Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Continues 2026 Tour Celebrating Excellence Across Communities
(BALTIMORE COUNTY – April 5, 2025) — The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards continues its landmark 2026 season with Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0, set for Saturday, April 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., honoring one of the Baltimore region’s most formidable husband-and-wife legal teams — David and Tonya Baña.
Now in its 15th year, the Black Wall Street Awards has become a national platform recognizing entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders who exemplify excellence, resilience, and impact. The Milford Mill installment underscores a continued commitment to highlighting talent and leadership in Northwest Baltimore County.
RSVP: blackwallstreetmilford.eventbrite.com
Two Lawyers. One Mission.
David and Tonya Baña have built their careers around a shared conviction: that working people deserve skilled, fearless legal representation when they’ve been wronged.
Together, they represent the very essence of Black Wall Street — professionals leveraging their expertise not only to build successful careers, but to advocate for fairness, accountability, and justice in the workplace.
David Baña: Reinvention with Purpose
David Baña’s journey to the courtroom reflects discipline, experience, and determination. The son of immigrant parents from Galicia, Spain, he was raised with a deep respect for education and hard work — values that continue to shape his legal practice today.
A graduate of Calvert Hall College High School and Loyola College in Maryland, David spent 13 years in the insurance industry before pursuing his law degree at the University of Baltimore School of Law. That experience gave him critical insight into how workplace systems operate — and how they sometimes fail employees.
Today, he represents plaintiffs in employment-related civil actions across Maryland, fighting on behalf of individuals who have experienced unlawful workplace practices.
Tonya Baña: Elite Training, Local Impact
A Baltimore native and graduate of Woodlawn High School, Tonya Baña brings both elite academic credentials and real-world experience to her work.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her law degree from Stanford Law School, later spending nearly a decade representing employers at some of the most respected employment law firms in the Baltimore-Washington region.
But her career took a decisive turn.
Recognizing the imbalance in access to high-quality legal representation, Tonya launched her own practice to serve individuals facing workplace discrimination and civil rights violations — applying the same level of excellence she once delivered on the defense side.
It’s a full-circle journey: Baltimore roots, world-class education, and a career centered on justice.
The Black Wall Street Legacy Continues
Founded in 2011 by BMORENews.com publisher Doni Glover, the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards has honored more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and professionals across nine cities nationwide.
The 2026 season reflects a growing, multi-city movement:
- Saturday, April 11, 2026 — Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0 (Baltimore County)
- Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — Black Wall Street CHELSEA (New York City)
- Saturday, May 9, 2026 — Black Wall Street SPARROWS POINT
- Saturday, May 23, 2026 – Black Wall Street JODY DAVIS DESIGNS 15th Anniversary
- Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Black Wall Street WOODLAWN (Baltimore County)
Each stop represents a continued investment in recognizing excellence where it lives — in neighborhoods, in businesses, and in the people building stronger communities every day.
Join Us
Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0 is more than an awards ceremony — it is a celebration of purpose, power, and progress.
Join us as we honor David and Tonya Baña, two attorneys who are not just practicing law, but using it to defend dignity, protect rights, and uplift others.
RSVP: blackwallstreetmilford.eventbrite.com
Doni Glover is the founder and publisher of BMORENews.com, now in its 24th year covering Black Baltimore. He is also the host of the Emmy-nominated Doni Glover Podcast, The Doni Glover TV Show, and a longtime advocate for Black entrepreneurship and community empowerment.
