(BALTIMORE – June 22, 2025) – This has been an eventful week. With next Friday’s Doni Glover 6.0 celebration coming quickly, the work doesn’t stop — and neither does the news. Despite the many hats I wear as an entrepreneur and emerging businessman, at heart I am still a journalist through and through. So when stories break, I pay attention. And when they matter to my community, I cover them.
Three stories captured my attention this week:
First, a young man named Bilal “BJ” Abdullah was shot by police on Laurens Street.
Second, State Senator Cory McCray was the subject of negative press coverage by a local outlet that lacked cultural competency and community understanding.
Third, the U.S. and Israel launched a military strike against Iran, sending geopolitical shockwaves that could escalate into a global catastrophe.
What do these stories have in common?
They all reinforce why we need Black media. They remind us why we must tell our own stories, from our own lens, through our own truth. And they show why the work of platforms like BMORENews.com — nearing our 23rd year — remains not just relevant, but vital.
Baltimore is unique. We are one of the few cities in America blessed with a robust Black press: The Afro, The Baltimore Times, WEAA, Radio One, and, of course, BMORENews.com. We’re the youngest of the bunch — digital natives born online. But we’ve made our contributions, and we continue to do so. Whether we’re covering East Baltimore or East Africa, our perspective is rooted in the Black experience, wherever in the Diaspora we may be — Canada, Jamaica, Brooklyn, Atlanta.
Which brings me back to Laurens Street.
In the aftermath of BJ’s shooting, a flood of groups and agencies showed up on Pennsylvania Avenue. I saw the cameras. I saw the outrage. But amid all the foot traffic and good intentions, someone missed the 600-pound gorilla on the corner: the young people who frequent Pennsylvania and Laurens aren’t asking for a press conference — they’re asking for a job. They’re asking for food.
With all the resources mobilized and all the folks in tailored suits coming through, who in their infinite wisdom is going to do something radical and meaningful?
How about pulling up with six limousines — not for show, but for service — and taking those young adults to the Center Club or The Capital Grille for a meal and a conversation about employment? Real talk. Real opportunity. Real respect.
Because that’s what’s missing: access and intentional engagement. Not another task force. Not another hashtag.
As for the international front, the Israel–Iran conflict is perhaps the most frightening escalation of warfare we’ve seen in recent years. While many fear the start of WWIII, I’m watching how the world responds — China condemning the attack, the UK standing firm with the US, and the threat of nuclear war looming large. It’s time we all understand the term MAD — Mutually Assured Destruction. One wrong move from one foolish leader, and we all lose.
From Laurens Street to Tel Aviv to Tehran, we are watching systems fail, lives hang in the balance, and people cry out for dignity. And that’s why journalism — especially Black journalism — matters more than ever.
Like Bob Marley said: “So much trouble in the world.”
And Steel Pulse wasn’t lying either:
“I thought judgement would come, when dem drop de neutron bomb… and man was heading for extinction.”
This Friday, we celebrate BMORENews.com and honor those who’ve fought to keep Black voices alive in media. But today, we stay grounded in our purpose:
📍 Covering Black history — one story at a time.
✊🏽 From Laurens Street to the world.
