(NEW ORLEANS – June 7, 2025) – I’ve seen the documentaries. I’ve heard the music. I’ve long admired the mystique of New Orleans from a distance. But nothing compares to being there—feeling the pulse of the city in real time. After closing out Black Wall Street NOLA 2025 at 2 Phat Vegans in the heart of the French Quarter, I walked away with this truth etched deep in my spirit: the energy of Black New Orleans isn’t just present—it’s powerful, alive, and electrifying. I don’t pretend to be a New Orleans historian. But as a lifelong student of Black history…

(BALTIMORE – May 23, 2025) – Eight days apart. That’s all that separates my daughter’s graduation from Coppin State University and mine from Morgan State University. Two generations. Two degrees. Two historically Black colleges and universities — both in the heart of Baltimore. For me, this is more than a personal achievement. It’s legacy. It’s healing. It’s redemption. It’s God. When I first set foot on the campus of Morehouse College, I had no idea my mother would be gone just two years later. She gave everything so I could attend what I still consider the greatest HBCU in America. Morehouse…

Founder, BMORENews.com | BlackUSA.News | The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards (BALTIMORE – May 20, 2025) – On May 31, 1921, 104 years ago, Tulsa’s Greenwood District—known as Black Wall Street—was burned to the ground. Over 300 people were killed. Black wealth, dreams, and institutions were destroyed in what remains one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in American history. As we commemorate that tragedy, we must also confront our own moment. It’s time to talk. We, Black Baltimoreans—including our brothers and sisters in the surrounding Baltimore County—need to have an honest, unapologetic, and forward-looking conversation about our…

(BALTIMORE – May 19, 2025) – It is so interesting that as I am researching and writing on strategizing Black economic wealth and power in the United States for my next book, this particular day – Monday, May 19, 2025 – is Malcolm X’s 100th birthday. Honestly, it wasn’t the first thing on my mind today. What’s on my mind is presenting the very best manuscript I can muster to bring light, clarity, and solutions to the dilemmas facing my community. In fact, a part of this struggle is a very important topic we, as a people, are often afraid…

(RANDALLSTOWN – May 13, 2025) – We have a serious problem in Randallstown. Before I go any further, let me be clear: I love this community. I’ve been coming here since I was a teenager, visiting my siblings and their families. I remember Cook’s on Liberty and Rolling Road. I remember the vibes at Sista’s Place — always a solid spot for a good time. I’ve shot countless hoops at Scotts Branch. I even served as the inaugural editor of Kenny Brown’s Northwest Voice newspaper for its first six months. I’ve had a front-row seat to the story of this…

(BALTIMORE – May 12, 2025) – In my world of media, business, and politics in Baltimore, there has never been a greater champion for Black-owned businesses than Robert Lee “Bob” Clay. He was shot to death on May 16, 2005. Officially, it was labeled a suicide. But the facts don’t add up. Bob was right-handed. Yet the bullet entered the left side of his head. That defies logic. At the time, then-Mayor Martin O’Malley was campaigning hard for the Governor’s seat in the 2006 election. And Bob Clay? He was campaigning just as hard against him — running up and down…

(BALTIMORE – May 11, 2025) – In light of all that this current administration has done to demean and degrade Black people in America, I want to take a moment and thank all of the Black women on this Mother’s Day! Nobody tells y’all that you are the mother of humanity. Hell naw! Especially in America. This society doesn’t revere you like it should, even though you give life to us all. Maybe I’ve read too many history books because the image of a Black woman breastfeeding white plantation owners’ babies sticks in my mind like ‘dirty rice.’ The brutal reality…

Unequal contracts, unseen advocates, and the unstoppable rise of Black women in business (BALTIMORE – May 8, 2025) – In Maryland, the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program was created to ensure that certified minority-owned businesses receive at least 29% of the total dollar value of state procurement contracts, either directly or through subcontracting. Baltimore City shares this 29% goal, applying it across 70 agencies and departments. Yet, despite the promise of equity, the reality falls short. According to Wayne Frazier, President of the Maryland-Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA), white women are the primary beneficiaries of this program, more so than any…

(BALTIMORE – May 3, 2025) – More than 25 years ago, LaRian Finney launched his entrepreneurial journey—and never looked back. A proud son of Cherry Hill and graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Finney has become one of Baltimore’s most influential entertainment curators. He’s a master at drawing crowds for unforgettable musical experiences that span generations and genres. From the steps of City Hall to Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore Peninsula, and now full circle, back again to Hopkins Plaza, his signature event, Jazzy Summer Nights, has remained a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar. Over the years, he’s brought icons like Fertile…

(BALTIMORE – May 3, 2025) – We all know the landscape. You can go right, or you can go left. It’s that simple. Those in the middle – on the fence – ayeee! You may as well go home. For all of my young brothers in Baltimore, if there is one single piece of advice I can think of, it’s travel. See the world. Go to Africa, Europe, South America, Wisconsin, California – just go and see how other people live. Travel provides the greatest education, one you will never find in a book. One thing you get is a better…