(MILFORD MILL, MD – June 15, 2026) – Before there was a Kenneth Oliver.
Before there was an Adrienne Jones.
Before there was a Julian Jones.
Before there was a N. Scott Phillips.
Before there was a Black Speaker of the House.
Before there was a Black Chairman of the Baltimore County Council.
Before there was a Chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus.
There was Dr. Ella White Campbell.
If Baltimore County has a Harriet Tubman of modern Black political power, her name is Dr. Ella White Campbell.
Long before many of today’s elected officials held office, Dr. Campbell was organizing, mentoring, strategizing, and building pathways for Black leadership. Liberty Road was not merely a roadway. It was an organizing corridor. It was where relationships were forged, ideas were tested, and futures were imagined.
She understood something every generation must eventually learn:
Power is not inherited.
Power is built.
And once built, it must be protected.
For decades, Black families, pastors, educators, business owners, activists, and community leaders worked to create political opportunities in Baltimore County that previous generations could scarcely imagine.
Those efforts produced results.
Kenneth Oliver became the first Black member of the Baltimore County Council.
That accomplishment cannot be overstated.
His election represented a breakthrough that many people had spent years pursuing. Under his leadership, the district attracted major economic development, including Walmart, Home Depot, and the area’s first sit-down restaurant. Whether one agreed with every decision is beside the point. The point is that political power was being translated into tangible investment.
The baton moved forward.
Then came Adrienne Jones.
Her rise to Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates placed a Black woman from Baltimore County in one of the most powerful positions in Maryland government.
The baton moved forward again.
Then came Julian Jones.
Not once.
Not twice.
Not three times.
Four times.
Julian Jones served as Chairman of the Baltimore County Council four times, an achievement that would have seemed unimaginable to many of the people who fought to create Black political representation in the county.
The baton moved forward.
And today, Delegate N. Scott Phillips serves as Chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus.
Think about that for a moment.
The district that helped produce the county’s first Black councilman, a Speaker of the House, a four-time Council Chairman, and now the Chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus has compiled a remarkable record of political achievement.
That did not happen by accident.
That happened because generations of people built something.
Which brings me to Juneteenth.
For weeks, I have listened to conversations about endorsements, campaign literature, political alliances, and political strategy. Like many of you, I have my opinions.
Some strong ones.
But the older I get, the more I find myself thinking less about personalities and more about stewardship.
I remember when Johnny Olszewski ran for Baltimore County Executive.
Many people forget that at one point, he was running behind better-known candidates. He was also the only major candidate in the race who chose to advertise with BMORENews.
The Sunday before the election, we held an event in Randallstown.
About 30 people attended.
A few days later, Johnny Olszewski won by 17 votes.
Seventeen.
Not seventeen thousand.
Seventeen.
That experience taught me something I have never forgotten.
People underestimate the power of community.
People underestimate the power of Black media.
People underestimate the power of relationships.
And people underestimate the power of a handful of committed individuals who understand the moment.
That is why Randallstown matters.
That is why Woodlawn matters.
That is why Owings Mills matters.
That is why Liberty Road matters.
These communities represent decades of organizing, sacrifice, coalition-building, and political engagement.
The question has never been whether Black political power exists in Baltimore County.
The question is whether we appreciate what it took to build it.
Today, Baltimore County stands before another historic opportunity.
Julian Jones has the chance to become the first Black County Executive in Baltimore County history.
Whether voters support him is their decision.
That is democracy.
But nobody can deny the significance of the moment.
This election is not simply about a candidate.
It is about a continuum.
A lineage.
A relay race.
Dr. Ella White Campbell carried the baton.
Kenneth Oliver carried the baton.
Adrienne Jones carried the baton.
Julian Jones carried the baton.
N. Scott Phillips now carries the baton.
The question is not whether the baton exists.
The question is whether we understand its value.
Because a district that has produced this much Black political achievement should be setting the standard for political unity, strategic thinking, and community stewardship.
That is not criticism.
That is expectation.
Juneteenth is not simply a celebration of freedom.
It is a reminder of responsibility.
Every generation inherits opportunities that previous generations fought to create.
Our responsibility is not merely to enjoy those opportunities.
Our responsibility is to strengthen them, protect them, and pass them forward.
That is what stewardship looks like.
That is what leadership requires.
And that is what Dr. Ella White Campbell spent her life teaching us.
This Juneteenth, remember the history.
Remember the sacrifice.
Remember the victories.
Remember the people who built what we now enjoy.
Then ask yourself a simple question:
What are we going to do with the baton?
The answer will shape Baltimore County long after this election is over.
