(BALTIMORE – August 23, 2026) – Frederick Wright has spent much of his life getting things done. Before he became a veteran Urban League executive, before he developed health and quality-of-life programs across the country, and before he began advising a new generation of nonprofit leaders, Wright was a Baltimore basketball player coming of age during one of the most important periods in the city’s sports history. He did not hear about that history secondhand. He lived it. Born in East Baltimore on September 18, 1954, Wright moved into the Somerset housing projects when he was four years old. His…

(BALTIMORE — August 22, 2026) – Before basketball became a business, it was a bond. It was the sound of a ball bouncing against concrete. At Cloverdale, that sound rises from a thin sliver of land along the edge of Druid Hill Park, directly across Druid Park Drive from one of Baltimore’s greatest treasures. Cloverdale sits in a complicated little pocket of West Baltimore, where McCulloh Street and Druid Park Drive meet a steady stream of traffic moving south, east and west. Cars are always passing. The city is always moving. Yet basketball players have always known exactly how to…

(BALTIMORE – August 22, 2026) — Now, this legend story is very special. Derick Boyd is my elementary school classmate. We are the same age, born around the same time, and we have maintained our friendship for more than half a century. That alone is a blessing. Conducting these “Legends of Baltimore: Beyond the Game” interviews has helped me better understand my own childhood. Although sports was certainly a part of my story, my childhood was also deeply connected to business. While Derick and the other young ballplayers were handling the rock, I was handling newspapers. I had an AFRO…

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. (BALTIMORE – August 21, 2026) — I saw a comment online that rubbed me the wrong way. “That ain’t gonna work.” Maybe it was, “How is that going to work?” Whatever the exact words, the message was clear. It was the familiar voice of doubt—another person standing on the sidelines, criticizing Baltimore and questioning what our people can accomplish. I did not appreciate it. Doubt is easy from the sidelines. Building something requires vision, work, and courage. I never met William Henry “Chick” Webb. He…

The world-renowned boxing trainer has never forgotten his roots—or the young people who still enter Upton Boxing looking for hope By Doni Glover | BMORENews.com — The News Before the News (BALTIMORE – August 19, 2026) — He is a hero in these streets. Why? Because the young people know he is authentic. They know he does not wish them any harm—and that means everything. I’m talking about the young people along Historic Pennsylvania Avenue near the Avenue Market. For some, this is a part of Baltimore rarely ventured into. There is a stigma, and it has stuck. HBO’s The…

(BALTIMORE – August 17, 2026) – There are legends. And then there are champions. Not all legends are champions. And not all champions become legends. I noted this distinction in a previous Legends of Baltimore column while reflecting on a conversation with legendary Dunbar coach Bob Wade about Muhammad Ali. Ali’s greatness was born out of his love for his people. He was not afraid of his people. He did not need bodyguards separating him from the very community that loved him. Ali gave love, and he received love in return. Michael “Silk” Dukes carries a similar spirit. He is…

(BALTIMORE – August 16, 2026) – It was a super-duper, super-busy Saturday in historic West Baltimore. From Harlem Park to Sandtown-Winchester, Gilmor Street was alive with brotherhood, basketball, poetry, African drumming, community service, filmmaking, and Black cultural expression. And at the center of it all were Black men. Black men were up and down Gilmor Street setting the world on fire—in a good way. They were collecting shoes for people in need. They were organizing basketball games for the next generation. They were beating African drums, celebrating Marcus Garvey, creating opportunities for vendors and restoring a historic Black theater. These…

From Baltimore’s recreation centers to more than 500 victories at St. Frances Academy, Coach William Wells used basketball to educate, protect and empower generations of young people. (BALTIMORE – August 13, 2026) – There are coaches who win games. There are coaches who build programs. Then there are coaches who spend a lifetime building people. Coach William Wells did all three. His name is inseparable from The Dome at Madison Square in historic East Baltimore, where generations of players came to compete, earn their reputations and learn lessons that extended far beyond basketball. The outdoor court became one of Baltimore’s…

(BALTIMORE – August 10, 2026) – When I hear the word “legend,” I think back to Dunbar. The basketball players—particularly the starting five—were legends way back then. There was a mystique surrounding them. You could feel it in the hallways, in the gym, and throughout the school. But Poets know that mystique is earned through hard work. There are no shortcuts. You must outwork the competition. You must be mentally fit, and your spirit had better be right. Above all, you must be prepared—especially physically prepared. Your body must be conditioned to execute what your mind demands, even when you…

(BALTIMORE – August 8, 2026) – Baltimore basketball has a way of producing more than players. It produces builders—people who take what they learned on the blacktop and hardwood and turn it into something that outlasts the final buzzer. Keith Goodie is one of them. Ask around Baltimore’s basketball circles, and nobody begins with Goodie’s statistics. They talk about his humility, his knowledge and his willingness to serve. “He cares. He shows up.” That is how I would sum up Coach Goodie after speaking with people who know him. He understands the meaning of give-back. He shows up, assists, and…