(BALTIMORE – May 24, 2026) — Few leaders in Baltimore today embody resilience, vision, and execution quite like Shelonda Stokes. On Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6 to 8 pm at Jody Davis Designs, BMORENews.com, and the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards — JODY DAVIS will proudly honor Stokes for her extraordinary leadership in business, economic development, and the continued revitalization of Downtown Baltimore. The event is part of the 15th Anniversary celebration of the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, which has honored more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, professionals, educators, advocates, and community leaders across nine American cities. Guests…

(BALTIMORE – May 23, 2026) – In the world of Baltimore County hospitality, few names carry the kind of weight that Ania Pettiford has earned — not overnight, but over more than a decade of showing up, leveling up, and never settling for anything less than exceptional. It started in 2012, when a young Ania walked through the doors of the Windsor Inn as a server. She was observant, hungry to learn, and already developing the instincts that would define her career. She worked her way up — earning her bartending license from the Maryland Bartending Academy in Glen Burnie —…

(BALTIMORE – May 23, 2026) — There is a woman on West Saratoga Street who has spent the last fifteen years quietly building something beautiful. Her name is Jody Davis. And on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Baltimore will pause to celebrate her. BMORENews.com is proud to present the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards in honor of the 15th Anniversary of Jody Davis Designs, from 6 to 8 pm at 110 W. Saratoga Street in downtown Baltimore. If you have never stepped inside her boutique, let that be the night. Now, if you have been following BMORENews.com and the Joe…

(WOODLAWN – May 23, 2026) – Some people find their calling. Janelle Shorter was born into hers. At just 18 years old, she stepped into the world of hospitality and never looked back — not because the road was easy, but because she understood something that can’t be taught: that great service is, at its core, an act of love. Janelle doesn’t just serve drinks. She curates experiences. From personalizing cocktails to orchestrating private events, she has built a reputation for turning first-time patrons into lifelong family. That’s the standard she has set — and the standard she exceeds, week…

(WOODLAWN – May 21, 2026) — Some people stumble into their life’s calling. Frances Parks was born knowing hers. As a little girl, she would line up her dolls and teach them — a childhood ritual that turned out to be a rehearsal for a career spanning more than four decades and touching thousands of young lives across Baltimore City Public Schools. Parks, a proud graduate of Hampton Institute — now Hampton University — spent 42 years in education, first as a classroom teacher and then rising through the ranks to serve as an assistant principal for six years before…

BMORENews.com and the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards will recognize longtime James Mosher Baseball President William Neal on June 4, 2026, for decades of mentorship, leadership, and unwavering commitment to Baltimore’s youth. (WOODLAWN 0 May 21, 2026) – Some people become fixtures in a community. Not because they sought attention. Not because they chased applause. But because year after year, decade after decade, they simply showed up. Mr. William Neal is one of those men. For many of us who grew up in West Baltimore, James Mosher Baseball was more than a league. It was structure. It was discipline. It…

(WOODLAWN, MD – May 2026) — After months of honoring Black excellence across Baltimore County, BMORENews.com is preparing to close out the tour in grand fashion with Black Wall Street WOODLAWN, set for Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6665 Security Blvd. RSVP to https://blackwallstreetwoodlawn.eventbrite.com. Presented as part of the nationally recognized Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards series, the event promises an evening of celebration, networking, inspiration, and recognition of individuals who continue to uplift their communities through leadership, service, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. “This event will not disappoint,” said veteran journalist and BMORENews.com publisher Doni…

Photos by Lafon Porter (SPARROWS POINT – May 12, 2026) – When the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards came to Sparrows Point on May 9 at the Pleasant Yacht Club, most people came to celebrate the honorees — the community titans, entrepreneurs, pastors, public servants, and living legends of Turner Station who have quietly held Black Baltimore together for generations. And rightfully so. Every honoree deserved every moment of recognition they received that evening. But somewhere between the applause, the fellowship, and the stories being shared across the room, something else became undeniable. The real gem at Sparrows Point…

Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Returns to Downtown Baltimore on May 28 (BALTIMORE – May 12, 2026) – When you talk about the future of clean energy, workforce development, and economic justice in Maryland, one name continues to rise to the top — Cherie Brooks. On Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards will honor Brooks, Visionary Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Power52 Foundation, for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of environmental sustainability and economic empowerment. Held at 110 W. Saratoga Street in downtown Baltimore, Black Wall Street JODY…

Special thanks to Fulton Bank, R.E. Harrington, Pleasant Yacht Club’s Lafon Porter, Esquire, Constellation Energy, and Derrick Jones Funeral Home (SPARROWS POINT, MD – May 11, 2026) – Being from Baltimore — West Baltimore, that is — Dundalk, Essex, Sparrows Point… all of that always felt like another part of the world to me. Not unfamiliar, just different terrain. But anybody who understands Baltimore understands the Eastside’s importance: the water, the port, the ships, the cargo. Commerce moving in and out like a heartbeat. Jobs — real jobs — sustaining families and communities for generations. And nestled within that industrial landscape…