just outside Sandtown by roughly a block—the world descended upon West Baltimore.
Penn North became the epicenter of international media attention.
Cameras came. Politicians came. Activists came. Outsiders came. Speeches were made, and promises were offered.
Then, as so often happens, many of them left.
The residents of Sandtown-Winchester, however, were still here.
Those meetings taught me something important: When God gives you an assignment—such as helping to make your community better—you have to stay with it.
It is going to get difficult. People will disappoint you. Progress will seem painfully slow, and there will be days when you question whether the struggle is worth it.
But keep showing up.
Start every meeting with prayer. Ask God to guide the work and send the right people into the room.
Invariably, He will.
For me, one of those people was Tracey Malone.
Tracey is a personal reminder that when we remain faithful to the assignment, God will place people along the journey who possess the heart, commitment, and ability to help carry the work forward.
When I first met Tracey, she was a young woman who would later become a mother. Over the years, she has been a breath of fresh air—not only for Sandtown-Winchester but for the entire city of Baltimore.
Much of her work has been done without pay. She has given countless hours as a volunteer simply because she loves her community and believes its people deserve better.
That commitment deserves to be commended. It deserves to be celebrated. Frankly, the entire city should be grateful.
This woman deserves the key to Baltimore City.
I have watched Tracey grow and evolve into one of Baltimore’s most dynamic community leaders. She helped lead the formation of the Sandtown-Winchester Community Collective, of which I am a proud member and officer.
She has brought resources into the neighborhood. She has worked effectively with city agencies. She has built relationships with leading figures in the nonprofit and political worlds, including the mayor of Baltimore.
Most importantly, she understands what our children and families need. She has a heart for service and a genuine vision for a better Sandtown-Winchester.
Tracey is ten toes down—committed, dedicated, and prepared to do the work whether the cameras are present or not.
That is leadership.
This is especially important during an election year, when people suddenly appear in our communities making speeches that leave us wondering whether they even know the people to whom they are speaking.
Tracey knows the people because she is one of the people.
She is not visiting Sandtown for a photograph. She is not stopping through to deliver talking points. She is here before the event, during the event, and after everybody else has gone home.
Tracey stays.
She also understands that building a better community requires preserving its history.
Recently, Tracey helped present recognition connected to the legacy of Mrs. Pauline Fauntleroy, for whom the popular field across from the Lillian Jones Recreation Center is named.
“Thank you and your family for sharing her with the community for so many years,” Tracey wrote. “We will keep her journey for many more decades to come. Forever Mrs. Pauline Fauntleroy!”
That history matters.
When the school system replaced the name George G. Kelson Elementary School with Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy, a valuable piece of community history disappeared from everyday public view.
Names connect generations.
They remind young people that somebody came before them, served their neighborhood and left behind a legacy worthy of remembrance. If we remove every name, fail to tell every story and allow every contribution to be forgotten, how will the next generation know upon whose shoulders it stands?
Tracey understands that improving Sandtown is not only about securing resources for today. It is also about protecting the people, places and stories that shaped yesterday so they can continue inspiring tomorrow.
That work is part of passing the torch.
Too often, we see people who refuse to pass the ball to the next generation. They hold onto titles, positions and perceived power long after it is time to make room for someone else.
Nothing could be more dangerous.
And this problem is not limited to the Black community. It happens in every community and within every institution. People become so attached to being in charge that they forget leadership is supposed to prepare others to lead.
Do not hesitate to pass the torch.
Find that young person—or simply someone younger than you—and pour into them. Share what you know. Introduce them to the people you know. Help them avoid the mistakes you made. Give them room to develop their own ideas and their own leadership style.
It is really that simple.
Do it or do not do it, but let us stop making excuses.
We sometimes acquire positions of so-called power or authority and begin believing the position belongs to us. But what does that authority truly mean if we are not bringing resources back to the community, organizing with a purpose, and preparing the next generation?
If you are not bringing millions of dollars back to the community—or truly organizing with a purpose—then what is the position worth?
A title without service is for naught.
As we pass our history and responsibilities forward, we should remember a word shared on Saturday by Harlem legend Virginia Douglas: There is no “I” in team.
No lasting community transformation is the work of one person. It requires elders and young people, residents and institutions, volunteers and public servants—all working together and understanding that the mission is greater than any individual title.
That is what passing the torch truly means.
Sandtown-Winchester needs people like Tracey Malone—people who are fully committed, who have hope for a better community, who understand the needs of our children and who possess a genuine heart for serving others.
As I travel around Baltimore and across the country honoring entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, I want to pause and recognize someone right here at home.
My neighbor.
My friend.
Our community leader.
Tracey has already received a Black Wall Street Award, but we can never thank her enough.
She is a diamond who has shined like the Millennium Star for the entire world to see. Through her work, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment, she is helping to make Sandtown-Winchester a better place for everybody.
Thank you for your service, Tracey Malone.
And keep swinging, champ.
