By Doni Glover, Publisher
(BALTIMORE – May 20, 2024) – Early this morning, I received an urgent call from Ven McCormick to be present at The Lord’s Church at 5010 Park Heights Avenue, at the request of Dr. Andrey Bundley. Dr. Bundley and I go way back to his days as Vice Principal at Harlem Park Middle School, a time when I covered his impactful work for the Sandtown-Winchester ViewPoint Newspaper as part of my education beat. His dedication to teaching and the community is evident, rooted deeply in the intersection of Brookfield and Whitelock, now honored as Stokey Cannady Way. This neighborhood, known for producing some of West Baltimore’s finest basketball talents, also shapes resilient leaders like Dr. Bundley.
As I arrived at the We Our Us gathering, I saw Bishop Kevin Daniels, a longtime acquaintance and the pastor of St. Martin’s at North and Madison. Our history stretches back to his martial arts training days under Riley Hawkins at Crispus Attucks and Operation Champ at Eutaw Gardens. Bishop Daniels’ lifelong mission has been the healing and transformation of our community, especially in areas like Penn-North, spotlighted during the Freddie Gray Unrest.
Hosting tonight’s gathering was Bishop Kevia Fernando Elliott of The Lord’s Church, a man I’ve known the longest among us here tonight. He is my Godbrother, led by his formidable mother, Marlene Wilson, my Godmother. I recall vividly our mornings in the mid-90s at the corner of Beaufort and Garrison, where Bishop Elliott led us in prayer to reclaim our streets from the grip of drugs. His faith and leadership brought about real change.
Joining us also was Brother Andrew Knox Muhammad, a revered leader in the Nation of Islam under Imam Carlos Muhammad. His work, especially in prisons, has touched many lives, offering hope and guidance. Brother Andrew’s presence is a testament to the positive impact the Nation of Islam has on our communities, from Gilmor Homes in Sandtown to the families of young victims of violence.
And finally, Reverend Corey Barnes, my son’s teacher at New Song in Sandtown over 20 years ago and a Coppin brother from the mid-90s. Reverend Barnes embodies a loving heart for the people, contributing alongside these remarkable brothers to the betterment of Baltimore.
Seeing Christians, Muslims, non-denominationals, and spiritual leaders united in their mission to uplift our community is a powerful and beautiful testament to our collective strength and dedication. Tonight, we acknowledged and celebrated this unity and the positive changes it brings.
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Vision
We, Our, Us — the movement — is a vision of men from Baltimore and the vicinity, who focus on consistent and collective action to strategically assist people, especially boys and young men, in obtaining resources to help guide them to productive pathways and move their goals forward from a unified energy.
In addition to building programmatic practices beneath each of the categories below, the goals of We, Our, Us are as follows:
- To serve as Connectors in order to guide boys and men to appropriate resources.
- To serve as Protectors by mobilizing young men and men to embrace prominent roles in communities as models of positive and constructive behavior.
- To serve as Mediators by addressing and helping reconcile conflicts between individuals.
- To serve as Messengers by describing the work of the movement in the community and through various media outlets.
