Maryland’s political history proves that when power changes hands, new relationships—and new opportunities—can emerge.
(BALTIMORE – August 16, 2026) – It’s been a long time coming, but change is finally here.
We knew back in 2002 that change was indeed possible.
Don’t remember that year?
That was the era of the Republican Revolution in Maryland.
Yep!
After 36 years, Maryland Republicans finally outstunted the Democrats—despite the Democrats’ 2-to-1 voter-registration advantage.
State Senator Clarence Mitchell IV did the unthinkable.
C4 challenged the Democratic establishment and publicly questioned what Black voters were receiving in exchange for their unwavering loyalty. He helped lead a political revolt that changed the balance of power in Annapolis.
So much credit is owed to C4.
I wrote about him—again—in my latest book, Black Blueprint: Baltimore to Burkina Faso.
C4 led the charge. Michael S. Steele became our celebrity. Finally, someone on a statewide Republican ticket was speaking directly to Black issues.
Damn everything else.
The Democratic Party owed Black people then, and it still owes Black people today.
In 2002, enough Black voters—especially in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City—were willing to break ranks and send the party a message.
Most Black voters remained with the Democrats, but tens of thousands supported the Ehrlich-Steele ticket. In a close statewide election, those crossover votes mattered.
The rhetoric was finally muted by the actions of Black voters who saw the holes in Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s armor.
You see, Black people have been herded into the Democratic framework by the masses—but not always to our benefit.
Truth be told, every other group in the Democratic coalition gets highlighted, courted and celebrated. Black people are expected to deliver the votes, but we are too often forgotten when the contracts, appointments and economic opportunities are distributed.
The good Black voters of Maryland—especially those in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City—gave the Democratic Party a wake-up call.
And you know what?
Things changed.
People who had controlled the governor’s mansion for 36 years had to move out of the way for a new administration.
I am not saying the new team was better.
I am not saying it was worse.
But what we do know is that when the same people have been in charge for years, and a new team comes in, opportunities tend to open where there had previously been no progress.
What do I mean?
Contracts!
If the same people keep doling out contracts to the same vendors, nothing changes. But when you clean house and bring in new people, you create a whole new set of relationships.
That creates the possibility that Black vendors—including BMORENews.com—can finally get a slice of the pie.
You see, it is not really about party.
It is about access.
And truth be told, that access often comes at a premium that many small Black businesses cannot afford.
No, I am not suggesting pay-to-play.
I am saying that without the right relationships, introductions, and people inside government who know your work, a small business can remain invisible—regardless of how capable it may be.
Without access, one’s business goes nowhere.
When Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Lt. Gov. Michael Steele came into office, Coppin State University received the largest investment in its history.
Major projects moved forward, including the Health and Human Services Building and the Physical Education Complex. The campus expanded beyond its traditional boundaries—from Gwynns Falls Parkway down toward Baker Street.
That investment did more than construct buildings. It changed Coppin’s physical presence and expanded the university’s footprint in West Baltimore.
Today, we are witnessing another major wave of investment.
Gov. Wes Moore recently announced $118 million for a new Frederick Douglass High School.
That is on top of the $71 million committed to the West North Avenue Development Authority—an initial $50 million investment plus another $21 million for the corridor.
State Senator Antonio Hayes and Councilman James Torrence are to be commended.
Particular kudos must go to State Senator Antonio Hayes for working across party lines with then-Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford to establish the West North Avenue Development Authority.
Hayes sponsored the legislation with Delegate Marlon Amprey. Gov. Larry Hogan signed it into law in 2021, and Rutherford was an important partner in helping bring the vision to life.
There is some history here.
Antonio Hayes was on Team KKT—Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s team—back in 2002.
When the campaign lost, I told him to hang in there and not give up.
One loss is one loss.
It does not have to define your future.
Antonio stayed in the game. He became more involved in politics, was elected to the House of Delegates, and ultimately became a state senator.
Today, he is building on top of the historic expansion of Coppin State University and helping direct investment throughout West Baltimore.
That is what perseverance looks like.
Former Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford must also be commended for helping transform the 2100 block of West North Avenue.
Many longtime residents remember the former Penn Candy warehouse. Others remember it as the warehouse briefly taken over by the late Melvin “Little Melvin” Williams.
Since then, Rasheed Aziz and Citywide Youth Development have transformed the property into the EMAGE Center—Entrepreneurs Making and Growing Enterprises.
The facility supports local manufacturing and entrepreneurship, including BMore Clothing and Frozen Desert Sorbet, while creating space for other Baltimore businesses to grow.
That is what real development should look like: taking a building with a complicated history and turning it into a place where Black people manufacture products, build businesses, and create jobs.
That is bigger than a ribbon-cutting.
It demonstrates what can happen when political relationships are used to produce tangible results for Black communities.
Finally, somebody has brought home the bacon.
Sadly, this money did not come overnight.
It has been a 24-year process—one that initially gained momentum during a Republican gubernatorial administration that recognized where Maryland’s Democratic establishment had historically and drastically failed its Black constituents.
But this is not an endorsement of one political party over another.
Black voters do not have permanent friends.
We have permanent interests.
That does not mean Black voters should become Republicans.
It does not mean we should blindly remain Democrats.
It means Black voters must become politically strategic.
Our votes should never be free.
Our loyalty should never be automatic.
Whichever party wants Black votes must demonstrate—in contracts, capital investments, appointments, business opportunities and neighborhood development—what Black communities are receiving in return.
At the end of the day, it is not about red.
It is not about blue.
It is about Black.
And it is about access.
