BALTIMORE — Economic development isn’t always about skyscrapers, billion-dollar projects, or ribbon cuttings. Sometimes it’s about preparing people for careers, connecting neighborhoods to opportunity, and ensuring that the economic benefits of a growing city reach everyone. That is the work of Mia Blom. The Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs for Visit Baltimore and Executive Director of the Visit Baltimore Education and Training Foundation will be honored with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, Wednesday, August 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the PS 103…

(BALTIMORE – July 1, 2026) — Curtis Dunham is a man who has earned his stripes — and then some. A Baltimore native who grew up in the rough streets of the city, Dunham refused to let his environment define his destiny. He survived a neighborhood that claimed many, navigated the prison system, lost a son, and still came out standing — and smiling. “I just don’t break,” he says simply. “I just started working. I started looking out for myself.” Now in his 60s, Dunham works at the Port of Baltimore, driving trucks off the ships — a CDL-certified…

Derrick Whiting to Receive Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award at Black Wall Street Summit (BALTIMORE – July 1, 2026) — When people talk about second chances, Derrick Whiting talks about first responsibilities. For years, the Baltimore civic leader has quietly become one of the city’s most respected voices on reentry, trauma-informed care, criminal justice reform, and community empowerment. On Wednesday, August 5, Whiting will be recognized with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, hosted by BMORENews and BlackUSA.News at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center. The…

(BALTIMORE, MD – June 29, 2026) — For years, while many talked about expanding opportunity in Baltimore County, Linda Dorsey Walker organized, researched, testified, educated, and pushed elected officials to confront one of the county’s most important questions: Who gets represented? On August 5, Linda Dorsey-Walker will be honored with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit at the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center in Baltimore. The award recognizes individuals whose leadership strengthens Black communities through business, civic engagement, education, public service, and institution building. Few have devoted more time to increasing Black political representation…

The Architect’s Great-Niece (BALTIMORE – July 2026) — Where I come from, we didn’t make excuses. We took the hand we were dealt. We learned gratitude for what we had. We studied. We worked. We saved. We prayed. We respected our elders. We were taught to say “Yes, ma’am.” “No, sir.” “Excuse me.” “Thank you.” And we were taught something else that seems to get lost today. Leadership is responsibility. Responsibility carries consequences. And no community survives very long unless its people understand one simple truth: Your neighbor is your natural ally. You don’t have to agree on everything. You…

As the Black Wall Street Summit arrives on August 5, Doni Glover’s Black Blueprint: Baltimore to Burkina Faso finally gets the stage it deserves—and perhaps the moment it was written for. (BALTIMORE – June 27, 2026) – “I was never meant to be a statistic. I was raised to be a solution.” Those are the first words of Black Blueprint. Every time I read them, I’m transported back to North Avenue. Back to the crack epidemic. Back to liquor stores on every corner. Back to schools that struggled. Back to friends who never made it out. And back to my parents—Doc…

Anthony Jones Has Earned This Moment (BALTIMORE, MD – June 27, 2026) — Some people make a lot of noise on their way up. Others simply go to work. Anthony Jones has always struck me as the latter. A week ago, Jones announced that he had been elected Vice Chair of the Maryland Information Network (MdInfoNet) Board of Directors. “I’m honored to share that I have been elected Vice Chair of the Maryland Information Network (MdInfoNet) Board of Directors. Over my professional career, I’ve learned that strong communities are built on access, connection, and trusted information. I’m excited to work…

The Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition Featuring The Doni Glover Show LIVE and the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards (BALTIMORE, MD – June 26, 2026) —In celebration of National Black Business Month, BMORENews and BlackUSA.News present The Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, featuring The Doni Glover Show LIVE and the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards. Building on more than 15 years of honoring Black excellence through the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, the Summit expands the conversation by bringing together public leaders, entrepreneurs, developers, business owners, and community builders…

(BALTIMORE – June 21, 2026) – My father, Donald Edward Glover—known to everyone as “Doc Glover”—was a highly skilled mortician and funeral director. He owned Glover’s Funeral Chapel, first located at 1701–1703 Patterson Park Avenue. That was the first place I called home. Later, we moved to 712–714 East North Avenue, between Boone and Homewood, where I lived until about 1974, before returning to my mother’s home at 1526 Moreland Avenue in West Baltimore. Doc Glover was a tough man, but he loved his family deeply. He went to church every Sunday—not what some would call a “holy roller,” but a…

(SOUTHEAST DC – June 17, 2026) – Ron Busby is from Oakland, and, of course, I’m from Baltimore. We agreed, as we sat in Busboys & Poets in Southeast, DC, that Southeast has that certain je ne sais quoi. That pop. That “you know you’re in the Black community” kind of vibe — especially having traveled places where our numbers aren’t as strong. When I travel, I want to see my people. Brooklyn. Southeast DC. Southwest Atlanta. I love to go and see the vibe I know so well. I assure you some music will be coming out of some…