(BALTIMORE COUNTY – April 22, 2026) — What was done to Julian Jones should concern every serious person in this race. A digitally altered image, crafted to provoke fear within the Jewish community while distorting the identity of the first Black candidate for Baltimore County Executive, is not politics. It is not strategy. It is a deliberate act of division. Whoever is responsible understood exactly what they were doing. They attempted to inject one of the most emotionally charged conflicts in the world into a local race — not to inform voters, but to manipulate them. That is unacceptable. For generations,…

(BALTIMORE – April 16, 2026) – The issue of police violence against Black people has been a central site for the struggle against the societal dehumanization of Black people. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement published a report in 2012 that revealed that a Black person was killed once every 40 hours by police or someone acting in the capacity of law enforcement. A 2020 study from Harvard’s School of Public Health found that Black people are 3 times more likely to be killed by police. In Maryland, according to a 2015 report from the ACLU of Maryland, there were 109…

(BALTIMORE – April 10, 2026) – The proposed closure of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys shows how Baltimore City Public Schools and the State of Maryland are failing Black boys. This is not just about losing a charter school. It also reflects broader neglect of Black boys’ challenges and weakens the city’s commitment to their future. In many Baltimore schools, Black boys’ intellectual curiosity fades by third grade while frustrated teachers struggle to keep these students engaged both academically and socially. Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys was founded to support Black boys through academic rigor, role modeling, fostering self-worth, and…

(MIAMI, FL – April 6, 2026) – “The United States is experiencing the early stages of serious trouble ahead” is a statement now echoed by most American citizens and countless visitors from other countries. A belief that applies to more than one topic. The continual rise in mass unemployment due to corporate mismanagement, malfeasance, greed, and the shift towards AI technology has further kickstarted increasing income disparities. Unwarranted fear of other ethnic groups has reignited misunderstandings, ignorance, and hatred among one group towards another, which has exploded in the form of unrestrained public displays of racism. A flame that has…

(BALTIMORE – April 3, 2026) – When all else fails, society reaches for the oldest, most convenient scapegoat: the parents. When young people struggle, act out, or fall short of expectations, the narrative quickly turns to what wasn’t done at home—what values weren’t taught, what discipline wasn’t enforced, what guidance was missing. It’s a familiar refrain. It’s also incomplete and deeply flawed. Blaming parents ignores the broader ecosystem shaping today’s youth. It sidesteps the uncomfortable truth that many of our institutions—particularly our schools and public systems—are failing to meet the needs of the very children they are meant to serve.…

November 14, 2025 Letter from the Mayor Dear Washingtonians, After 43 days, the longest federal shutdown in history came to an end this week. Shutdowns hurt Americans everywhere, but they are especially devastating for those who live and work in our nation’s capital. And if nothing else has come from this shutdown, we have once again been reminded that 700,000 DC residents deserve a vote and a voice in our Congress. I say often that in DC we take care of ourselves. Especially in difficult times, we stick together and we look out for our neighbors. Throughout the shutdown, we…

(BALTIMORE – November 13, 2025) – The federal government shutdown is finally over. After 43 days — the longest in U.S. history — President Trump signed a bill to reopen, and more than a million federal workers can breathe again. Strip away the speeches about “bipartisanship” and “working together.” This shutdown made one thing clear: power matters, and it matters most when you use it. Republicans Didn’t Hesitate to Use Power For 43 days, Republicans held the line. They allowed a shutdown that furloughed workers, disrupted essential services, strained airport operations, and hit families who rely on federal programs. Democrats…

(BALTIMORE – October 27, 2025) – On or about October 16, 2025, Maryland’s Department of General Services (DGS) issued a notice to vendors adopting the position of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) regarding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Interim Final Rule (IFR) on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. In plain language, this rule removes the long-standing presumption of eligibility for firms owned by racial minorities and women. It marks a fundamental shift in how minority business participation will be recognized — not only in Maryland but across the nation. USDOT’s justification for this IFR stems from recent federal court rulings…

(BALTIMORE – October 27, 2025) – Years ago, while in Jamaica, I found myself in conversation with a Rasta. I asked him what wisdom he’d have me carry back home. He paused, smiled, and said two simple words — words I will never forget: “Love life.” Then he repeated them, slower this time. “Love life.” Today, the world feels upside down. What was left is now right. What was right is now passé. It’s as if common decency has become retro — a relic from another time. People’s mental health is stretched thin as we try to make sense of…

Are We Moors, Hebrews, or Indigenous? (BALTIMORE – October 12, 2025) – Call it cognitive dissonance—the tension we feel when new information collides with what we’ve always believed. Many of us grew up with two big narratives: that humanity’s oldest roots trace to southern Africa, and that people we call “Black” in the Americas arrived solely via the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. But what if the fuller story is more complicated? What if some of our families have been here far longer than our textbooks suggest—and what if many we call “descendants of slaves” are, in fact, descendants of prisoners of…