(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – Long before Taylor Varga was coordinating with the NYPD and helping manage one of the most iconic public spaces on the planet, they were standing in the spotlight on Broadway — earning the Best Actor award at the Jimmy Awards in 2013. That early chapter foreshadowed everything that would follow: a career built at the intersection of performance, production, and public life. Taylor’s connection to Times Square began not as a professional, but as a freshman intern at the Times Square Alliance in 2015. Something about the work — or perhaps the place…

(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – There are people who study injustice from a distance. And then there are people who lived it — who carry it in their bones — and chose to turn that experience into a weapon for change. John Royster is the latter. A justice-impacted individual, John Royster knows firsthand what it means to be swallowed by a system that was never designed to rehabilitate — only to contain. But where others might have been broken by that reality, John emerged with clarity, conviction, and an unshakable mission: the eradication of mass incarceration of people of…

(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – When you have spent years working alongside one of the most consequential civil rights voices in American history, you either fold under the weight of that legacy or you rise to carry it forward. Gina C. Williams chose to rise. A former corporate employee of the National Action Network (NAN), Gina had the rare distinction of working directly under the Reverend Al Sharpton — frontline warrior, living legend, and unapologetically controversial champion in the fight against racial prejudice and injustice. That proximity to power wasn’t a title. It was a calling. Gina answered…

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…

(New York, NY) — New York didn’t just inspire me—it sharpened my purpose. For years, my work has taken me to Harlem—specifically 275 Malcolm X Boulevard, just below 124th Street, home to the Harlem Business Alliance. That space, and the people in it, have played a meaningful role in our national push for Black economic empowerment. Leaders like Walter Edwards, Regina Smith, and Tasemere Gathers have stood with us for over 15 years as we’ve produced the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards across the country. Their consistency, their commitment, and their belief in the work have helped make New…

(NEW YORK — April 2, 2026) — In the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea district, the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards will honor Baltimore-based fashion designer, author, and entrepreneur Jody Davis — founder of Jody Davis Designs — as she celebrates 15 years in business. The moment is both timely and intentional. “This is a natural progression,” said BMORENews publisher Doni Glover. “We honored Kevin Scott for his 25th anniversary. Now, it’s only right that we celebrate Jody. She runs her own enterprise — and she’s been doing it for 15 years. Given her love for New York and Chelsea,…

Honoree: Emanuel J. Stanley, 33° (BALTIMORE – April 1, 2026) – Emanuel J. Stanley, 33°, has built a life defined by service — to his country, his community, and a centuries-old tradition of Black excellence, brotherhood, and civic responsibility. As the 26th Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Maryland and Its Jurisdiction, Inc., Stanley served as chief executive officer of one of Maryland’s most historic and influential fraternal institutions, overseeing thousands of members statewide with international affiliations. On Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 8128 Liberty…

(NEW YORK – April 1, 2026) – Edward Harrison knows the criminal justice system not as an observer — but as someone who lived it for over four decades. A formerly incarcerated person who spent more than 40 years navigating in and out of the prison system, Edward Harrison carries a truth that no policy paper, no commission report, and no government study can replicate: the truth of a man who was there. What Edward witnessed inside those walls would shake the conscience of any taxpaying citizen — a system where the very people funded to serve as watchdogs became…

(BROOKLYN, NY – April 1, 2026) – Nathaniel B. Evans is a Brooklyn native who has lived the criminal justice story from every angle — on the streets, behind the walls, and within the halls of government. With over 15 years of experience navigating and challenging a system that too often fails the communities it claims to serve, Nathaniel brings an unmatched depth of perspective to his work. As a Community Organizer for Justice & Safety for the NYC Public Advocate, Nathaniel has transformed personal experience into powerful public advocacy — bridging the gap between those who have been impacted…

Human rights activist, artist, and organizer recognized for his leadership on justice, reentry, and human dignity (NEW YORK, NY – March 31, 2026) — Black Wall Street CHELSEA will honor Mr. Five Mualimmak, a prominent human rights activist, artist, and organizer whose life’s work has been dedicated to challenging the carceral state and uplifting people directly impacted by incarceration. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 4 to 6 PM at 135 West 20th Street, Suite 302, New York, NY. Born into a legacy of resistance and service as the child of Black Panther Party members,…