(RANDALLSTOWN – July 29, 2026) – Concerned community members turned out in torrential rain last night to hear directly from their elected officials about decisions being made on their behalf. Most of those officials didn’t show.
The 10th District Unity Team — State Senator Ben Brooks, Delegate N. Scott Phillips (chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, the largest Black caucus in the country), Delegate Robin Harvey, and Delegate Jennifer White Holland — was invited. None of them came.
Who did show up: Democratic County Executive nominee Julian Jones, councilwoman nominee Makeda Scott, and several state central committee members from Districts 44B, 11, and 10. I co-hosted alongside Northwest Baltimore County community activist Danny Blount, and together we laid out for the room what’s actually happened with representation in this district — and why.
It raises a basic question: what does it say when an elected official sends representatives to speak for him rather than showing up himself to be forthcoming and transparent with the community he serves? Representation isn’t a substitute for accountability.
The map changed. Did representation?
This district has been represented by Black Americans since the 2002 lawsuit that secured Black representation in Baltimore County. Under the new map — redrawn by County Councilman Izzy Patoka alongside his Republican colleagues, a map voters never got the chance to weigh in on directly — the old 4th District was split into Districts 2, 3, and 4. Of those three, only one now has a Black council member.
Instead of putting redistricting on the ballot for Baltimore County voters to decide in 2024, that decision was made for us. That’s not democracy.
Then came the endorsement
Lawrence Williams and Dr. Danita Tolson both say — on the record — that the Unity Team told them it would not be endorsing in their races. Instead, the team endorsed Ruben Amaya over vetted, experienced Black candidates.
At last night’s meeting, a Phillips volunteer, Gail Bugg — who does not live in the district — told the room the community should “embrace diversity.” Bugg framed the decision as a righteous one, almost as if standing up for it was in the name of principle. But the truth is simpler: it was in the name of Scott.
No other community is having that conversation about itself. When a Black-led team declines to back Black candidates in a majority-Black district and calls it diversity, something doesn’t add up.
The real issue is transparency
This isn’t just about race. It’s about elected officials — Black and otherwise — making decisions that directly affect their constituents without ever explaining those decisions to the people who elected them. Last night’s meeting existed because people had questions and nowhere else to get answers. The 10th District Unity Team had the chance to show up and explain itself. It chose not to.
If N. Scott Phillips wants to lead the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, he owes Baltimore County residents — Black residents in particular — a real answer for why his team helped shrink Black representation on the council and then endorsed a non-Black candidate over the record. Silence isn’t leadership.
What people saw
Last night exposed something too. While most of the 10th District Unity Team was absent, Julian Jones showed up and connected with the room — shaking hands, taking pictures, engaging directly with the people he wants to lead. The contrast wasn’t lost on anyone in attendance.
The resurrection of the 10th District Democratic Club
Out of last night’s meeting came a clear next step: reviving the 10th District Democratic Club. Organizers say the path forward is a real, organized club in the district — one that discusses candidates, makes its own endorsements, and tells the community exactly who it supports and why. Senator Ben Brooks, like the rest of the Unity Team, sent no representative to last night’s meeting and has not returned calls seeking comment.
The club’s next meeting is set for September 10th at 6 p.m. — location to be announced. If the 10th District Unity Team skipped this one, they’ll have another chance to show up and answer for themselves.
