A gathering at The Mill on North Avenue brought together childhood friends from Easterwood Park to celebrate life and remember those lost to the streets
(BALTIMORE – January 17, 2026) – A shout-out in heaven to Darryl Motley and Lil Reggie. A.D., Chucky, Timmy, Black George. You are missed and not forgotten.
There are countless other names as we’ve become more seasoned. It comes with age. “When I was a child, I spake as a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things.” That’s what the word says. It also says a friend sticketh closer than a brother.
Tonight’s setting was The Mill on North at 2636 W. North Avenue. It is a real treat, especially for those of us who lived in the neighborhood. I lived at 1526 Moreland Avenue, right off Baker. Everybody knew we had the coolest block. It was a dead end with a whole park in front of our homes. Easterwood Park was the focal point of youth in the community. The rec was like our second home.
As we convened tonight, a multitude of conversations arose. Some starting like – “I haven’t seen you since forever…” One conversation I had with Darryl Owens, our basketball standout, referenced Ralph Durant, Eula Mae Williams, and Marion Flood. It’s been stated before. I’ll say it again: They saved our lives.
They knew the dangers surrounding us as we grew into teenagers and young adults. They knew the traps. They had seen this movie many times before. But we didn’t know. We didn’t know that these streets literally want to take our lives and steal our souls.
We know the story oh-so-well. We know the end results. We have all seen it over and over and over and over. It’s insanity. And I assure you, most everyone in that meeting tonight understands the grace and the mercies that God has extended to each and every one of us. God has spared me multiple times. I can’t speak for them – but I sense they saw the same trauma I saw.
I know they know what happens when your best friend gets locked up for murder at 15. Forty-two years later, we know who stood by that young man’s side – from the outside – the whole time. We know what friendship looks like. I imagine we’ve all stared death in the face. These streets are unforgiving, but the lure, the attraction, is consuming. Add in drugs, money, and women – and it gets very complicated very quickly.
We have seen the dealer become the fiend. We have seen the drug counselor sell the dope. We have also seen the dirty cops, the insidious judges, the criminal justice system, and those stats I just seem to start rattling off out of the blue.
America is only 5% of the world’s population, but has 25% of the world’s incarcerated persons. Seems like a serious addiction to the prison industrial complex, where a phone call home costs $7.
Thank God, tonight was about life. For us, it was simply a celebration of being here and counting our blessings. Kevin’s mom came. My mainski, Jed Klampit. Bird showed up. GQ. WW. Bug. Reg. I’m sure I missed somebody. Troy, Antoinette, Steven. Theresa, Gordon, John. JP’s son and grandsons.
It was beautiful on the Westside tonight.
