Black Wall Street

(BALTIMORE – April 20, 2026) — When we talk about Black Wall Street, we’re talking about more than business ownership. We’re talking about the full liberation of Black people — economically, educationally, and spiritually. Dr. Mark Cornelius Booker embodies that vision in real time. He is a social scientist, an educator, a former commissioner — and a man who walks into prisons not to punish, but to teach. That work alone deserves our deepest respect. Dr. Booker currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Delaware State University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate students…

Black Wall Street 15th Anniversary Year (2011-2026)

2026 SCHEDULE Black Wall Street NEW YEAR SUMMIT — January 3, Downtown Cultural Arts Center, Baltimore (Robyn Murphy keynote, honoring Maggie Lena Walker legacy) ✅ Black Wall Street SOUTHERN MARYLAND — February 24, University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland, California, MD (dedicated to Doris Cammack Spencer, 13 honorees) ✅ Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL — March 12 ✅ Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0 — April 11, Island Quizine ✅ Black Wall Street CHELSEA — April 14, 135 W 20th St Suite 302, NY Black Wall Street BENEDETTO 2.0 — April 26, 119 W. Mulberry St, Baltimore (Kevin Scott…

Black Wall Street 2026 Tour: Baltimore, Southern Maryland, New York, and Washington, D.C.

(BALTIMORE – April 12, 2026) — This didn’t start in April. This started at the top of the year — with intention. On January 3, BMORENews.com launched the 2026 season with the New Year Summit at the Downtown Cultural Arts Center in Baltimore — anchored by a powerful keynote from Robyn Murphy and rooted in the enduring legacy of Maggie Lena Walker. It was a signal. This year would be different. This year would be about ownership, alignment, and building something that lasts. Laying the Foundation On February 24, the movement expanded to Southern Maryland, where Black Wall Street convened…

Kevin Scott’s Benedetto Haberdashery Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Official Grand Opening and Black Wall Street Honors in Baltimore

(BALTIMORE – April 12, 2026) – On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Baltimore will gather at 119 W. Mulberry Street for a moment that is bigger than fashion. It’s legacy.It’s evolution.It’s Black Wall Street. At the center of it all is Kevin Scott, the visionary behind Benedetto Haberdashery, who is celebrating 25 years in business with the official grand opening of his new downtown location. The celebration will feature a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m., marking a major milestone in Scott’s journey from entrepreneur to developer. From a Hoopty to a Movement When it comes to craftsmanship, few possess Kevin…

Black Wall Street Chelsea Honoree: Baltimore’s Toni James Proves Fashion and Purpose Can Walk Hand in Hand

(NEW YORK – April 11, 2026) – When you think about Baltimore’s fashion scene, one name rises above the rest — Toni James. The owner of Katwalk Boutique in Fells Point and founder of the Education Matters Program, Toni James will be honored at the Black Wall Street Awards: Chelsea on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 135 W. 20th Street, Suite 302, in New York City. And if anyone has earned a New York stage, it is her. For more than two decades, Toni James has done what few in any industry manage to do — build something real, keep…

Black Excellence on Display: Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0 Honors Power Players Across Law, Business, and Community

(MILFORD MILL, MD – April 10, 2026) — On Saturday, April 11, 2026 (4-6 pm at IQ Bar & Grill, 8128 Liberty Road), the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards returns to Baltimore County with Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0, a powerful celebration of Black excellence, resilience, and enterprise. RSVP to blackwallstreetmilford.eventbrite.com. This latest installment of the now 15-year movement continues a legacy that has recognized more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, professionals, and change agents across the country. From boardrooms to courtrooms to grassroots organizing, this year’s Milford Mill honorees reflect the depth, diversity, and determination of Black leadership in…

Back Where It All Began: Joe Manns Black Wall Street Returns to DC for 15th Anniversary Homecoming

(WASHINGTON, DC – April 9, 2026) — Fifteen years ago, a vision took root in the nation’s capital. What started as a modest gathering of community leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates has since grown into a multi-city movement recognizing thousands of Black entrepreneurs across the country. Now, the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards returns to where it all began. On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Black Wall Street 15th Anniversary Homecoming — Washington, DC will take place at Busboys and Poets — the very city where the first awards were held. RSVP now! Limited seating:…

15 Years of Excellence: The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Celebrates a Legacy of Impact (2011–2026)

BMORENews.com  ·  April 2026  ·  15th Anniversary 15 Years of Excellence: The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Celebrates a Legacy of Impact Since 2011, a Baltimore-born movement has traveled to nine cities, honored more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, and built something the mainstream economy rarely provides for Black business owners — a room where they belong. They did not wait for permission. No major foundation funded the first ceremony. No national organization sent a directive. In 2011, in Baltimore, a decision was made to do something that sounds almost too simple to be radical: find the people doing extraordinary work…

Black Wall Street WOODLAWN Showcases West Side Excellence on June 4

(BALTIMORE COUNTY – April 7, 2026) — The mission continues. On Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., Black Wall Street WOODLAWN brings together entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders who are building, investing, and creating opportunity across Baltimore County’s west side. First, I have to thank our host, Andre Boyd, for the opportunity to showcase his facility at 6665 Security Boulevard. Alongside his wife, Boyd has invested significant time, money, and energy into creating a space capable of hosting upwards of 200 people—a true asset for the community. A member of the Boyd family basketball legacy—and the brother…

Baltimore’s Queen of Fashion: Black Wall Street Honors JODY DAVIS DESIGNS at 15 Years

(BALTIMORE – REVISED – April 20, 2026) – When you talk about Baltimore fashion, one name keeps coming up — Jody Davis. On Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards returns to downtown Baltimore to celebrate a woman who has been making women look and feel their absolute best for 15 years in business. Black Wall Street JODY DAVIS DESIGNS will be held at 110 W. Saratoga Street, and it promises to be an afternoon unlike any other. RSVP to https://blackwallstreetjodydavis.eventbrite.com. Let’s be clear: Jody Davis has been designing women’s apparel…

Where Harlem Meets the World: Black Wall Street CHELSEA Honors Richard E. Pelzer II

(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – Richard E. Pelzer II has spent more than three decades proving that community and commerce are not competing interests—they are, as he puts it, a superpower. As President and CEO of MEGA Personalities, the business development management firm he founded in New York City in 1994, Pelzer has built a career at the intersection of culture, creativity, and enterprise. His client roster reads like a who’s who of American cultural institutions: the NYSE Diversity Council, Sephora, Essence Magazine, the Apollo Theater, and the NYCxDesign Festival, among others. But what distinguishes Pelzer is not…