Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook vows legal fight against 47th president’s bid to oust her
By Christopher Rugaber
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook will sue President Donald Trump’s administration to try to prevent him from firing her, her lawyer said Aug. 26.
The announcement makes it more likely that a high-stakes legal battle will ensue that will probably end up at the Supreme Court. The legal fight could redefine the limits of the president’s legal authority over the central bank. Increasingly at issue is the Fed’s independence from day-to-day
politics, which most economists consider a key factor in keeping long-term inflation and interest rates low.
“President Trump has no authority to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook,” said Abbe Lowell, Cook’s lawyer and a longtime Washington figure who has represented prominent people from both major political parties. “His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis. We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action.”
By Zenitha Prince AFRO Contributing Editor
In an escalating feud, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore responded to recent personal insults from the Oval Office by reaffirming his commitment to public safety and inviting the president to actually visit Baltimore and some of the other Black-led cities he has insulted
Trump, meanwhile, underscored in remarks at the White House that his goal is to seize more power over the Fed to get it to lower interest rates. He has previously said he would only appoint people to the Fed’s board who will support lower borrowing costs.
“We’ll have a majority very shortly, so that’ll be good,” Trump said, referring to the Fed’s governing board.
“Once we have a majority, housing will swing,” he added, blaming slow housing sales on high mortgage rates.
Trump has criticized Fed Chair
Jerome Powell for months because the Fed has left its key short-term interest rate unchanged at about 4.3 percent — relatively high compared with its level during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was nearly zero.
Now Trump has turned his attention to the broader Federal Reserve system.
The committee that sets interest rates has 12 voting members, with seven coming from the board and the other five drawn from the presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks.
The Fed exercises expansive power
over the U.S. economy by adjusting a short-term interest rate that can influence broader borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans and business loans.
Also Aug. 26, the Fed itself weighed in for the first time on the firing, saying it would “abide by any court decision.”
The Fed also defended its longtime independence from politics: “Congress, through the Federal Reserve Act,
instead of spouting “old, tired tropes about violence in Black communities.”
“If you are not willing to be part of the solution, keep our names out of your mouth,” Moore said Aug. 21 before a crowd gathered to mark demolition at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. “Specifically, Donald Trump, if you are
Maryland Gov. Wes
president of the United States, urging him to
the city and
to a 20 percent statewide drop in homicides under his leadership during an Aug. 21 event.
By Dr. Frances Murphy Draper AFRO CEO and Publisher
of Congress. Both women reached the pinnacle of their professions. Both are now out of their jobs. These were not symbolic appointments or token gestures. Lisa Cook’s research helped shape global economic
policy and trained a generation of economists. Carla Hayden transformed Baltimore’s libraries into vibrant community hubs long before she modernized the
Ken Cedeno/Pool via AP, file Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook is challenging the 47th
Photo courtesy of Maryland GovPics
Moore rebukes criticism of Baltimore from the 47th
visit
pointing
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Lisa Cook
directs that governors serve in long, fixed terms and may be removed by the president only ‘for cause,’” the central bank said. “Long tenures and removal protections for governors serve as a vital safeguard, ensuring that monetary policy decisions are based on data, economic analysis, and the long-term interests of the American people.”
A spokesperson said the Fed has deferred any decision on Cook’s working status and added that there is no official business before the board this week. But the Fed’s statement did not explicitly criticize Trump’s decision to fire her.
If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the Fed’s board of governors, it would likely erode the Fed’s political independence, which enables it to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. A less-independent Fed could leave Americans paying higher rates, because investors would demand a higher yield to own bonds to offset potentially greater inflation in the future, pushing up borrowing costs throughout the economy.
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AP Photos
The dismissals of trailblazing Black women leaders like Lisa Cook (not shown) and Carla Hayden (above), along with attacks on Black-led cities and officials, is revealing a deliberate effort to undermine excellence, representation and equity, sending a dangerous message that no achievement by Black Americans is safe.
Who’s on the board?
Trump appointed two members of the board, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, in his first term and has named Steven Miran, a top White House economist, to replace Gov. Adriana Kugler, who stepped down unexpectedly Aug. 1. If Miran’s nomination is approved by the Senate and Trump is able to replace Cook, he would have a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s board. For now, Miran would just be on the board until Kugler’s term was set to end in January. Trump
not willing to walk our communities– keep our name out of your mouth.”
In a letter addressed to the 47th president dated that same
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“It’s an illegal firing, but the president’s going to argue, ‘The Constitution lets me do it,’” said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia University and author of a book about the Fed. “And that argument’s worked in a few other cases so far this year.”
Menand said the Supreme Court construes the Constitution’s meaning, and “it can make new constitutional law in this case.” Trump on Aug. 26 acknowledged there would likely be a court fight.
“You always have legal fights,” he said. “She seems to have had an infraction, and you can’t have an infraction,” he added of Cook.
said Aug. 26 at a Cabinet meeting that he could instead nominate Miran to complete Cook’s term, which lasts until 2038, if he succeeds in firing her.
Legal experts say the Republican president’s claim that he can fire Cook, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022, is on shaky ground. But it’s an unprecedented move that hasn’t played out in the courts before, and the Supreme Court this year has been much more willing to let the president remove agency officials than in the past.
day, Moore reiterated his invitation for the president to visit Baltimore and to discuss strategies for effective public safety policy.
“I would like to formally invite you to attend our next public safety walk in September, at a date of your choosing,” the letter stated.
Moore also affirmed his commitment to public safety and touted the “staggering drops in violent crime” that he said resulted from the administration’s “all-of-the-above approach,” which included mobilizing state resources, partnering with local stakeholders and improving data coordination.
Since his inauguration, homicides in the state are down by 20 percent, Moore said. Additionally, in the first six months of 2025, the Baltimore Police Department continued to see double-digit reductions in gun violence, including a 22 percent decrease in homicides and a 19 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings from the year before.
“If there’s anything Maryland has proven over the last two years, it’s that we can achieve performance without being performative,” Moore added. “Progress requires the right tool for the right mission. Asking the patriotic citizen soldiers of our National Guard to police our cities doesn’t meet that test.”
Moore’s letter, in which he tried to “clarify his frustration,” came after President Trump assumed control of Washington, D.C.’s police department and deployed National Guard troops into its streets, claiming out-of-control crime. During the announcement, the commander-in-chief also threatened to send troops to other cities led by Black, Democratic mayors, singling out Baltimore as “so far gone” on crime.
In response to the threatened overreach, Moore reminded the president that he is the “commander-in-chief” of Maryland’s guard, and “I will not authorize the usage of our National Guard for something that is not mission critical or mission aligned. Period,” he said on “The Tea” with BlackPressUSA’s April Ryan.
Moore went further, underscoring his actual understanding of the role and laws defining the function of the National Guard compared to the president.
committed mortgage fraud.
Cook says she won’t resign
Cook said Aug. 25 that she would not step down. “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she said in an emailed statement. “I will not resign.”
The courts have allowed the Trump administration to remove commissioners at the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit System Protection Board and other independent agencies. Yet Cook’s case is different.
Allegations against Cook
Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, alleged last week that Cook had claimed two primary residences – in Ann Arbor, Mich., and in Atlanta – in 2021 to get better mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are often higher on second homes or those bought to rent.
Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform late Aug. 25 that he was removing Cook effective immediately because of allegations she
Those dismissals were based on the idea that the president needs no reason to remove agency heads because they exercise executive power on his behalf, the Supreme Court wrote in an unsigned order in May.
In that same order, the court suggested that Trump did not have the same freedom at the Fed, which the court called a “uniquely structured, quasi-private entity.”
Removing governors ‘for cause’
The law that governs the central bank, the Federal Reserve Act, includes a provision allowing for the removal of Fed governors “for cause.”
“For cause” is typically interpreted to mean malfeasance or dereliction of duty by an official while in office, not something done before that person is appointed, Menand said.
To establish a “for cause” firing also requires a finding of fact, said Scott Alvarez, the Fed’s former general counsel and now adjunct professor at Georgetown Law.
“We know there’s allegations by Bill Pulte, but Lisa has not been able to respond yet,” Alvarez said. “So we don’t know if they’re true. Allegations are not cause.’’
Lowell said late Aug. 25 that Trump’s “reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority,” adding, “We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”
Cook is the first Black woman to serve as a governor. She was a Marshall Scholar and received degrees from Oxford University and Spelman College, and she has taught at Michigan State University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. This article was originally published by the Associated Press.
to this report.
“Unlike the president of the United States, I’ve actually worn the uniform of this country. Unlike the president of the United States, I actually deployed overseas and fought on behalf of the United States of America,” said Moore, who served his country as a captain in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
“And so I do not need and will not accept any type of lecture from someone who the only uniform they have worn is a Brooks Brother suit,” he continued.
In response to what he deemed the “nasty and provocative tone” of Moore’s letter, Trump doubled down on its criticism, calling Baltimore the fourth most dangerous place in the U.S., suggested Moore “fudges his figures on crime,” and said the Democratic governor needed to clean up the “crime disaster” in Baltimore before he would go there for a “walk.”
“But if Wes Moore needs help…I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime…. I’ll then see you on the streets,” Trump threatened in response to Moore’s invitation in an Aug. 24 post on Truth Social.
The U.S. leader then upped the ante, threatening to withdraw federal funds for the repair of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed after it was hit by a runaway cargo ship in March 2024.
“I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to fix his demolished bridge. I will now have to rethink that decision???” Trump wrote at the end of his tirade.
He later questioned Moore’s decorated combat service.
But in a subsequent appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Moore checked the president on his “ignorant” statement, noting that Congress approved the funding last December–before Trump took office. Then, the spending package–including $2 billion for the Key Bridge–was signed into law by then-President Biden.
“Do not let someone take your power who did not give it to you in the first place,” Moore said in response to Trump’s vindictive threat.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott also has decried the president’s insults and deployment of troops in D.C., saying Trump should be focused on banning assault rifles and committing federal dollars to Charm City if he is truly committed to improving public safety.
“President Trump’s takeover of Washington, DC’s police force makes two things very clear. First: that he will do anything, and sacrifice anyone, to boost his own ego. And second: that he has no real solutions to make our country any safer, healthier, or freer,” Scott said in a statement posted on X on Aug. 22.
Scott also pointed to Baltimore’s historic lows in crime, belying the White House’s
characterization of the majority-Black city.
In the first seven months of 2025, Baltimore has had 84 homicides compared to 111 homicides in the beginning seven months of 2024. That’s the fewest number of homicides in over five decades, with significant drops in both fatal and nonfatal incidents. These gains reflect the efforts of law enforcement, city agencies, local groups and community members working together toward long-term safety, Scott said.
Since Scott has been in office, the homicide clearance rate has jumped up 29.7 percent since 2020 to 64.3 percent in 2025. Police data also shows a steady decline in other crimes, including vehicle thefts, robberies and arson. As of late July 2025, overall citywide crime rates remain on a downward trend.
“Here in Baltimore, we have driven down violence to 50-year lows, with significant reductions across every major crime category. This has not happened by chance. It is the result of an intentional strategy, coordinated alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, violence interrupters, and community leaders,” Scott added. “In contrast, the President has embraced unconstitutional stop-and-frisk tactics, diverted federal law enforcement from their actual jobs to instead conduct indiscriminate traffic stops, and slashed funding for public safety programs that are driving real progress.”
Associated Press Writers Mark Sherman and Paul Wiseman contributed
Gov. Moore
Photo by: J.J. McQueen
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott is standing firm behind the city’s public safety gains, even in the face of criticism.
WASHINGTON-AREA
Howard University president announces departure
By Ashleigh
Ben Vinson III will soon depart from his role as president of Howard University, just two years after being selected to lead the historically Black institution.
Howard University officials announced that Vinson would step down from the role on Aug. 31 with former President Wayne A.I. Frederick expected to return to the helm Sept. 1.
Under Vinson’s leadership, the institution notably reclaimed R1 status, the highest ranking academic research designation, and spearheaded artificial intelligence programs geared towards people of color in partnership with Google.
“Over the course of my tenure as President, I have worked with
unwavering commitment to advance the strategic vision I believe best serves the future of this institution, including in the areas of AI, data science and analytics, and global and diasporic engagement,” Vinson said in a statement announcing his departure.
“My foremost priority has always been the well-being and success of this community, and I remain committed to ensuring a smooth and constructive transition. I am grateful to the Board, faculty, staff, students, and partners who have supported the work we’ve undertaken together,” he added. He remains chairman of the board of the National Humanities Center, a role he’s held since 2018, in addition to
Lewis Ferebee shares priorities for D.C. schools in new academic year
By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com
On Monday, Aug. 25, school bells rang once again for D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) as students, teachers and parents. The first day of school was met with a new set of challenges in a year that has been marked by financial uncertainty, greater divisions along racial lines and political unrest on local and national fronts.
Nonetheless, DCPS Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee, the man hired in 2018 by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to promote equity and transparency, stands cool and collected, armed with new, creative initiatives and a set of policy changes that he believes will better prepare each student for greater academic success and individual growth.
Under Ferebee’s leadership, DCPS represents the fastest improving urban district in the nation,
Lewis D. Ferebee has made significant gains and improvements for Washington, D.C. students since being hired as chancellor for D.C. Public Schools by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2018.
making historic gains on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) over the past decade. In 2019, DCPS marked its fourth-consecutive
Community split as D.C. residents debate federal takeover, with opposition outweighing support
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com
It’s been more than two weeks since the president invoked a provision of the Home Rule Act, taking control of the city’s police force and deploying nearly 2,000 now armed National Guard troops in response to alleged out-of-control crime.
According to a recent poll co-sponsored by George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and the Washington Post, a supermajority of D.C. residents, 79 percent, oppose the president’s actions, while 17 percent support his order to deploy federal troops and federalize police.
Some Washingtonians, in conversations with the AFRO, seemed hesitant to speak to the press, but others were more than willing to express their opinion on what is often being described as “the takeover” of the District of Columbia.
Anthony Selby, a native of Delaware and a manager for a medical support company, recalls similar tactics being employed when he first moved to D.C.
“When I moved here 21 years ago, the National Guard had recently been sent to D.C. because of the escalation in crime, and because of the way they were clearly working with MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] I was in favor of it,” he said. “But now, with federal officers jumping out of unmarked cars and people being taken away to destinations unknown, I am very uncomfortable.
“I know what the White House has said but I’m not sure they’re being honest. It seems that the whole thing is an overreach. We have a competent police department and crime has been going down for the past several years. Why do we need thousands of additional officers in D.C.?” Boston, Mass., native Benjamin Kirnon, 61, who works as an accountant, has lived in Mt. Rainier, Md., for 13 years. He believes the surge in law enforcement is nothing more than a “scare tactic.” “I think the president is abusing the system and trying to frighten us – I’m not cool with that at all,” he said. “It
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Don Beyer to reintroduce bill requiring body cameras for federal police
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-At-Large) and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.-08) are set to reintroduce a bill that would require all federal police to use body and dash cameras upon Congress’ return in September.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are expected to return on Sept. 2.
“With a president in the White House abusing his
power over federal law enforcement to compel local governments to enforce his cruel and inhumane policies, our country needs this bill,” said Norton in a statement via a press release on Aug. 20. “For D.C., that need could not be more urgent.”
Washington, D.C., is currently operating under Section 740 of the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to put the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control once invoked.
Black attorneys respond to president’s executive order calling for elimination of cashless bail
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com
On Aug. 25, the 47th president of the United States signed two executive orders to end cashless bail – a decision which he asserted will protect Americans.
In the two executive orders, one focusing on the District of Columbia,
where the president has declared a “crime emergency,” and the other targeting jurisdictions nationwide, he has threatened to either withhold or revoke
with cashless bail policies, to the maximum
extent permitted by law.”
However, as one attorney based in Alexandria, Va., noted, the impact on some Americans will be disproportionately negative.
“The history speaks for itself – this latest move by the president will adversely impact marginalized communities who are often unable to afford a
“President Trump’s unjustified and inflammatory surge of federal law enforcement officers in the District has resulted in violent arrests using excessive force, but without body cameras, we’re left to rely on videos filmed by onlookers and public reporting to learn what happened,” she said. “Federal officers in D.C. have recently been filmed using excessive force during arrests, refusing to identify the agency they
Unsplash /
Legal experts warn that the president’s executive orders to eliminate cashless bail could disproportionately harm marginalized communities and erode judicial independence.
Fields Special to the AFRO
Photo courtesy of Howard University
Dr. Ben Vinson III is stepping down from his role as president of Howard University.
Live Richer
Courtesy photo
Howard University
posts as a vice president of the American Historical Association and president of the Conference on Latin American History.
“It has been an honor to serve Howard,” he said in a press release from the university.
Vinson is expected to pursue research opportunities while Frederick will return to serve as interim president as the Board of Trustees considers longterm candidates for the role.
A release from the institution said Frederick’s “deep institutional knowledge and proven leadership will ensure stability, continuity, and continued progress as we navigate complex social challenges and shifts in the higher education landscape and chart the University’s next chapter.”
However, some alumni said they are unsatisfied with his return to the helm of Howard campus operations.
“It’s very disheartening to hear that Frederick is making a return to Howard University. Considering this current fascist presidential administration, the militarization of D.C. and the attempts to dismantle all Black progression, I feel he is the wrong choice given my personal experience with him,” alumna Erica England, who co-led the Blackburn Takeover, the school’s longest student protest in 2021 over inadequate campus housing, told the AFRO
“I would prefer stronger leadership more committed to the love and legacy of The Mecca, and not beholden to the corporate interests of our Board of Trustees,” she added.
The same year as the protest, Howard removed the student, faculty and alumni positions from the University Board of Trustees.
The Howard University Student Association, the school’s student government organization, said they were not notified of Vinson’s departure or provided additional information on the university’s plans for new leadership.
Board Chair Leslie D. Hale spoke to the transition in a statement on the matter.
“As we move forward, the Board of Trustees and University leadership remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining Howard’s mission of excellence, truth, and service and a vibrant, welcoming, and innovative academic environment where students continue to succeed,” said Hale.
“Given our focus and commitment, the Board has selected an interim president who is uniquely equipped to serve the University during this time of transition.”
AP Photo/Ben Curtis Del. Norton Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.At-Large) and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.-08) will soon reintroduce legislation requiring all federal police to use body and dash cameras, citing urgent needs for transparency and accountability after recent abuses of power in Washington, D.C.
Body cameras
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belong to and obscuring their own faces. Body and dashboard camera requirements would provide much-needed transparency and a chance at accountability for victims during this unprecedented time in the nation’s capital.”
The bill was first introduced after two U.S. Park Police officers shot 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar, who was unarmed, on Nov. 17, 2017, after a vehicular chase, leading to his hospitalization. He died 10 days later. The House passed the legislation in 2021.
Beyer said he’s concerned about what the public is not able to see, that journalists or bystanders are not able to see. That concern trickles into Northern Virginia, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) raids are taking place.
“These abuses of power cry out for transparency and accountability, and our bill would answer that need,” said Beyer. “Every one of these officers should be wearing a body camera.”
D.C. residents
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feels like we’re reentering the same kind of storm that allowed the actions on Jan. 6 to take place. Not only do I not feel safer with more police, but I’m even more nervous.”
When asked what he would do if he were in charge or had a say, Kirnon threw his hands up in the air.
“I can’t even offer a solution, or at least something that would persuade the president to relinquish control and let our mayor and police do their jobs,” he said. “What I can say is we’re caught in a bad situation. It’s a lot of foolishness and it’s left me so depressed that I don’t even listen to the news anymore.”
Chris McLaughlin, a native of D.C. who is self-employed, said, like Kirnon, he’s uncomfortable with what’s happening in his hometown.
“I think being a Black man, I am one of the targets and it seems like it’s a racist undertaking,” he said. “The statistics on crime do not justify the president’s actions. It’s just his opinion and others are following behind him, regardless of the facts.
“Maybe it’s time that we identify some new leaders who are willing to step forward, help us circumvent what’s going on in our city and help us move forward. But given the way the Democrats have been performing over the past several years, I am pessimistic about the future.”
As for South Carolina-born Dale A. Woodard, who moved to D.C. in 2000 and works at the Washington VA Medical Center, he believes the president’s actions have little to do with reducing crime.
“I think what we’re witnessing is crazy and a waste of money,” he said. “The National Guard isn’t needed in D.C. and the president needs to focus on serious issues – like improving the economy. People are struggling to survive and yet he’s reducing aid to those
he believes the president is wasting resources and should focus his efforts on boosting the economy and enacting policies that help the average citizen.
who need it the most.
“I think his real goal is to identify illegal aliens and deport them. It’s not about reducing crime in D.C. It seems like our elected local officials are just letting the president do whatever he wants and watching it happen. Someone needs to step up and call it what it is. People are afraid, families are being torn apart – it’s just crazy.”
Supporters of the president say ‘give him a chance’ Angel Brown, 72, a retired bus driver and government employee who has lived in the District her entire life, said while she doesn’t like what’s happening, she has become fed up with the surge in youth violence and criminal activities.
“I don’t trust Donald Trump because he always seems to have a hidden agenda,” she said. “But I do believe that something must be done to reduce youth crime. Things have gotten out of control and right now, all they get is a slap on the wrists. Those who
Lewis Ferebee
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year of progress made on Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), outpacing state averages for both English language arts (ELA) and math. And for the first time since 2006, the District enrolled more than 51,000 students.
Ferebee spoke with the AFRO to share his vision and address the strategies he and his staff will unfold throughout the year in efforts to help youth overcome obstacles that have especially hampered African American students both here in D.C. and across the U.S., from disproportionate disciplinary actions and academic disparities to generational poverty.
AFRO: There have been conversations about children falling behind on scores since the pandemic. How are D.C. children doing given the latest numbers?
LEWIS FEREBEE: DC Public Schools
(DCPS) is proud of the academic progress our scholars have made since the pandemic — including being recognized as the fastest-improving urban school district based on data from the Nation’s Report Card. DCPS is the only large urban school district in the country to make significant or nominal increases in all four grade and subject combinations tested. D.C. also ranked first among states in both math and reading recovery between 2022-2024 according to the Harvard/Stanford Education Recovery Scorecard.
Cashless bail
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secured bail,” said Robert L. Jenkins Jr., attorney at law with Bynum and Jenkins Law Office.
“Cashless bail came into vogue in efforts to put people on more equal footing – poor people who, unlike their counterparts, lack the financial means to post bail and therefore avoid longer pretrial detention periods. That’s what’s so unfair about eliminating the cashless bail policy,” said Jenkins.
The rubrics behind the cashless bail system
Cashless bail represents policies enacted in D.C. and in states that include New Jersey, New York, New Mexico and Illinois –the first state to adopt such a policy and the only one that has enacted a fully cashless bail policy. The system of reform allows people to be released from jail
AFRO: What are the greatest challenges facing D.C. schools that you are currently addressing? For example, in several school districts in Virginia, they are tackling issues like transgender bathrooms and cell phones during school hours. What about D.C.?
LF: Along with districts across the country, D.C. continues to be challenged by attendance. We have made progress after the pandemic but acknowledge there is more work to do. Schools are beginning to see progress from a pilot partnership with the DC Department of Human Services (DHS), where students and their families receive intensive case management and support to remove attendance barriers.
Other strategies aimed at boosting attendance include: Sixth and Ninth Grade Academies that help students adjust during transitions to middle and high school, strong Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, a plan to double afterschool participation for middle school students, and enhanced engagement in the form of monthly attendance competitions and family meetings for chronically absent students. DCPS remains committed to creating learning environments where students feel a sense of belonging.
AFRO: The National Education Association (NEA) has stated over the past four years that America faces a teacher shortage, estimating around 300,000 vacancies for teachers and support staff – a shortage which its president has described as a “fivealarm crisis.” The NEA further highlights
without paying any money while they await trial and is an alternative to the traditional cash bail system in which people pay money to be released and get their money back if they return to court for their assigned date.
Trump’s executive gives D.C. and states 30 days to adhere to his demands or face financial repercussions.
Jenkins said while D.C. has fewer options as it lacks state sovereignty, he anticipates a flurry of litigation to come from states who currently have a form of cashless bail and have found it to be beneficial to their citizens.
“I cannot begin to explain the president’s logic used to support his policy position, but there’s no statistical or empirical data that confirms his allegations,” Jenkins said. “There’s no data which suggests that if you’re poor or from a marginalized community, that you are any more likely to violate pretrial conditions than one who is either wealthy or has more financial resources.”
It’s about risk of flight or reasonable danger
crime justify the
actions.
habitually break the law need to face more serious consequences.” New York native Christopher Harris, 54, who works for the federal government and lives in Chevy Chase, Md., said he’s all for the president’s plan.
“My wife and I have a 1-yearold child, and we want to keep him safe,” he said. “I take the train every day and before we had more police out here, it was common to deal with youth cursing, playing music loudly, smoking weed – just out of control. And the worst thing is, they look like me – they’re Black.
“What’s wrong with making our streets, our public transportation, and our communities safer? Our ancestors were the ones who built Washington, D.C., and I know they would not be pleased with the way we have allowed it to fall into decline due to crime. So, I applaud the president’s efforts.”
that this situation is not new, with job openings starting to outpace hires since 2017, and the pandemic exacerbating the issue. Does DCPS face any shortages as the school year approaches?
LF: At DCPS, we don’t have a teacher shortage. We have filled 99 percent of teaching vacancies for this school year.
AFRO: What is the impact of AI on students and what kinds of changes have you made to ensure that it is beneficial to students?
LF: As with all technology, students and staff are required to use AI in a responsible and ethical manner. AI tools should be used by students and staff as a supplement, not a substitute, for learning. DCPS provides students with lessons on the benefits and risks of AI through digital citizenship and AI-specific courses.
AFRO: Are there any new schools opening this year or in the near future?
LF: We are excited to begin school year 2025-2026 with modernizations and additions at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (Adams Campus), Truesdell Elementary School and Stoddert Elementary School. This represents Mayor Bowser’s commitment to education and totals more than $180 million in state-ofthe-art improvements.
Dr. Ferebee earned his doctorate in educational leadership from East Carolina University, a master’s degree in school administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from North Carolina Central University.
to the community, not about one’s financial position,” he added.
Jenkins also asserted that judges remain the most qualified individuals to determine if cashless bail should be extended to a person accused of a crime, not the president.
“Judges are empowered to impose secured bonds if they believe the situation warrants it,” he said. “Using the power of executive order to dictate judiciary standards borders on being unconstitutional. I predict that judges will make that known and that we will soon see a lot of cases brought to courts across America.”
American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section calls move a threat on democracy
“What we’re seeing is a threat on both Home Rule in D.C. and on democracy across the nation,” said Melba Pearson, the newly appointed chair for the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section.
Courtesy photo Christopher McLaughlin said he is uncomfortable with what is happening in his hometown and doesn’t believe the statistics on
president’s
Courtesy photo Benjamin Kirnon said as a Black man he is “nervous” about the president’s decision to flood the streets of D.C. with more law enforcement officers and troops and that he believes it is a “scare tactic.”
Courtesy photo
Dale Woodard, originally of South Carolina, said
Courtesy photo
Anthony Selby said the situation now is reminiscent of when he first moved to the District 21 years ago when the National Guard was deployed in the city due to escalating crime.
BALTIMORE-AREA
Baltimore Mayor Scott welcomes students back to school for 2025-2026 school year
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
Baltimore City Mayor
Brandon M. Scott (D) and Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises welcomed students back for the first day of the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 25.
On the warm, sunny morning, Scott visited Franklin Square, James McHenry, Frederick and Cherry Hill Elementary / Middle Schools, meeting with principals, staff, teachers and students. Santelises stopped at Midtown Academy, joined the mayor at Franklin Square and later visited the National Academy Foundation.
Santelises offered students practical tips to help them start the school year off on the right foot.
“Bring your best to school,” she said. “Find at least one caring adult who you can share with. Make sure you’re getting to bed early. Make sure you’re eating a solid breakfast, not heavy in sugar.
“Make sure you find something that helps you develop your own gifts and talents,” she added. “Not everybody’s going to be an athlete, not everybody’s going to be in the school musical, not everybody is going to want to be the
Civil
rights
head of student government, but everybody should be able to find something that’s their connection in their school community.”
A group of eighth-graders at Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School shared with the AFRO what they are most excited about this school year—and what they expect to be challenging.
“For the first day of eighth grade, I’m most excited to meet new teachers,
leaders
classmates… . I want to focus on my grades,” said Kaden Boxdale, 13. He added, “I’m not excited about the cell phone policy. I’m very obsessed with my cellular device.”
Brandon Height and Madison Muse echoed that sentiment.
At the beginning of this school year, City Schools enacted a stricter phone policy requiring students to power off their phones and
at Maryland gala urge unity, investment in young voices
By Kendra Bryant AFRO Intern
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) hosted the 2025 Annual Civil Rights Gala on Aug. 23 at the Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland in Arundel Mills. The event took place under the theme of “Looking Ahead, No Turning Back: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities.”
The gala featured musical performances, an award ceremony honoring community leaders and a fireside chat moderated by Cleveland L.
AFRO Photo / Kendra Bryant Cleveland L. Horton, II, executive director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (far left), moderates a fireside chat with Jeff Johnson, Tamika D. Mallory and Maryland Del. Malcolm P. Ruff (far right) on unity, policy and the future of leadership.
Pimlico demolition, redevelopment of Park Heights underway
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Thousands of patients insured by UnitedHealthcare cut off from innetwork care at Johns Hopkins Medicine
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
put them away throughout the school day. The city has cited research showing that limiting or forbidding cell phone use reduces distractions, improves school climate, lowers disciplinary problems and more.
“The cell phone policy is a need, but saying we cannot have it during free time—including lunch and resources—I feel like that’s a problem because we’re not doing
Following eight months of failed negotiations, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will no longer offer services through Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) as in-network care. The move impacts thousands of patients in the Maryland area who will now have to pay out-of-pocket if they wish to continue seeing JHM providers. The ongoing dispute between JHM and the insurance company was centered on how medical care is approved and reimbursed.
In a letter to patients on Aug. 25, Theodore L. DeWeese, CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Kevin W. Sowers, president of Johns Hopkins Health
System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, characterized the split as a matter of patient protection.
“This is not about money or small administrative issues. We have been negotiating with United to protect you from practices that put insurance company profits ahead of patient health and well-being,” wrote DeWeese and Sowers in the letter to patients. “United’s frequent use of pre-authorizations and care denials delays critical treatments, takes away time that Johns Hopkins doctors and nurses should be spending on patient care and puts patients’ health at risk. We will not sign a contract that allows an insurance company to prioritize their
“In 2024, legislation was enacted that authorized the Maryland State Authority to demolish, design and reconstruct the Pimlico Race Course here in Baltimore, and build a new training facility,” said Craig Thompson, chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Officials said the project is expected to elevate Maryland and bring an unprecedented
Demolition of the old Pimlico Race Course, home of the iconic Preakness Stakes in West Baltimore, began on Aug. 21. The demolition is expected to conclude by the end of the year, with construction for the new race course kicking off early 2026. The Preakness Stakes will take place in Laurel, Md. in 2026 and come back to Pimlico in 2027.
level of investment in the Park Heights area where the course resides.
At the site of the demolition, signs from the 150th Preakness remained as machines prepared to tear down the structure.
“Today marks the next leg of our journey to secure the future of horse racing in Maryland,” said Maryland’s first lady Dawn Moore. “This work paves the way for a reimagined Pimlico
AFRO Photo/James Fields
Mayor Brandon M. Scott (left) joins Jaineen Nelson, a teacher, and Principal Tetra Jackson at Frederick Elementary/Middle School in the classroom as the first day of school gets underway in Baltimore City.
Students
work then,” said Muse, 13.
Scott maintains that access to cell phones and social media apps is unnecessary during the school day.
“They need to be solely focused on learning,” said Scott. “Everyone should understand that, especially parents. We went to school [at a time] where if you took a cell phone out, it would be taken, not just for that day, but probably for the remainder of the year.”
During the visits, Scott recognized the winner of his quarterly attendance challenge, an initiative that rewards City Schools with the greatest year-overyear improvement in daily attendance.
According to the Maryland State Board of Education, about 48.7 percent of students in Baltimore City were chronically absent during the
2023-24 school year.
“I am pleased to present this certificate, again, to James McHenry Elementary/ Middle School in recognition of your achieving the highest overall decrease of chronic absenteeism in Baltimore City Public Schools for the 202425 school year,” said Scott.
This marks the third consecutive time James McHenry Elementary/Middle School has earned the recognition, after reducing chronic absences by 23 percent last school year through home visits and attendance monitoring.
“We’ve made lots of progress, but we still have a way to go,” said Denita Plain, principal of James McHenry. “We will not settle until we have every single child in school every single day. It starts with today.”
Plain said tackling chronic absenteeism requires everyone to step up—including students, families, staff, partners and the district office.
“Not everybody’s going to be an athlete, not everybody’s going to be in the school musical, not everybody is going to want to be the head of student government, but everybody should be able to find something that’s their connection in their school community.”
Patients
Continued from page A5
profits over our patients’ health.”
Now that facilities and providers with Johns Hopkins Medicine are considered out-of-network, UHC will cover less—or none— of the costs associated with care that patients receive. This applies to employer-sponsored plans, individual and family plans, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicaid plans. Johns Hopkins’ exit front the network affects nearly 60,000 people in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Individuals who are undergoing active or ongoing treatments for a serious or complex condition as of Aug. 25, like pregnant women and people fighting cancer, may be eligible for continuity-of-care coverage, which allows them to continue receiving care from their current provider at in-network rates until their treatment concludes. UHC members who’ve already scheduled transplants or are currently undergoing transplant treatment as of Aug. 25 will also continue
Unity
Continued from page A5
Horton II, executive director of the MCCR. Panelists included cultural translator Jeff Johnson, award-winning social justice worker, author Tamika D. Mallory and Maryland State Del. Malcolm P. Ruff, D-District 41.
“What I love about tonight and what makes it so special is that humanity is lifted,” said Johnson. “Through the awards, the tears and hugs, honoring each other… This is how we grow as a community.”
The panelists spoke about unity within the civil and justice rights advocacy community, how to keep the passion for activism alive, and what tasks Black Americans can do to make things better.
Mallory addressed the importance of staying true to the movement through action, even behind closed doors.
Pimlico
Continued from page A5
that will create jobs, grow our economy and generate a yearround hub of economic activity–not just in Park Heights, but for Park Heights.”
The first lady also noted that 10 percent of annual profits from the new Pimlico Race Course will be invested directly into the Park Heights community. Those resources are expected to benefit the more than 89 percent African American residents in the area.
“The only way you address histories of disinvestment is by making sure you put a core focus on investments inside of communities and neighborhoods,” said Gov. Wes Moore, at the event.
Gov. Moore also spoke about the inclusion of Baltimore in the future of Maryland, highlighting the investments that have been made recently in Park Heights, including the funding for a library and investing in community initiative in the area via the ENOUGH Act, a state-wide effort to reduce
Nearly 60,000 patients in the Mid-Atlantic region with insurance from UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will now face out-of-network costs if they want to continue care with doctors through Johns Hopkins Medicine. UHC officially announced that the world-renowned institution was no longer in-network on Aug. 25 after months of failed negotiations.
receiving care at in-network rates.
Since negotiations started, UHC says it’s repeatedly compromised with Johns Hopkins. However, the insurance company asserted that it could not concede on contract terms that would have allowed JHM to refuse certain patients at its discretion and required UHC to pay for claims submitted in error, like when a patient switches insurance.
UHC also says Johns Hopkins’ allegations about how the insurance company handles its claims have been misleading and inaccurate.
UHC reportedly approves and pays 90 percent of claims shortly after they’ve been submitted, while the other 10 percent undergo an additional review process.
Claims can be flagged for further examination for reasons, including eligibility concerns, duplicate
“What keeps me going is knowing that we have struggles ahead of us. There’s no way that we can coward out, but we must always face it head-on.”
“Some people are saying they’re with our civil rights movement but yet they’re voting for Donald Trump. That is just not something that I can agree with,” said Mallory. “But no matter what has happened, we still need to go back for our people.”
Johnson challenged the role of political parties and urged attendees to look past the divides and focus on the issue–unfair treatment.
“Trump is a person of power who’s saying, ‘I’m
with you’ to poor White people and hasn’t been,” said Johnson. “We have to stop believing that parties are designed for the people, but rather for power. We need to do a better job at removing the infrastructure and allowing all people to feel heard.”
Ruff emphasized the urgency of policy and leadership, encouraging Black people to work closely with legislators like himself. Ruff said that “working for the
submissions, documentation issues, coverage questions or clinical review. Once the additional review process is complete, UHC’s approval rate sits at 98 percent.
“Johns Hopkins refused to move off contractual terms no other health system in our network requires, including language that would allow it to deny patient access at its discretion. Despite our repeated efforts to compromise and extend our contract to avoid disruption, Johns Hopkins refused,” said Joseph Ochipinti, CEO of UHC in the Mid-Atlantic region, in a statement sent to the AFRO . “While we remain committed to continued negotiation, our top priority now is providing people with the care they need through continuity of care or a smooth transition to another provider as appropriate.” Both institutions have vowed to continue negotiations amid the split, while patients navigate continuity-of-care options or find alternate providers. UHC members can visit https:// www.uhc.com/hopkins/faqs for more information.
higher good of our people” is not only “about playing offense but [also] defense.”
“We have to stop bad policy from hurting our people,” said Ruff. “The power of the people is what we need. We can then ensure that we’re setting policy and making sure resources are provided to all Black people.”
The panel also called for collaboration with younger generations.
“Stop diminishing young leadership,” Johnson said. “We should identify and invest in our young people. Just give it to the babies and get out of the way.”
As the night closed, Ruff left the audience with a reminder of the resilience needed for the current political and social climate.
“What keeps me going is knowing that we have struggles ahead of us,” said Ruff. “There’s no way that we can coward out– we must always face it head-on.”
“The only way you address histories of disinvestment is by making sure you put a core focus on investments inside of communities and neighborhoods.”
Thompson
that
AFRO Photo/James Fields
Eighth-graders Madison Muse (left), Brandon Height and Kaden Boxdale, of Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School welcome CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises and Mayor Brandon M. Scott on Aug. 25.
AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen
Demolition of Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes, is underway in West Baltimore.
AP File Photo / Patrick Sison
COMMENTARY
It’s time to make affordability a priority
(D-MD-07)
Today, our nation is gripped by instability and unease. Each day delivers a new headline that stirs confusion and frustration, as we lurch from one crisis to the next. Living in such uncertain times – and under such a misguided administration – it is more important than ever to re-affirm our core values. More than pointing out this administration’s failures, we must make clear where our priorities lie and how we plan to build a stronger, safer, more prosperous country. Ensuring that Americans can afford a decent standard of living must remain at the very top of our priority list.
More than anything, Americans want the chance to pursue their dreams, thrive in their careers and provide for their families. Why, then, has the Federal minimum wage been frozen at the insultingly low figure of $7.25 per hour for over 15 years? In 2009, the median price of a home was $210,000. Today, that figure has nearly doubled to
more than $410,000. How can we expect young Americans to build their futures and start their own families when the prospect of home ownership is slipping further out of reach? That is why I support and cosponsor the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, which would raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2030. In the richest country on God’s green earth, there is simply no excuse to pay our people anything less than a living wage. In addition to wages and housing prices, Americans across our country are feeling pressure every time they visit the grocery store, with more than 50 percent of Americans reporting that the cost of groceries is a major source of stress. Food prices have risen 3 percent over the last year, and Trump’s tariff regime will only cause those prices to continue climbing. The administration’s cancellation of the Local Food for Schools (LFS) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA)
ASALH leads resistance to attacks on Smithsonian and U.S. history
By
For 110 years, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has worked to create and share knowledge about Black History. We founded Black History Month, and we have always acted as a bridge between scholars and the wider world. As the president of ASALH, I understand that we are also tasked with the job of making sure that our history is preserved, protected and promoted and when this is being threatened or when it is at risk of distortion or erasure, then our job is to sound the alarm.
Recently, the 47th president of the United States, on his social media platform, wrote a post openly attacking the Smithsonian Institution museums, asserting they were “OUT OF CONTROL.” He wrongly claimed that they only focused on “how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been.” He also noted that he has instructed his attorneys to “go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities, where tremendous progress has been made. This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE.” As a follow-up, the White House released a directive calling for a full review of all archival materials to determine if said materials are aligned with the President’s plan to “Restore Truth and Sanity to American History” (Executive Order 14235). This plan aims to remove any exhibit or artifact that does not align with his definition of American exceptionalism. When the Executive Order was first released, ASALH felt compelled to speak out and partnered with other civil rights organizations, including the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), to lead the National Week of Action’s “Hands Off Our History” rally. We met in Washington, D.C., and rallied around the Smithsonian’s
Dr. Karsonya Wise Whitehead is a professor and founding director of Loyola University’s Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice. Whitehead leads the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) as president.
National Museum of African American History and Culture (our beloved Blacksonian) to call attention to what was happening and what people needed to do next. We also laid out our North Star, providing our members with a blueprint for daily acts of resistance because we knew, like Toni Morrison once told us, “The move toward a final solution is not a jump. It takes one step, then another, then another.”
As you may be aware, the first steps have already been taken. The first occurred in 2017 with the whitelash election; then in 2020 with the rise in anti-Blackness and White supremacy after the murder of George Floyd. The right wing conservatives took a third step in 2023 with the banning of over 10,000 books, a majority of which featured people and characters of color; and, a fourth step occurred earlier this year when 47 issued multiple Executive Orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, medicine, K-12th grade history courses, research and science—to name just a few steps in the race toward fascism. The president and MAGA are now in full stride as they speed to defund libraries, whitewash history curricula, zero-base the Department of Education, position the National Guard in Washington,
D.C. and dismantle the Black middle class. (It is not lost on us that the work that was done to push and remove 300,000 Black women from the workforce was deliberate and intentional. It is also another step.)
These actions are veiled attempts to rewrite and distort the narrative by removing any mention of the racist actions, words and deeds that have shaped American history. This regime is actively seeking to erase the lived experiences of Black people.
But, we knew that this moment would come. We have been preparing, and we are ready.
Our work to uphold the legacies of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Baker, Constance Baker Motley, Derrick Bell, Harriet Tubman, Paul Robeson, Dorothy I. Height, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Vincent Harding, and Barbara Jordan, among many others, demand that we stay ready. Our work as truth seekers obliges us to “speak the truth to the people” and demands that we stay ready. Our work to preserve the history of our experience and plant the seeds for future knowledge and resistance to sprout demands that we stay ready.
ASALH stands in fierce opposition to this latest directive
Cooperative Agreement Programs cut more than $1 billion in funding that would have purchased local produce for schools and foodbanks across the country, hurting both our farmers and our vulnerable, hungry populations. To support those vulnerable friends and neighbors, I’m proud to support and cosponsor the Food Deserts Act, which would provide loans to help grocery stores open and thrive in underserved communities.
For many families, the rising cost of healthcare is as pressing as the cost of food and housing. The Congressional Budget Office warns that changes made in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” will lead to some 10 million Americans losing their coverage over the next decade. And if MAGA Republicans fail to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies that expire this year, out-of-pocket premium costs for ACA marketplace enrollees will rise by 75 percent on average. No American should have to worry that they are one illness
away from financial ruin.
For millions of young Americans, the dream of a college education and the upward mobility that it promises now comes with the nightmare of a lifelong burden of debt. Unfortunately, President Trump has declared war on higher education, slashing federal funding and driving away the international students that bolster university coffers. Even community colleges are grappling with vanishing grants, eliminated programs and looming budget shortfalls as state governments struggle with reduced federal funding.
The challenges that we face are daunting – from stagnant wages and soaring housing prices to unaffordable healthcare, higher education and retirement – but they are far from insurmountable. With principled leadership and a commitment to prioritizing the needs of the people, we can rally the public and build a tomorrow where every American has the chance to realize their full potential and pursue their own American Dream.
and all efforts to erase or distort our history, to silence our voices and to minimize our story. The history of the United States is written in blood and tears, in cross burnings and lynchings, in protesting and picketing, in voting and in protesting, in fear and in terror, and in fighting for justice and for peace.
Our history is both brutal and ugly and poignant and beautiful—from the forced arrival of our ancestors to these shores to the Black men who fought and died during the Revolutionary War; from the two planned destructions of Fort Mose, the Seminole Wars, the Trail of Tears, American enslavement, the Civil War to the vicious violent overthrow of Reconstruction; from the terrorism of lynching and racial pogroms to the work that was done in the streets, in the courts and through the Executive Branch; from Elizabeth Key’s 1656 case, Plessey v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968; from the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for Black Power to the work that was done during Black Lives Matter to reform community policing; and, through the work to stop the domestic terrorism of the KKK, racialized mass shooters and now, ICE. These are just a few snapshot moments from our collective stories, and these stories matter.
Our shared histories matter. Our voices and our sacrifices matter.
As ASALH continues to prepare for our Annual Conference in Atlanta (Sept. 24- Sept.28, 2025), we want to utilize every available opportunity to organize and prepare ourselves to counter his next steps. We must remember this is not the end of our fight, nor is it the beginning. It is merely a continuation of the work we have been doing as an organization since 1915 and as a people since we first arrived here.
Our work–like the struggle– continues.
Back to school, back to work— but not back to normal
By Kisha A.
Esq.
September always carries a familiar rhythm. Children step into classrooms with fresh braids or a fade. People return from vacations, inboxes full. Everyone collectively exhales and leans back into routine.
But let’s be clear: for Black America, nothing about this season—or this country—is routine.
So, no—there is nothing “normal” about this return to routine. The façade of normalcy is part our own desire and part seasonal consumerism, hiding a country whose democratic rights are being eroded. Pretending otherwise only leaves us more vulnerable.
As we move deeper into this fall season, let’s resist the illusion of “business as usual.” Our vote, our voice, our very presence in this democracy are needed now more than ever. Normal never saved us—community did. Faith did. Justice and joy did.
I was reminded of that on a recent visit to my parents in Orlando. When I opened their mailbox, two postcards from the Orange County Democratic Party were waiting. They warned that my parents must renew their vote-by-mail request because, thanks to Governor DeSantis’ voter suppression laws, those requests automatically expired in 2024. This wasn’t just junk mail—it was a stark reminder that the right to vote, something our ancestors bled for, is still under attack. From Florida’s suppression tactics to Texas’ gerrymandering, the strategy is the same: dilute, discourage, and diminish the Black vote. And voter suppression isn’t the only tool being sharpened. We are also watching the steady normalization of military presence. This summer, the National Guard was deployed in Washington, D.C. under the guise of “public safety.” The chilling question is not if, but when, such measures will expand to other Black-majority or Democratic-led cities across the country. Our neighborhoods are already overpoliced and underserved. With armed federal law enforcement on the ground, the prospect of even less accountability for police misconduct is set to be a compounded terror for local communities.
Brown,
Courtesy photo
Kisha Brown previously served as director of both the Maryland Attorney General’s Legislative Affairs Division and the Civil Rights Department.
Dr. Karsonya “Kaye”Wise Whitehead
Courtesy photo
By Congressman Kweisi Mfume
Courtesy photo
Congressman Kweisi Mfume represents Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Mississippi memories: A survivor recalls the day Hurricane Katrina came ashore”
By Alexis Taylor AFRO Managing Editor
Chancellor Mason doesn’t need documentaries, pictures or social media posts to remind him of what happened 20 years ago. Though he was a mere 12-yearold boy living in Gulfport, Miss., at 32, he calls up the memories of Hurricane Katrina as if the Category 3 storm slammed into his small town yesterday.
Life for the aspiring meteorologist and country singer changed forever when the storm waters washed away one of his schoolmates, his home and the family dog.
“If you went down our coast after the storm, there was nothing left…absolutely nothing,” said Mason. “If anybody knows weather, the right front quadrant of a hurricane is always the strongest part. That went right over my town…Mississippi was a part of that storm.”
According to the National Weather Service, “the damage and loss of life inflicted by this massive hurricane in Louisiana and Mississippi was staggering with significant effects extending into Alabama and the western Florida panhandle.”
As images of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation to the City of New Orleans flooded the airwaves, Mason–like many outside of The Big Easy–says what he experienced has historically been left out of mainstream media.
This year, he has made a point to speak up and be more vocal about what happened in Mississippi.
In the years before Katrina, both of Mason’s parents, who worked at the hospital by his school, would evacuate during major storms. He believes that led to a fatigue in the community, where the
act of packing up and leaving town was often deemed an overaction in hindsight.
In August 2005, the family teetered back and forth over whether to leave the city for yet another hurricane. Finally, the day before the storm arrived in Mississippi, Mason’s mother quit her job and the family hit the road. There was only one problem: the roads were packed with other people who also waited until the last minute to evacuate.
“I think everybody was getting anxious, trying to get out. It was bumper to bumper. The feeder bands of the storm were already coming in, it was raining– it was a lot. So, we turned around.
We hadn’t gone anywhere. So we got off the interstate and turned back around.”
Mason had already made survival kits for his family, consisting of canned goods, water and batteries. Still, he had a feeling.
“I remember walking to my mom’s room and telling her ‘I don’t think we should stay here.’”
In the end, the family listened to the pre-teen weather enthusiast and sought shelter at his school, at the time known as Central Middle School.
“There were a lot of people there. They had a two-story school, but they had ropes and chains around the doors that go
upstairs. Everybody was on the first floor,” Mason recalls. “Cops started walking around warning people, ‘If something goes wrong here, we’re not coming. The ambulance [is] not coming…this is going to be a flood zone. You can stay–but if you stay– we’re not coming.’”
Upon hearing the warning from police, Mason says many people didn’t budge.
“A lot of people didn’t even have cars,” he said. “They [had] walked there, or got dropped off there. It’s just what it was.”
As the Mason family had a car, they made the trek further north, to a school in North Gulfport. They were lucky. It was
there that they would ultimately ride out Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on Aug. 29. By the time the storm hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, residents in the area were up against sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
“I remember laying down and going to sleep and then I woke up, it was chaos. It was probably around 4 or 5 a.m. All I hear is babies crying, loud people talking…I could hear the wind,” Mason recalls. “Katrina was coming ashore.”
By 8 a.m., as daylight tried to break through, the situation became more visible.
“I’m still amazed by this to this day, but all I could see was stuff flying around…pieces of other parts of the school,” said Mason. “There was this big gymnasium. I watched it for about an hour get ripped apart by these winds. The roof of the building we were in started coming off.”
“It
“We’re all wet, water’s coming up through the floor,” he told the AFRO, recalling the day as if it were happening in real time, all over again. “People started to freak out. Somebody got on the phone with 911, and they were saying, ‘we can’t do any rescues right now.’”
The situation became even more stressful when a man began banging on the doors to the school.
“There was a guy who showed up to the shelter midstorm. I guess he lived in a mobile home. His small home started being ripped apart. He said, ‘I can’t find my wife. We were in the house together. I
ran outside to get the car started to go back in her, and then the storm took our trailer away.’” Mason said many people were uneducated about how deadly a hurricane could be. Before anyone could get the locks off the doors to help the man, a piece of tin debris slammed into his body.
“All the adults formed a human chain. They locked arms and walked out one by one to grab him and to bring him in. He was all cut up, bruised up and we called 911,” said Mason. Still, the response from 911 remained the same: “‘We cannot come.’”
Mason remembers the storm getting particularly bad around noon.
“I could feel the building shaking. Mind you, now we’re in water. I think that’s when I really started to worry, because I did have other family members that didn’t evacuate. By the grace of God, they survived.”
Eventually, the storm passed.
“We went outside to just look. When you stood back from the building we were in, and looked, you could tell it was one strong gust away from being decimated– the whole building. There’s no way that every building around us at that school was demolished and the building we were in was still standing,” said Mason.
“It still amazes me to this day. I tell people all the time, I was not supposed to be here– at all.”
To find out what happened to the Mason family in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, read Part II of this story, “Mississippi Memories: After the Storm” in next week’s edition of the AFRO.
Marking 20 years since Hurricane Katrina: Bearing witness to tragedy and triumph
By
Being in Mississippi and Louisiana to
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was an assault on the senses. The then-Category 3 hurricane made landfall on the Gulf Coast states on Aug. 29, 2005, leaving devastation in its wake.
What I remember most are the smells–the scent of rot, of decay, of mold and mildew… of death.
Then there was the sound–a deafening silence in the neighborhoods where giggles and laughter, raised voices or blaring music, the roar of an engine or the sizzle of a grill
once bore witness to the full lives lived and the generations of Black heritage and culture rooted into the communities’ foundations.
And I certainly cannot forget what I saw: large riverboats lying mangled and askew, tossed onto the shores of Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss., like discarded toy boats; houses chewed up and spit out onto street corners; upended vehicles held aloft by tree branches; nightmare forests of mud and mold smothering the hard-won earnings
and memories invested into homes. And then there were the large X’s etched onto houses, macabre epitaphs telling the stories of lives lost when the rapidly rising waters swallowed entire communities.
It was all too easy to lose sight of that hallowed journalistic tenet–objectivity. Hopelessness, despair, even anger were paramount–but never pity. The main focus of our coverage–the survivors–negated any such feeling.
Seeing and chronicling the
survivors’ stories – their spiritual strength and resilience, their community spirit and bravery in wading into putrid waters to save scores of their fellow residents, their optimism despite the devastating losses and their dogged determination to return and reclaim their heritage and rebuild their homes – renewed my own sense of purpose and reignited my calling to journalism.
It was the stories like that of Herbert Gettridge, a stonemason who in 1950, with his own hands, built
a three-bedroom house on North Prieur Street in the Lower Ninth Ward for his wife and young children. And who at 83, one year after the floods ravaged his neighborhood, returned to New Orleans, determined to rebuild the battered house and bring his ailing wife home.
Those were the testimonies that gave me a sense of hope, left an indelible mark on my memory and made my coverage of this unprecedented disaster among the proudest moments of my career.
Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Chance Mason
Chancellor Mason, now 32, recalls surviving Hurricane Katrina as a 12-year-old boy in Gulfport, Miss., an experience that continues to shape his life today.
report on
Zenitha Prince AFRO Contributing Editor
Baltimore Urban League placed on immediate probation
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com
The Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) has been placed on immediate probation, according to an Aug. 15 letter recently obtained by the AFRO
The communication was sent to the GBUL leadership from the National Urban League office and signed by Herman L. Lessard Jr., senior vice president of affiliate services for the National Urban League (NUL).
The correspondence states that the initial probation period will be 90 days, but it could be extended. During that time leadership for the GBUL will have an opportunity to submit a recovery plan. If that plan is not accepted, a determination could be made to begin disaffiliation proceedings.
The letter alleged numerous violations which have been identified by the national office and allegedly committed by the GBUL leadership.
While the NUL indicated that more violations may be identified after an investigation, the following 11 alleged violations were listed in the Aug. 15 letter:
1. The Board has failed to hold regular meetings on an ongoing basis.
2. The Board is out of compliance, as many of its Board members are beyond the term limits mandated by the National Urban League.
3. The Board has failed to provide financial or other meaningful and measurable support necessary to ensure the stability of the Baltimore Urban League.
4. The Board has comingled restricted, and un-restricted funds, a clear violation of non-profit operating protocols, accounting practices, and fiscal responsibility standards.
5. The Board has failed to renew its Solicitation Charitable Agreement with the State of Maryland. Thus, as a result, the Baltimore Urban League is out of compliance with state law.
6. The Board has failed to initiate, conduct, and complete timely audits of the Baltimore Urban League’s operations for previous years, thus placing the Baltimore Urban League at great risk with both public and private funders.
7. We have also determined that there are recent, substantial financial obligations that have not been resolved and further, have not been disclosed in any financial statements, performance reviews or compliance reports. This is a material violation of the Terms of Affiliation Agreement and places the future of the Baltimore Urban League at great risk.
8. The CEO position has been unstable; currently, there is no CEO for the second time in two years.
9. The Board has failed to develop a working relationship with previous CEOs, despite having selected them in a manner consistent with the principle that the CEO manages the Urban League
Affiliate while the Board provides oversight and guidance.
10. These acts of neglect and failure of oversight by the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Urban League place the Baltimore Urban League at great risk and have hindered its ability to provide services to the community of Baltimore, which remains in great need.
11. The Board has also stubbornly failed to comply with the recommendations outlined in a report prepared by the Department of Affiliate Services following a recent site visit. This visit revealed a number of issues, yet there has been no follow-up, no follow- through, no updates, and no action taken by the Baltimore Urban League.
The National Urban League, founded in 1910, “is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality and social justice,” according to its website.
The Greater Baltimore Urban League traces its roots back to 1924.
For more than 100 years, it has been one of the NUL’s local affiliates, assisting the NUL in fulfilling its mission through direct service delivery, advocacy, referrals, community capacity building, information dissemination and technical assistance.
The AFRO reached out to multiple board members to inquire about the “ongoing and persistent violations” cited in the letter.
Zy Richardson, a communications consultant for GBUL, issued the following statement in response to the AFRO article that ran online
regarding the probation:
The Greater Baltimore Urban League is tackling longstanding challenges while remaining steadfast in our mission to serve Baltimore’s families and communities. Many of the concerns identified date back more than 30 years, when the League faced bankruptcy. Despite today’s difficult funding environment, our balance sheet is stronger than ever, and for three consecutive years our programs have been nationally recognized as award-winning.
We remain focused on building stability, strengthening our Board practices, and ensuring full compliance with national standards. Most importantly, we are committed to the people of Baltimore, and to advancing equity, opportunity, and empowerment in every community we serve.
Transparency and accountability will guide us forward, and we are confident the Greater Baltimore Urban League will emerge stronger and better positioned for the future.
Stay tuned for updates to this report.
New Barbie honors Venus Williams as part of ‘Inspiring Women’ collection
Venus Williams has a new Barbie as part of the dollmaker’s “Inspiring Women” collection.
Williams’ doll, released Aug. 29, celebrates the tennis great and pay equity champion with a doll wearing the uniform she wore while winning Wimbledon in 2007.
Williams’ win for the fifth of her seven grand slam titles was the first time a woman received equal prize money as the men at a top-level tournament. The doll, suggested to retail for $38, features Williams in all white with a green gem necklace, wristband, racket and tennis ball.
Williams also had a Barbie doll released in May 2024 that highlighted nine trailblazing female athletes as part of Barbie’s 65th anniversary celebration. This article was
Library of Congress, digitizing its collections and broadening access for everyday Americans. They earned their places. They kept faith with their work. Their dismissals are not about competence. They are about something else entirely.
When one highly qualified Black woman is fired, you might chalk it up to politics. When two are removed in quick succession, the story changes. Add to that the steady drumbeat against diversity and inclusion programs, the dismantling of affirmative action, the targeting of Black men in leadership, and the caricaturing of entire cities with Black mayors as “dangerous” or “ungovernable,” and the pattern is impossible to ignore.
Excellence is not enough. Dedication is not enough. Even brilliance is not enough. That is the message being sent.
And Baltimore knows this message all too well. For years, the city has been used as a political punching bag — described in crude and demeaning terms, reduced to a caricature of crime and decay. That rhetoric did not stop with the city itself; it has extended to its leaders. Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, has faced baseless attacks on his character and record. Mayor Brandon Scott, one of the youngest mayors in the nation, has been singled out and vilified, as though his very leadership were illegitimate.
Yes, the city has had a complicated history with its leadership. But to weaponize those chapters as a way to dismiss Baltimore altogether, or to suggest that Black leadership is inherently flawed, is dishonest, cynical and dangerous. The strategy is clear: discredit the city, discredit its leaders, and by extension discredit the millions of Black Americans who call places like Baltimore home. The implications reach far
beyond Cook and Hayden, beyond Baltimore, beyond any single institution. If women and men of such stature can be dismissed or denigrated so casually, what does that say to the young people coming behind them? What does it say to every Black child who dares to dream of leadership? The message is not only discouraging — it is destructive.
And make no mistake: this is not random. It is deliberate. A broad assault on representation, on equity, on truth itself. The removal of qualified leaders from their posts and the vilification of Black-led cities are part of the same campaign. They are designed to narrow who gets to lead, whose stories get told and whose voices count.
That should trouble every American. Because this moment is about more than politics. It is about whether excellence will be rewarded or punished. It is about whether truth will be preserved or sanitized. It is about whether our children will inherit institutions that reflect the richness of this country or a stripped-down version of history designed to comfort the powerful.
If this can happen to Lisa Cook and Carla Hayden — women who shattered ceilings and redefined excellence; if it can happen to leaders like Wes Moore and Brandon Scott — pioneering leaders in their own right; then no one who dares to disagree with those in power is safe. Anyone who refuses to fall in line becomes a target. We have already seen that in the resistance of Maryland’s congressional and Senate delegation, who have spoken out forcefully against the purges and demanded accountability. Their voices underscore the point: this is not about party, position or performance. It is about raw power.
Competence should be celebrated, not punished. Truth should be defended, not erased. And if we remain silent now, history will remember that silence as complicity.
Photo courtesy of NUL.org
The Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) is officially on probation according to an Aug. 15 letter sent from the National Urban League. The communication, recently obtained by the AFRO, details 11 alleged violations by the GBUL Board of Directors.
Baltimore Ravens return with depth, star power— and a reminder to trust the process
By Edward G. Robinson III AFRO Sports Editor
Some Baltimore Ravens fans are looking at the team’s current roster and can’t help but skip ahead to the NFL playoffs.
They recall last season, when the Ravens exited the playoffs earlier than expected in a heartbreaking 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, and they are demanding a do-over.
Still, they should take cues from coach John Harbaugh, someone who can look at this team – loaded with coaching experience, offensive superstars, defensive stoppers and even undrafted rookie talent – and maintain composure, knowing that preseason promise never equates to postseason triumph. Especially when the first four Ravens games are against the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
“We’ve had a lot of good preseasons, as you might recall,” said Harbaugh, asked to compare this team’s level of depth at a press conference on Aug. 25. “It was certainly better than last year, for sure. If we’re going to make a direct comparison, I feel like we’re in a lot better of a place right now, as far as the preseason goes. [The roster is] deeper, [we have] more guys playing at a high level, for sure. I definitely see that, and I think
that’s a good thing. Hey, we’re where we’re at now, so it’s all we can judge by, and I feel good about that at this point.”
The message is: Feel good, but don’t get ahead of the process.
As the Ravens open the 2025 season on Sept. 7 against the Buffalo Bills, it’s understandable how die-hard supporters could read the names on the current Ravens’ 53-man roster and start to pencil their team in for a trip to Super Bowl LX in San Francisco Bay Area on Feb. 8 Start with Lamar Jackson. The team’s starting quarterback has accomplished so much as a passer and runner that it’s almost
implausible to consider: He’s thrown for over 20,000 yards in seven seasons.
Just last season Jackson completed 316 of 474 pass attempts for 4,172 yards and 41 TDs. He rushed for 916 yards and four TDs.
Next, consider Derrick Henry. The team’s powerful starting running back has compiled 11,423 yards in nine seasons. Last season he rushed 325 times for 1,921 yards, finishing second in the league behind Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley. Move down the roster, other Baltimore Pro Bowl standouts appear: wide receiver Zay
Flowers, center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humprhrey and safety Kyle Hamilton. And the player list goes on and on.
Surprisingly, three undrafted rookies made the squad: linebacker Jay Higgins IV, safety Reuben Lowery III and cornerback Keyon Martin.
Martin, who during preseason finished with a safety and a pick-six, impressed senior defensive assistant and secondary coach Chuck Pagano.
“He’s done it all preseason. … He’s so instinctive. He’s so
smart and is football savvy,” Pagano said, in an interview with BaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer Clifton Brown. “His football IQ is off the charts. You see him walk in the building, you’re thinking, ‘OK, he’s working in IT or something or breaking tape down for somebody. Surely, he can’t be putting pads on and intercepting passes for touchdowns.’ At a buck-60, he’ll say he’ s a buck-70, but
that we work hard. We develop our players, we bring them in, and we give them reps. We’re not practicing for [only] an hour and 10 minutes out here. We’re out here; we’re giving these guys reps; we’re giving them walkthroughs; we’ve got meetings for these guys; we’ve got extra meetings for the young guys.”
“I think we have a really good system that has been built with deep foundations here, and we operate at a really high level. I also think that we work hard.”
he can’t be. He’s a tremendous player. He did a great job.”
By signing three undrafted rookies, the Ravens have now had at least one undrafted rookie make the final 53-man roster in 21 of the past 22 years.
“It shows you how deep we dig,” Harbaugh said, at the Aug. 25 press conference. “I think we have a really good system that has been built with deep foundations here, and we operate at a really high level. I also think
This year, the Ravens are presenting a roster every team in the NFL is watching after the team finished undefeated in the preseason. The coaches are looking forward to working with those who made the cut.
“We try to develop them, because we think if you sign with the Ravens, you should get coached, and you should get every opportunity to have a fair shot,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not just a token opportunity, [it’s] a real opportunity. We feel like as coaches, that’s our job to develop every guy on the roster.”
Commanders open 2025 season with confidence, chemistry and championship dreams
By
A new NFL season has arrived and expectations are sky high for the Washington Commanders.
That’s not a joke.
Last season, Commanders fans experienced a level of success that had eluded the franchise for more than 20 years. Inspired by the coolheaded performances of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and thankful for the leadership provided by new coach Dan Quinn, fans celebrated in their living rooms as the Commanders marched to the NFC championship game.
The Philadelphia Eagles, an NFC East rival, prevented the Commanders from reaching Super Bowl LIX with a 55-23 victory. Still, they finished the season 14-6 overall with two playoff wins –earning a berth in the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991. Nothing stokes excitement in Washington, D.C. – home to Super Bowl Champions in 1982, 1987, 1991 – like its hometown football team winning, especially when there’s a sensational quarterback at the helm, a running back tandem in the backfield and a cadre of talented receivers roaming the field with their hands up.
“I think we’re getting better each and every day,” Daniels said, in a press conference. “It’s not going to be perfect and obviously you don’t want to peak right now in early August. It’s going to be a gradual build for us, but I like the trajectory and the path we’re on.”
Poised in the pocket and shifty in the open field, the second-year QB from LSU passed for 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He returns as the team’s top quarterback and expectations are high for his sophomore season, particularly
as the Commanders recently retained the services of two-time Pro Bowl McLaurin – who conducted a “hold-in” during training camp before signing a contract extension.
McLaurin, who was drafted by the Commanders in 2019, caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 TDs. He’s led the franchise with five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Commanders fans screamed in tandem when the news of McLaurin’s signing was announced.
They immediately flooded social media with well-wishes, knowing the wideout is a key component to the team’s success. He spent most of training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list while recovering from an ankle injury.
“I’m really pumped that he’s here, man,” Quinn said during a preseason press conference before the actual signing. “He’s such an awesome competitor.”
McLaurin’s signing was critical as
the team prepares for its opening game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. Despite ample opportunities other wideouts have been inconsistent and struggled to impress during the preseason.
In an effort to add depth at wide receiver, the Commanders signed veteran Deebo Samuel, whose hard-rock running style and versatility has reminded many of his time with the San Francisco 49ers where in six seasons he’s caught 334 passes for 4,792 yards.
He’s quickly teamed with Daniels and could be a sure-handed target downfield or a threat on an end-around.
“Anything we ask him to do, whether we put him inside or outside, he’s going to go at it a thousand miles per hour,” Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “He’s so strong. Running through [he] can play at a high speed that guys have a hard time staying with him. Great addition for us.”
Meanwhile, the Commanders
continue to develop their offensive line strategies, Quinn said, with better protection for Daniels and quick-strike pulling for running backs. Injuries have forced offensive linemen to rotate among positions during training camp and prevented the unit from finding its most formidable combinations.
As the front line figures out responsibilities, Washington’s brass adjusted the running back room by trading starting back Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco in exchange for a six round pick. Quinn said the move improved the cohesion in the room.
Running back-by-committee features Austin Ekeeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. It’s a group with some speed, power and elusiveness mixed in, though who will make an impact will be determined on game day.
Croskey-Merritt, nicknamed “Bill,” has drawn praise from coaches and teammates for his play-making abilities at 5-foot-11, 208 pounds. For sure eyes will be locked on him when his number is called. Will he cause trouble for defenses?
said, during preseason camp. “That’s what I do. … I can still roll out of the bed at 36 years-old, with my house shoes on and still rush the passer.” Miller comes at a time when the linebacker corps need a figurative shot of wheatgrass. Bobby Wagner, who begins his 14th season, leads a youthful group.
With the arrival of Miller, the Commanders have added packages to give the linebackers – Wagner, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano, Nick Bellore, Frankie Luvu – more freedom. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has enjoyed Miller’s in-camp rush clinic.
“He can still get off the ball,” he said. “He can bend the corner, he can bend, he can spin.”
If the defense is to stop anyone this season, players must tackle better individually and as a group.
For reference, flash back to last season’s NFC Championship game, where the Eagles’ star running back Saquon Barkley rushed for a 60-yard touchdown on the team’s first play from scrimmage. He took a toss out of the backfield left and broke upfield, shedding arm tackles and sprinting into the end zone.
“It’s going to be a gradual build for us, but I like the trajectory and the path we’re on.”
“I was the underdog at one point,” he said. “I still got so much that I want to prove.”
Opposing offenses have long identified Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller as a problem they needed to solve.
The Commanders signed the 15-year veteran after stints with Denver, Los Angeles and Buffalo. No doubt, his job will be to rush the quarterback.
“They are going to let me rush,” he
The details will make a difference this season. Quinn and company will not surprise anyone in the NFC East or the rest of the NFL for that matter.
Commanders fans will look to Daniels for his leadership and poise and McLaurin for his speed and hands. Their expectations are echoing down from the cheap seats at Northwest Stadium, with hopes that the team can deliver another magical season.
AP Photo/Nick Wass Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin (#38) celebrates after intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Washington Commanders Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md.
Edward G. Robinson III
AFRO Sports Editor
AP File Photo/Derik Hamilton
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin holds the ball during the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia.
This week, the AFRO showcases companies that are driving innovation while guiding young people toward entrepreneurship. Equity, inclusion and sustainability are not just ideals—they are the building blocks of business legacies that endure. Keep this edition handy to discover how the next generation is being prepared to thrive.
How Dent Education is building the next generation of innovators
By Andrea Stevens AFRO Staff Writer astevens@afro.com
At Dent Education, entrepreneurship is not just a buzzword.
It is a hands-on experience rooted in real-world application, community empowerment and the belief that all young people have the power to shape their futures.
Founded with the mission of fostering creativity and innovation among Baltimore youth, Dent works with students ages 14 to 24 through tailored entrepreneurship tracks. The nonprofit provides paid, skill-building programs that center design thinking, business development and leadership.
“We really believe Baltimore can be known as the youth innovation capital of the world,” said Mickey Wolf, CEO of Dent Education.
“We’ve got creative, resilient young people, value-aligned partners and an ecosystem that’s supporting them.”
Dent offers a series of progressive programs to meet students where they are on their entrepreneurial journeys. The entry-level track introduces students to the core principles of design thinking, identifying problems, understanding users, brainstorming solutions and prototyping ideas.
“We support students at every stage of their journey,” Wolf told the AFRO. “Whether they are just starting with an idea or already running a
business, we meet them where they are and build from there.”
The programming includes tracks like “Accelerate Your Dent” for those launching
students, Dent offers fiscal sponsorship and space to run their own initiatives.
Each summer, Dent accepts around 97 students into its
“It’s about giving students a space where they can experiment, get feedback and learn how to communicate their vision.”
businesses, and a more advanced version for youth whose ventures are already operating. For the most seasoned
internship programs. These students complete 125 hours of paid programming over the course of five weeks,
E.E. Ward Moving and Storage owners share keys to lasting legacy and innovation
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
Maintaining a lasting business takes strategic preparation, commitment to legacy and clear purpose. For Brian Brooks, upholding the original character behind the 144-yearold business, E.E. Ward Moving and Storage, means investing back into the company, its staff and the community. Brooks, co-owner and president of E.E. Ward Moving and Storage, recently spoke with the AFRO on how he works to ensure that the original intent and passion behind the business is not lost as he continues the
company’s legacy. “We believe in investing back into ourselves,” which includes training newer staff, said Brooks. “We pride ourselves on a high quality of service. One of our taglines is ‘professional movers since 1881.’ There’s a skill, an art to moving things so they don’t break, and a lot of that expertise comes from what we invest back into it.”
E.E. Ward Moving and Storage makes it a priority to invest back into the community–one of the founding principles of the business.
The company is the oldest African-American owned business still in operation in the United States. The roots
of the company were laid by John T. Ward, a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Columbus, Ohio.
John T. Ward began the business upon realizing that his family had accumulated the resources and knowledge to adequately transport goods and supplies. It remained family-owned for 120 years until the torch was passed on to Brooks in 2001 by his godfather, Eldon Ward, who had planned to shutter the business.
Under the ownership of Brooks and his wife, Dominique, the business has been revived, expanded and modernized with no end in sight. E.E. Ward now has 45 trucks, 75
funded primarily through YouthWorks and additional organizational support.
“We had one student who started a drone photography business,” said Ayomide Sekiteri, strategic partnership manager. “She was an ROTC student learning to fly drones and she turned that into something creative and profitable. She refined her pitch and business model with us and was able to speak on the main stage by the end of the summer.”
That student is just one example of how Dent encourages youth to explore their interests while developing meaningful projects.
“It’s about giving students a space where they can experiment, get feedback, and learn how to communicate their vision,” said Sekiteri.
“We emphasize public speaking and networking so they can grow their business and their confidence.”
Another standout alumna is Shania Stevenson, who created a mental health initiative called NAV.
“She noticed that students weren’t talking about mental health in schools,” said Wolf.
“She launched an Instagram page, led after-school clubs and eventually partnered with Baltimore City Schools to expand her programming.”
Central to Dent’s model is its “earn-to-learn” approach.
Youth are paid for their time in the programs, removing
financial barriers and honoring their contributions. Through partnerships with YouthWorks and other funders, students complete hundreds of hours in paid internships, after-school sessions and workstudy programs that can total up to 195 to 320 hours over the school year.
“By paying our youth, we’re sending a clear message: their time, ideas and leadership matter,” said Sekiteri.
Dent also incorporates industry-recognized credentials, including a marketing certification with Adobe Express, to equip students with marketable skills.
“We’re not just building businesses,” said Wolf. “We’re building mindsets that will carry students through whatever path they choose.”
employees, four locations and numerous awards.
In recent years, E.E. Ward Moving and Storage has tapped into MoversSuite, a cloud based software for the moving and storage industry. It helps tie everything into one centralized system and features an all-inclusive document management system and several mobile-access components.
They’ve also employed a modern website infrastructure, automated and personalized customer service and accessible financial solutions for customers.
A strategy Brooks’ company has employed to ensure longevity is being prepared for future needs.
“Even though you may not need a loan, you need to be in a position to get one if needed,” said Brooks. “Someone told me a long time ago, the best time to ask for money is when you don’t need it because your approach to it is going to be a lot more strategic. When you’re forced to do it out of desperation, you are not at your best and many times you are being reactionary.”
Offering advice to other Black entrepreneurs striving to build enduring businesses, Brooks encouraged them to stay consistent and show up every day.
“You have to show up for yourself, for your business, for your customers [and]
employees,” said Brooks. “It is one of the main principles you have to subscribe to–simple as it sounds.”
Echoing that sentiment, Eudell Watts IV, said his current strategy in business is to maximize impact with available resources, remain consistent and keep showing up.Watts is co-founder of Old Arthur’s Barbeque Products.
Drawing from his journey as an entrepreneur, Watts offered advice for lasting success.
“Don’t be afraid to get your family involved,” he said. “Identify each person’s strengths, and delegate roles and responsibilities that play to those strengths. A lasting legacy is stronger when it’s built together.”
Courtesy photo
E.E. Ward Moving and Storage, the oldest running African-American-owned business in America, was founded by John T. Ward in 1881.
Courtesy photo
Dominique and Brian Brooks, co-owners of E.E. Ward Moving and Storage, are upholding a 144-year-old family business and its commitment to community and quality service.
Photo Courtesy/ Ayomide Sekiteri Ayomide Sekiteri, strategic partnership manager at Dent Education, works closely with students to develop entrepreneurial skills and build confidence through community-centered programming.
Courtesy Photo / Mickey Wolf
More than 30 students gather during a summer session at Dent Education in Baltimore, where youth ages 14 to 24 participate in workshops, business development and public speaking opportunities.
How the Howard University School of Business equips students for entrepreneurial success
By Andrea Stevens AFRO Staff Writer astevens@afro.com
At Howard University’s School of Business, entrepreneurship is more than just a course of study.
It is a culture, an ecosystem and a community of aspiring business leaders equipped with practical skills, alumni support and access to leading-edge innovation.
The school’s commitment to entrepreneurship is evident through its partnership with PNC Bank and the creation of the PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. Headquartered at Howard, the center delivers hands-on programming, mentorship and technical training not only for students but also for the surrounding community.
“We provide programming for our students, mentoring around their entrepreneurial endeavors and technical skills,” said Vaneesha Dutra, an associate professor of finance at Howard’s School of Business.
“We’re proud of the unique support systems in place that help students translate what they learn in the classroom into real-world success.”
One aspect that sets the program apart is the intentional formation of student cohorts. Students are grouped based on their business focus and skill sets and they collaborate throughout their academic journey. These cohorts remain connected to alumni networks, allowing for continuous mentorship and peer learning.
“Howard’s unique combination of rigorous curriculum and practical application ensures that our graduates are not only knowledgeable but also capable of putting their ideas into action,” Dutra said. “We can stack our students up against any institution. What makes me excited about being a professor at Howard is our adaptability and our ability to equip students quickly with technical skills.”
Robert Singh, associate professor of management at Howard, joined the institution two years ago after two decades at Morgan State University. Singh’s research focuses on the challenges facing Black entrepreneurs, and he said Howard’s mission closely aligns with his work.
“Every week there are famous entrepreneurs, politicians and business leaders speaking on campus, and I learn from my students just as I try to teach them.”
“The university values entrepreneurship within its business curriculum,” Singh said.
Singh’s industry background and academic experience align closely with the mission of Howard’s School of Business, which blends real-world application with academic rigor.
His transition from engineering and private sector work into teaching reflects the type of multidimensional expertise the school emphasizes in preparing students for leadership and entrepreneurship.
“Every week there are famous
The 50-year legacy of Black Classic Press
By Kendra Bryant Special to the AFRO kbryant@afro.com
Nearly 50 years after its founding, the Black Classic Press (BCP), founded in 1978 by former Black Panther Party member Paul Coates, continues to thrive as a staple of independent publishing in Baltimore.
The business, originally known as the George Jackson Prison Movement (GJPM), provided books and information to incarcerated Black people.
“I knew people in jail, many members of the Black Panther Party,” said Coates. “We wanted to create a vehicle that allowed those people in jail to be known to the world outside. We also wanted to create a program that brought information into the jail where these people were, and that affected the population in the jail.”
Coates handled funding for the business by hosting chicken dinners and book drive collections in the Baltimore community.
“I believe the cost at the time was a dollar a plate. I’d raise money and ask people to bring together books and donate books that we could send into the jail,” said Coates.
“Most of the books were focused on the African descent of our people or published by Black authors.” Black Classic Press later transitioned into a publishing house. Along with a sister company, BCP Digital Printing, they print books on everything from children’s books, economics, spirituality and even comics.
“If you think about the movie, ‘Black Panther’ and you think about how T’Challa and everyone constantly talked about the vibranium
“Our narratives are the lifeblood of the Black community.”
that strengthened the community and made it powerful, that’s how our narratives are in the Black community,” said Coates. “Whether they are nonfiction or fiction books, they are a vessel that contains our narratives of the generations before me.”
Paul Coates is father of the critically acclaimed author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, who has made a name for himself speaking on Black issues. The elder Coates did not intend for BCP to be a family business, but his children and grandchildren have become deeply involved.
“There’s a sense of pride–not pressure, but responsibility–that comes with being a Coates,” said Christopher
Coates, grandson of Paul Coates and a Howard University graduate. “Knowing the hard work and sacrifice that went into this and getting me here means a lot.”
Christopher Coates looks at his elder as more than just a grandfather, but as a father figure. He has many memories of spending time with him.
“I recall sleepovers with my cousins at his house. He’s always been curious and intuitive,” said Christopher Coates. “There’s always been an emphasis on learning, reading books and knowing our history.”
Christian Coates, Paul’s younger grandson and a Morgan State University student, also shares fond memories of
working at BCP.
entrepreneurs, politicians and business leaders speaking on campus, and I learn from my students just as I try to teach them,” said Singh.
Howard has expanded its curriculum to include emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. Faculty members are working with industry leaders to help students understand how AI can streamline operations and reduce costs, a critical advantage for new entrepreneurs.
“Howard is preparing business leaders for tomorrow,” Dutra said. “And we’re doing it by staying responsive to the needs of industry and giving students the tools to succeed.”
“A day at BCP can include a lot of different tasks. We could be cutting down papers, binding books, packing up books to be shipped, printing shirts, making pamphlets, etc.,” said the younger Coates.
“One of my favorite projects was working with Pearson. They needed about 150,000 copies. It was a heavy task, but we got through it.”
The respect held for the Coates name within the Baltimore community has persevered for almost 50 years.
“People stop me all the time to say that I look like my grandfather,” said Christopher Coates. “They always say he’s a good brother and has respect
in the community.”
“He’s always been loved by his customers,” said Christian Coates. “So many of these people have invested in our futures. The respect that our family holds really sets the bar high. It’s something to look up to.” Paul Coates hopes that the next generation of BCP will carry on amid the new age of technology. He wants the narratives of African Americans to live on in a time when it is being threatened with removal.
“This business wasn’t based on inspiration, but a holy journey,” said Coates. “Once you get called to lead and once you’ve been touched by it, there’s no turning back.”
Photo Courtesy/ Vaneesha Dutra
Dr. Vaneesha Dutra, an assistant professor of finance at Howard University’s School of Business, emphasizes the school’s handson approach to preparing students for entrepreneurship and leadership roles.
Photo Courtesy/ Robert Singh
Dr. Robert Singh, associate professor of management at Howard University, brings decades of research and industry experience to his work supporting the next generation of Black entrepreneurs.
The Coates Family/ Christian Coates
Christopher Coates, and Samori Coates (back, right) at Black Classic Press Digital’s lobby,
Young Paul Coates, The University of Utah
Paul Coates continues to channel the passion he had in the Black Panther Party into Black Classic Press, where he helps Black authors publish their work.
Investing in the future: A Q&A with Revolve Fund’s James Wahls
By André White
Some investors give money to a start-up with the hopes of recouping their investment with interest. Some investors give money to start-ups and nonprofits with the hopes that the initial investment will seed transformative growth for the communities in which the business resides. James Wahls is the latter.
Throughout his career, Wahls has invested or managed hundreds of millions of dollars into businesses run by historically marginalized entrepreneurs and organizations serving the public good. Wahls is the founder and managing director of Revolve Fund, a philanthropic initiative that offers recoverable grants and other support to organizations in multiple regions of the United States. Revolve Fund grants have given both small businesses and mission-aligned organizations a chance to make a real impact in the communities they serve. I recently caught up with Wahls to discuss his work, passion for community, and mission to support small grassroots groups.
André White: Why did you launch the Revolve Fund?
James Wahls: I launched the Revolve Fund as a response to more than a decade’s career in impact investing and philanthropy. I wanted to develop a funding product that increased affordable capital access for small businesses owned by, or tax-exempt organizations led by, historically marginalized entrepreneurs who have difficulty securing capital from traditional sources with minimal financial harm.
I believed, and still believe, that entities need patient, non-extractive capital. Revolve offers recoverable grants and other supports to organizations using an
investor-like approach. Our funding positions our grantee partners to scale their businesses or revenue models, access additional financial supports, and build mutually beneficial relationships with strategic impact.
AW: Can you tell us about yourself and your background?
JW: With previous stints at W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation and now a senior executive at Mission Investors Exchange and managing director at Revolve, I’m committed to helping good people get the capital they need to have an even greater impact. Through my impact investing and philanthropy roles, I have managed or co-managed
$250 million-plus in impact investing and philanthropy allocations comprised of grant, equity, debt and direct investments. Notable initiatives I designed or led include the Baltimore Small Business Support Fund and the Detroit Entrepreneurs of Color Fund. Both served as catalytic models for moving tens of millions of capital for small businesses and nonprofits. I also spearheaded investments in affordable housing, financial inclusion, quality job creation and community development throughout the U.S.
AW: What impact does Revolve’s funding have on the businesses you’ve given to?
JW: Revolve Fund grantees are pioneering industry-shifting work. For
instance, one Revolve Fund grantee, Just Futures, is working to help organizations align their finances with their social justice values. They offer various investment solutions, including 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans, to help small businesses attract and retain staff. They also ensure that people committed to missional work are able to retire with dignity. Through its partnership with Revolve, Just Futures is able to help mitigate startup costs for retirement plans. This is pivotal because initial startup costs for retirement plans are cost-prohibitive for many small businesses and nonprofits. Aside from Just Futures, we know that our investments yield measurable results. Although
the fund has deployed over $1.2 million, grantees have been able to raise $ 60 million in funding.
AW: Speaking of Just Futures, you recently announced an expanded grant partnership with the group to help small nonprofit businesses in Baltimore. This is after making an initial investment with the company in 2024. What about Just Futures drives you to keep investing in their work?
JW: Great question. Most Americans are underinvested for retirement. For grassroots leaders and others, retirement security is a huge issue. Revolve invested in Just Futures because they help ensure dignified retirements through values-aligned investments.
Its main customers are missional organizations.
AW: Why is it important to target missional organizations specifically when it comes to securing retirement?
JW: Along with real estate, retirement accounts represent one of the largest assets for many Americans. Many smaller nonprofit leaders are unable to offer retirement accounts because setting them up can be costly. Leaders are often focused on the work in front of them – the fires that must be extinguished – rather than retirement planning. Just Futures rectifies the retirement conundrum by lowering the barriers to entry for nonprofits and individuals. This article was originally published by Word in Black.
Bowie alum Brian Kelley builds a lasting legacy in sports and luxury wine
By Bowie State University Media
Bowie State University graduate
Brian Kelley (‘17) is making his mark as a serial entrepreneur leading High-Level Sports Management, the Mid-Atlantic Basketball Classic (MABC), and the luxury wine brand Imperial 94. His business ventures punctuate the lasting impact historically Black colleges and universities have in fostering innovation, leadership and community-driven success. Kelley transferred to Bowie State for his senior year after beginning his higher education journey at Norfolk State University. With family ties to Bowie State, his decision was both personal and professional. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in communications, using his background in basketball and media to launch High-Level Sports Management, a company focused on guiding young athletes toward long-term success. Through High-Level Sports Management, Kelley created the Mid-Atlantic Basketball Classic, a premier high school tournament that provides student-athletes with exposure to college scouts and media.
“The biggest challenge for players today is the transfer portal limiting
traditional recruiting,” Kelley explained. “We help them get noticed and build their personal brand.”
His dedication to supporting student-athletes extends beyond the court, ensuring they have the resources to succeed long term.
In 2019, Kelley expanded into the luxury beverage industry with the launch of Imperial 94, a wine brand that blends sophistication with culture. With its pink rosé selling out twice, the brand has quickly gained recognition, solidifying Kelley as one of Maryland’s youngest Black wine owners.
“Imperial means royalty, and 94 represents my birth year,” said Kelley. “Our goal is to make every consumer feel like they’re experiencing something elite.”
Balancing two industries, Kelley credits his success to strategic planning and a strong support system.
“I focus on high school basketball during the season, while Imperial 94 operates year-round,” he said. “Having a reliable team is crucial,” he said.
Through his businesses, Kelley continues to uplift his community, mentor young entrepreneurs and reinforce the legacy of excellence at Bowie State University.
Photo courtesy of Mission Investors Exchange via Word in Black
Through the Revolve Fund, James Wahls works to expand access to affordable capital for historically marginalized leaders and communities.
Photo courtesy of Bowie State University
Brian Kelley, a Bowie State University Class of 2017 graduate, is leaving his mark as an entrepreneur through sports management, youth mentorship, and his luxury wine brand, Imperial 94.
Black Founders Table turns intention into infrastructure for entrepreneurs
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
Michigan native Angel St. Jean established the Black Founders Table (BFT) in 2023 to create a practical resource hub and support network for Black entrepreneurs after navigating the hurdles of launching her own tech startup, The Equity Brain Trust.
St. Jean learned firsthand the challenges of bringing an idea to market, obtaining capital and scaling a business— and when she went looking for support, she said the response from other organizations in the startup community was inadequate.
“It was more of a sense that we weren’t creating good ideas and that’s why our companies were not doing well,” said St. Jean. “I believed it was more of an issue of understanding how to take an idea through the proper methodology to turn it into a great company, and I wanted more of our companies to succeed.”
Hailing from Michigan, St. Jean moved to Baltimore with her family in 2013. Much of her career has been focused on helping organizations leverage data to drive economic development.
She started The Equity Brain Trust after facing retaliation from a former employer for speaking out during an equity, diversity and inclusion training. That former employer went on to win an award for their race, equity and inclusion work, while trying to terminate St. Jean’s employment.
She said the experience
taught her that there was no benchmark for what it meant to be considered an “equitable” company.
“I had the idea to create The Equity Brain Trust as a way of creating a standard for measuring equity in organizations and helping them to see what they needed to do to improve,” said St. Jean.
After launching with an accelerator in 2020, St. Jean and her team developed a software that companies could use to assess and advance equity. During beta testing with local companies, the feedback was positive, but when they took it to the broader market, organizations were slow to adopt it. St. Jean said they were afraid to confront their own inequities.
Since then, she’s pivoted The Equity Brain Trust to focus on equity in procurement. She’s currently determining how to use her tool to help government agencies increase minority business participation.
“When I was doing my
Angel St. Jean is the creator of the Black Founders Table (BFt), a Baltimore-based organization that provides tangible resources, mentorship and a community to Black entrepreneurs trying to commercialize their ventures. St. Jean started BFT after experiencing challenges in growing and scaling her own startup, The Equity Brain Trust.
about 9 percent of employer firms. This means our companies aren’t scaling,” said St. Jean. “Contracts with corporations and the government
“If you’re a builder, a systems thinker or someone who’s tired of surface-level support, Black Founders Table is the room you want to be in.”
research on procurement and government, I was really struck by the statistic that Black people are about 30 percent of the population in Maryland, but we own just
are the way you can scale a company, but that’s not happening.”
As she continues to refine
The Equity Brain Trust, St. Jean’s work with BFT has
continued to grow. In addition to building a community for Black founders, the organization hosts co-working days, leads workshop series and engages founders in legislative policies that impact them.
Monthly, BFT’s signature activity, the Capacity to Commercialize (C2C) Roundtable, selects six founders to present their ventures to a panel of seasoned advisers who offer individualized feedback, identify gaps and connect founders to additional resources and mentorship. The goal is to help founders determine next steps for advancing and scaling their enterprises.
One participant in the BFT is Jeremy Lawson, co-founder and CEO of Salynt, a tech startup based in Washington, D.C.
“At Salynt, we designed a platform called ‘NewView,’ to help agencies and organizations simulate and understand the real-world impact of their decisions before they build it,” said Lawson. “We use artificial intelligence and virtual reality to create digital twins for urban planning, public health and infrastructure to better predict environmental impacts.”
In his experience, other organizations claimed to support Black founders but did not deliver in a meaningful way. BFT stood out to him because it truly put Black founders at the center. He said the organization bridges the divide between intention and infrastructure.
“Angel and her team aren’t charity— they provide actionable strategies,” said Lawson. “As a founder my experience runs deep in artificial intelligence, federal contracting and political
strategy. I wanted to be a part of a community where we’re all playing at that level and we’re talking policy, procurement and ownership— not just pitching and hoping someone sees us.”
On behalf of BFT, Lawson said he’s sat on working groups, contributed to frameworks for measuring impacts to Black founders and spoke on panels that shape policies affecting Black entrepreneurs. He encouraged other Black founders to join BFT. “Black Founders Table is building something longterm. We’re not trying to just get contracts or recognition. We’re trying to build an ecosystem of accountability that helps companies scale and gain influence,” said Lawson. “If you’re a builder, a systems thinker or someone who’s tired of surface-level support, Black Founders Table is the room you want to be in.”
How mentorship and business coaching empowers the next generation
By Andrea Stevens AFRO Staff Writer
In a city where opportunity isn’t always evenly distributed, the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) is changing lives one young leader and one small business at a time. Through mentorship, education and empowerment, GBUL is helping Baltimore’s youth imagine bigger futures and giving local entrepreneurs the tools to turn their ideas into thriving businesses.
vice president of operations at GBUL. The program serves students in grades 8 through 12, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, and focuses on life skills, leadership and exposure to higher education.
“We try to build a well-rounded leader,” Rice explains. “We start with life skills, financial responsibility, communication, adaptability, teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving. We touch it all.” The students participate in
“We provide the essentials, materials, mentors and a supportive environment so no student feels left out.”
Whether it’s a student stepping onto a college campus for the first time or a teen turning a side hustle into a startup, GBUL is there building bridges, opening doors and planting seeds of generational change.
At the core of the youth development work is the Saturday Leadership Program, led by Tershea Rice,
college tours across Maryland and neighboring states, often visiting campuses they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.
“We provide the essentials, materials, mentors and a supportive environment so no student feels left out,” she says. “More importantly, we teach resourcefulness and how to do more with less.”
One of Rice’s favorite success stories is of a student who completed the full fouryear program, graduated college and returned to speak at a new class’s graduation after publishing her own book.
“The feedback we got from the students—that her story and her book resonated with them—was just amazing,” Rice recalls.
The program’s impact extends beyond the students to include their families and schools.
“We bring the school, the parents and the community together because life skills are reinforced at home and in the classroom,” Rice says.
GBUL intentionally involves parents in parallel workshops where they learn about college applications, financial aid and budgeting. Students, meanwhile, engage in leadership discussions in a safe space designed to encourage honest conversation.
“We teach them that your network is your net worth and we teach them that young,” Rice adds. “So they know how to appropriately surround themselves with the right people.”
While Rice nurtures leadership from the ground up, Sharif Smalls, business consultant at GBUL, equips
and
entrepreneurs through coaching, financial education and
business planning.
youth and adults with the business tools to thrive.
“We help with access to capital, marketing, taxes, government contracts—everything from forming an LLC to building your brand,” says Smalls.
His programs reach both aspiring business owners and students, delivering practical financial education in schools and community organizations.
“We give real-life examples, like buying a car, starting a lemonade stand or
building a clothing brand, to help students connect the dots between learning and doing,” said Smalls.
Smalls emphasizes that entrepreneurship isn’t just about ideas, it’s about execution.
“It’s a mindset shift. You have to be accountable, responsible, have discipline, structure and know your ‘why,’” he says.
Beyond individual success, Smalls encourages family business models as a strategy for building generational wealth.
“If the parent starts a business, the child can work toward taking it over. That’s generational wealth,” said Smalls.
The Greater Baltimore Urban League continues to lead by example, empowering students, families and entrepreneurs across the city to build brighter, bolder futures.
“We are all about economic empowerment,” said Rice. “We are always open to donations to help programs like this thrive.”
Photo courtesy of Angel St. Jean
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Lawson Jeremy Lawson is a member of the Black Founders Table and co-founder of Salynt, a technology company specializing in artificial intelligence and data science solutions.
Photo Courtesy/ Sharif Smalls Sharif Smalls, business consultant with the Greater Baltimore Urban League, supports small businesses
youth
real-world
Photo Courtesy/ Tershea Rice
Tershea Rice, vice president of operations at the Greater Baltimore Urban League, leads the Saturday Leadership Program, helping youth develop life skills, confidence and leadership through mentorship and college access.
Experts from Howard University’s AI institute explore risk and opportunities for Black communities
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
Since its establishment in 2022, the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Howard University (HU) has become a national voice for influencing the future of AI through the lens of ethics and social transformation. The hub was created to advance research on how AI can meaningfully transform public health and education systems and further the broader betterment of society.
As more people seek to harness the power of AI to solve problems and drive innovation, the AFRO spoke to Gloria Washington, the institute’s director, and Simone Smarr, senior research scientist at the institute, about the potential risks and opportunities AI could create.
Where AI could pose challenges
Deepfakes and data risks
A deepfake is a type of media, like a video, audio clip or image, that has been digitally manipulated or entirely generated with AI to make it appear real. In 2018, actor and director Jordan Peele made a public service announcement on the dangers of this counterfeit media by releasing a deepfake video of former President Barack Obama.
One of the projects Washington is currently working on at the institute is examining how Black people, in particular, are affected by deepfakes— and how personal data harvested from open AI systems can be exploited to generate them.
“With this project, I’m really looking to understand how Black people are specifically targeted by these generative AI systems using a fake voice and how we can accidentally give our data away,” said Washington. “It’s a big challenge, and it’s scary because we can develop all of these guidelines about our AI usage, but a lot of generative AI systems, like
Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at Howard University. She is also an associate professor of computer science at the institution.
ChatGPT, are using and modeling our data without our approval or our knowledge.”
Bad actors can use deepfake voices to impersonate a family member, boss or other familiar person in an individual’s life to ask for money and sensitive information. But, in order for any deepfake to be realistic, it requires access to large amounts of personal data, which can not only be taken from social media but AI systems as well.
Washington said there must be more protection against deepfakes, including allowing people to opt in or opt out of AI systems storing their personal data.
Threats to creativity and independent thought
Amid the rapid growth that AI is
GBC and UpSurge outline vision, strategic priorities following merger
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
Mark Anthony Thomas, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), joined Kory Bailey, CEO of UpSurge, for a conversation on Aug. 19 to discuss the organizations’ vision and next steps following their recent merger.
Last December, GBC, the region’s primary economic development organization, announced that it would integrate UpSurge, a nonprofit focused on building the start-up ecosystem, under its umbrella. A key motivation for the merger was to advance GBC’s All In 2035 Economic Opportunity Plan, a 10-year strategy focused on fostering a strong and sustainable innovation economy in the Greater Baltimore region.
“With the foundational work of building and bringing the startup community together and establishing a baseline of awareness and activity support for founders in early-stage startup growth, we’re merging with a stronger regional economic development organization,” said Bailey. “We have the opportunity to pivot and leverage the machinery that GBC has built and the partnerships to refocus our team and work on activities that will generate more impact and scale.”
While GBC has been around since 1955, UpSurge began its work in 2021 with the mission of creating a clear pathway and centralized
community for startups to grow and scale. In 2024 , UpSurge engaged more than 250 startups, which raised nearly $300 million, and contributed to over $11 million in funding for technology and startup companies in collaboration with GBC.
It also collaborated closely with GBC to earn a federal Tech Hub designation for Greater Baltimore. With the integration, GBC and UpSurge are looking to strike a balance between traditional business investment and efforts to attract and grow startups in Greater Baltimore—endeavors that are critical to creating a more dynamic economy for the region.
“The merger brings with it those four years of foundational work, along with UpSurge’s trusted brand, team and an aligned mission,” said Bailey. “It underscores the importance of startup growth in GBC’s ‘All In’ 10-year economic plan and— considering the changing dynamics of federal spending— the importance of tech transfer and startup growth for the overall economic health and resilience of the region.”
“Along with establishing a regional innovation office, which is also housed in GBC, integrating Upsurge also reflects a growing national trend of regional innovation and startup arms living with economic development organizations in house,” he added.
Going forward, GBC’s top priorities for UpSurge during its first year under the organization’s umbrella are to establish data infrastructure
The opportunities that AI can create Personalized learning and student support
AI has the potential to streamline the way education is delivered, but one possibility that Washington highlighted is creating interactive chatbots to engage directly with students. The systems could be used to analyze students’ test-taking habits, prepare students for interviews or to customize learning experiences.
“There’s an opportunity for AI to assist not only the teacher but also the student with various ways to learn,” said Washington.
Detecting and preventing deepfakes
Just as AI can be used to create deepfakes, it can also be used to counteract it. Washington noted that it can be leveraged to learn deepfake signatures and to analyze the attributes that make a voice uniquely human— like tone, prosody and speed.
“We can start to learn how these AI-generated voices are different from humans and build systems that can protect our most vulnerable populations, like senior citizens who have been receiving calls on Facebook Messenger,” said Washington. “We really have an opportunity to go out and help marginalized communities with protection from AI.”
experiencing, Smarr said it’s especially important for the Black community to recognize the value of their ideas, thoughts and cultural contributions— and to understand how these can be used or misused by AI systems.
“There’s value to what we think and how we operate and utilize AI,” said Smarr.
She explained that AI should also be used as a tool for automation, not a crutch for generating thoughts on behalf of people.
“We have to be cognizant of the dependence or reliance that can come from AI and make sure that we aren’t losing ourselves to this idea of efficiency,” said Smarr. “We have to be aware of the power and creativity of our own personal, critical thinking.”
Increasing access to innovation and technology
Black communities have historically been left behind or shut out of emerging technologies, but AI has an ability to lower barriers to innovation, according to Smarr. For example, individuals no longer need a background in computer programming to design a website, they can employ the help of AI platforms. But in order to benefit from these reduced barriers, Smarr said people must lean into AI with healthy skepticism. There should be a balance between being open to utilizing new technologies while also remaining critical and aware of potential risks.
“It’s not time for us to go silent,” said Smarr. “It’s time for us to engage and help shape what technological innovation looks like for us.”
and identify high-value targets for startup growth. Back in January, UpSurge began building a database to capture and track the region’s tech startups in real time. Since then, it’s expanded to include not only tech startups but all companies that are scaling in the region.
Currently, Upsurge has validated data on nearly 300 companies. The information will be used to help GBC and UpSurge stage more targeted interventions and investments with startups and determine sectors with the strongest potential to drive
regional growth.
“The heavy focus is goal one, which is getting the data to a place where we all feel like we have a great story to tell about the ecosystem. The ecosystem report is a good start, but it’s not as comprehensive as what we need,” said Thomas. “Quantifying a methodology for how the region determines high-growth and high-potential startups is the second piece of the first goal.”
Though this work marks a shift from UpSurge’s foundational focus
on grassroots convening, Thomas said the organization will return to build on that work once there’s a more defined strategy for startup growth in the region.
“There is a place for a lot of the community work that was happening, but it has to be in support of clearer economic development and company growth targets that we’re centering the work around,” said Thomas. “What I want to get to is five years from now, we have unicorns and major capital rounds for founders.”
Photo courtesy of Howard University
Gloria Washington serves as director of the Institute for
Photo courtesy of Howard University
Simone Smarr is a senior research scientist at the Institute for HumanCentered Artificial Intelligence at Howard University.
Kory Bailey (left), CEO of UpSurge, and Mark Anthony Thomas (right), CEO and president of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), are working together to improve the future of Baltimore following a merger. UpSurge’s top priorities, under the GBC umbrella, are creating data infrastructure for the region’s startup ecosystem and identifying high-growth and high-potential opportunities for startups.
Photo courtesy of Greater Baltimore Committee
Photo courtesy of UpSurgeBaltimore.com
Marylanders weigh in on their favorite local gems
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
Maryland ranks second in the United States for its share of Black-owned businesses, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center report, with African Americans owning 10 percent of all companies in the state. Only Washington, D.C., has a higher share at 16 percent.
To celebrate that entrepreneurial presence, the AFRO asked Maryland residents which Black-owned businesses they love the most. Leanna Harrison, a Baltimore City resident, named Everyone’s Place, a bookstore and African cultural center based in Druid Heights.
“When I first moved to the city in 2017, I lived in West Baltimore. I came here fresh out of
University of California, Berkeley. It was fun to go to Everyone’s Place and talk to people and see the collection,” said Harrison. “It felt similar to what I was used to.”
She also highlighted The Empanada Lady, an Afro-Latina-owned restaurant in the Inner Harbor started by Elisa Milan, and BLK Swan, an upscale restaurant in Harbor East. In general, Harrison said she tries to be intentional about supporting Black-owned businesses.
“I think for anywhere it’s important for us to be circulating our Black dollars with Black businesses. But I think for Baltimore it’s super important because it helps our history not be erased here,” said Harrison. “The more we spend, the more they’re able to build and give back.”
As National Black Business Month comes to a close, the AFRO hit the streets to speak with Washingtonians about their favorite Black-owned businesses in the area. Their answers reflected both the shared culture and varied interests of the African-American community, yielding a range of businesses to patronize year round.
Comedian Lanre Lagoke knows a thing or two about a good time—and a good meal. His favorite Black-owned business is none other than
Florida Avenue Grill.
County resident, selected Bar Vegan as his favorite Blackowned business in Maryland. Founded by Baltimore native Pinky Cole-Hayes—the entrepreneur behind the renowned Slutty Vegan chain—the restaurant and cocktail lounge marked her return home from Atlanta to open its doors. It’s located in Baltimore Peninsula, a neighborhood undergoing significant redevelopment.
“She’s nationally known. She started a business down in Atlanta, and she chose to come here,” said Thames. “I know a lot of people who have held functions there.”
Though he’s not vegan himself, Thames said he enjoyed trying something different and that the food was good.
“At this time in this world, we need to help each other out because there’s nobody else that’s around who is going to help us out,” said Thames.
Rodriguez St. Paul called out his aunt’s Haitian catering business, Epi Dat Set, based in Laurel, Md. Mari “Yiamme” Michel has been cooking for the Haitian community since 1987, according to St. Paul.
“During the pandemic, she was cooking out of her own kitchen. There were long lines of cars, and she was pumping out orders like normal with her sons,” said St. Paul. “Now, she has an old butcher spot in Laurel on main street. They changed it into a catering business.”
Stephan Dominique, another nephew of Michel, said Epi Dat Set started out of love. It also served as an inspiration to him.
“That was one woman believing in herself, and with her believing in herself, it gave us the opportunity to believe in ourselves as well,” said Dominique. He noted that the spending power of the Black community, which is more than a trillion dollars, should be directed more often to businesses within the community.
“People are maximizing on our consumption,” said Dominique. “At the end of the day, our consumption should be focused on what we own, make and sell.”
Dezhane Moore, a Washington, D.C.-based educator, is all about keeping her hair “slayed and laid.” When asked to name her favorite Black-owned business, she didn’t hesitate: Styled by Ry, located in Lanham, Md. is her favorite Blackowned business.
“Ry is a really good hairstylist and she always slays my hair,” Moore said. “I think I’ve had my hair done by her at least eight times. She does my lace wigs and I love how good I look every time.”
If you’re looking to get your “do done right,” check out Ry at her suite. Appointments can be booked via Instagram: @styledbyry.
Sakinah Davina Herbal healing advocate
“My favorite Black-owned business in Washington, D.C., is Blue Nile Botanicals,” says Sakinah Davina. “When I got sick in 2017, Blue Nile was where I got all my herbs—and they helped me heal. I didn’t have to get surgery.”
For over 30 years, Blue Nile Botanicals has served as a healing hub in the D.C. community. Located at 2028 Georgia Ave. NW, the shop offers global herbs, essential oils, incense, spices and holistic remedies.
“It was always uplifting and fun to be in the store during that time,” Sakinah recalled. “It actually elevated my life.”
Founded in 1942 by Lacey C. Williams Sr. and his wife, Bertha, Florida Avenue Grill began as a humble food stand during segregation and grew into a cherished soul food institution. It has endured decades of change, including the civil rights era and the 1968 D.C. riots, while serving up timeless classics like grits, collard greens, corn muffins and fried chicken.
“Florida Avenue Grill is bussin’! Great seasoning and taste, staff is great, and the restaurant feels like you’re among family,” Lanre said. His go-to order? “Fried catfish, mac and cheese, greens… you can’t go wrong.”
For Yeabserra Abebe, nothing lifts the spirit quite like a vibrant floral arrangement. Her top pick? The legendary Lee’s Flower Shop on U Street.
“It’s more than just a place to buy flowers, it’s an important part of Washington, D.C. history,” she explained.
Founded in 1945 by William and Winnifred Lee, Lee’s Flower Shop is one of the oldest Black-owned flower shops in the country. Known for its stunning arrangements and community care, it’s a cornerstone of the U Street corridor.
“Every arrangement feels like it was made with love, symbolic of the vibrancy that radiates from the neighborhood,” Yeabserra said.
AFRO
Photo/Megan Sayles
Maurice Lyles (left), Columbia, Md. resident; Stephan Dominique, Silver Spring, Md. resident; and Rodriguez St. Paul, Silver Spring, Md. resident, are supporters of Epi Dat Set, a Haitian catering business owned by their aunt Mari “Yiamme” Michel.
AFRO Photo/Megan Sayles
Jeffrey Thames is a Baltimore County resident. He named Bar Vegan, located in Baltimore Peninsula, as his favorite Black-owned restaurant in Maryland.
Courtesy photo
AFRO Photo/ Nyame-Kye Kondo Yeabserra Abebe Flower lover and community connector
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Lanre Lagoke Comedian and soul food enthusiast
the iconic
Courtesy photo Dezhane Moore Educator and hair aficionado
Consumers demand equity and sustainability despite political shifts
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
In 2025, many U.S. private-sector companies have scaled back sustainable and ethical business practices under the 47th U.S. president’s administration, which has discouraged diversity and inclusion initiatives and rolled back sustainability goals.
But experts say, equity and inclusion efforts alongside environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals in business are still necessary for long-term success.
“Employees worldwide look to
Research, 85 percent of CEOs and CFOs believe that an unhealthy and unwell culture of workers leads to possible unethical behavior, as well as lower productivity,” said Adeyemi.
Still, companies like Walmart, Dollar General and Target have all abandoned their diversity, inclusion and equity commitments in the past year.
In response to the move by Target, more than 200,000 consumers boycotted the store beginning in February, causing the company to lose millions in profits.
According to a press release from Target on Aug. 20, their second
“Employees worldwide look to be a part of cultures that encourage good health, life balance and total wellness.”
be a part of cultures that encourage good health, life balance and total wellness,” said Sam Adeyemi, CEO of Sam Adeyemi GLC, a global leadership consultancy.
Adeyemi highlighted a study showing that business leaders receive the benefits of ethical and culturally conscious workplaces.
“According to a survey from the National Bureau of Economic
quarter net sales were $25.2 billion, 0.9 percent lower than it was in 2024. Their earnings per share was $2.05 in quarter two compared with $2.57 in 2024, resulting in a 20.2 percent lower year-over-year earning per share.
The national boycott, led by the Rev.Dr. Jamal Bryant, is expected to spread to every major company that has rolled back their initiatives.
Adam Freegood, founder of Third Partners, said this is a pivotal moment for business, as companies must navigate changing political, economic and regulatory pressures while staying aligned with consumer priorities.
He still views ESG and ethical business practices as the future.
“What used to be viewed as ‘nice to have’ is now core to strategy and long-term resilience,” said Freegood.
Consumers overwhelmingly want the products they purchase to include eco-friendly products and packaging, improved working conditions for employees, transparency and diversity and equity initiatives.
According to the Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, the environment is a major source of anxiety for these two generations, two-thirds of each group, influencing their consumer behavior. About 65 percent of Gen Z’s, (born 1995 to 2006) and 63 percent of millennials (born 1983 to 1994) say they are willing to pay more to acquire products and services that are more sustainable.
“Ethical practices build trust, attract loyal customers and create more sustainable value over time,” he said. “It is about building systems of accountability into the DNA of a business – an activity that requires a focused action plan.”
Even with his continued belief in
ESG, Freegood did acknowledge another challenge that remains.
“The tariff rules alone are chaos for manufacturers and a direct risk to ethical sourcing commitments,” said Freegood. “Ensuring ethical, sustainable and transparent supply chains just became even harder, as materials and finished goods are
being rerouted all over the world to dodge import taxes.”
Adeyemi said that as business leaders navigate an increasingly interconnected world, empathy, cultural intelligence and collaboration are essential for building meaningful partnerships and driving sustainable success.
The future of Black wealth: Reviving Black Wall Street
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
Black Wall Street was a wealthy and prosperous Black business district in Tulsa, Okla., in the early 1900s.
A White mob carried out the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, burning over 1,400 homes and businesses and leaving about 10,000 people homeless. The district eventually recovered but declined once again in the late 1950s after desegregation.
Since then, there have been several efforts by Black Americans across the U.S. to revive the spirit of Black Wall Street through cooperative economics, community investment and modern technologies.
According to Inequality.org, White families hold 84 percent of the nation’s wealth, though they represent 64 percent of U.S. households. Black families hold just 3.4 percent of the wealth while making up 11.4 percent of households.
“The spirit of Black Wall Street was about interconnected Black prosperity,” said Taneshia Nash
Laird, executive director of Project REAP (Real Estate Associate Program), which helps provide access to jobs in commercial real estate. “I believe Black Wall Street today is not only about rebuilding physical districts, but also building networks of ownership, partnership and deal flow.”
Laird said a well-networked Black Wall Street is built on trust, access and alignment.
“It’s about private spaces where Black professionals can exchange opportunities, build wealth together and move with intention across industries and geographies,” she said.
“At Project REAP we’ve graduated more than 2,000 alumni since our founding nearly 30 years ago, the majority of whom are of African
descent,” Laird added. “This is the multiplier effect of networked Black Wall Street—one graduate’s success creates thousands of housing opportunities, hundreds of jobs and cascading economic impact.”
She also pointed toward historically Black colleges and universities’ alumni networks as examples.
“I’ve watched a Hampton University graduate leverage his alumni connections to grow a private equity fund, with fellow graduates serving as limited partners, deal sources and strategic advisors,” she said. “These networks understand that success is collective, not individual.”
Recognizing the historic patterns of opposition to Black Americans building collective wealth, Laird emphasized the need to protect the spirit of the modern Black Wall Street.
“We protect Black Wall Street by making it visible, connected and deeply rooted economically, legally and culturally,” she said. “That means building with infrastructure in mind, including legal protections, political advocacy, narrative power and long-term capital strategies. We also protect ourselves by diversifying and ensuring our wealth isn’t
concentrated in any single industry or geography that could be easily targeted.”
John E. Harmon Sr., founder, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, said it is important that Black Americans stay rooted in history.
“Let it fuel your innovativeness, your creativity and your will to win,” Harmon said. “I think that is what is going to help us survive this current time.”
Harmon addressed how some communities and organizations are utilizing the technology of today to build up the new Black Wall Street.
“Black Wall Street thrived on access, ownership and community, and today’s tech hubs carry that legacy forward by helping Black businesses scale in both traditional industries and emerging fields like AI and fintech,” said Harmon. “At the AACCNJ, we’ve built business infrastructure and programs like our coding initiative to ensure our companies can compete and thrive.”
Harmon shared how two AACCNJ members lead the Tech Titans Emerging Technologies Camp in Ir-
business corridors in historically Black neighborhoods,” she said. “I see places preserved and reimagined by efforts like the Historic African American Neighborhood District Summit and funded by the National Trust for Historic Places’ African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.”
“We won’t just be returning to Tulsa, Okla., we’ll be building its legacy into every region, every industry and every generation.”
vington, N.J., helping to prepare the next generation of Black innovators and wealth-builders.
Looking forward, Laird envisions Black Wall Street as a living ecosystem.
“Physically, it includes thriving
She also sees it extending digitally.
“We won’t just be building wealth, we’ll be circulating it,” Laird said. “We won’t just be returning to
Okla., we’ll be building its
into every region, every industry and every generation.”
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Dr. Sam Adeyemi is CEO of Sam Adeyemi GLC, a global leadership consultancy focused on sustainable business and ethical workplace practices.
Tulsa,
legacy
Chart courtesy of Inequality.org
Pie charts by Inequality.org show the distribution of U.S. wealth and households by racial group in the third quarter of 2024.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Mondestin Taneshia Nash Laird, executive director of Project REAP (Real Estate Associate Program), emphasizes that modern Black Wall Street is about building networks, partnerships, and circulating wealth within the Black community.
Courtesy photo
John E. Harmon Sr., founder and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, believes in using innovation and tech to build the next generation of Black wealth.
Resources to Help You Buy Black
By Shernay Williams Word in Black
Did you know there’s Blackowned toilet paper? The Leafy Products company, which specializes in eco-friendly and 100 percent bamboo paper, was founded by a group of Black friends. And it’s not the only Black-owned toilet paper company out there.
“If we are able to put it in the palm of someone’s hand, then I think we’ll see a lot more people willing to [buy Black],” standup comedian and Blapp founder Jon Lester told Word In Black.
of platforms hoping to make it easier to find Black-owned businesses.
8 more platforms to shop Black businesses
Here’s a list of the other ones we found:
EatOkra: an app helping you locate Black-owned restaurants near you
“You can go out; you can march. Trouble only comes knocking when Black folks start to circulate our money…”
August is National Black Business Month, so we have created a roundup of platforms and directories that are making it easier to shop Black-owned businesses.
Inside the Blapp app, you can enter your location to find Black-owned businesses near you. So far, Lester says the platform can point its users to 40,000 Black businesses in the U.S. Soon, it will support online shopping, as well.
“So [it’s] a Black Amazon of sorts,” Lester says. Blapp is one of a handful
Miiriya: an app allowing you to buy Black-made products in one place
• National Black Guide: a Black business directory, events, and news platform
• Buy from a Black Woman: a directory of Black women-owned businesses
• Blk + Green: an online marketplace carrying toxic-free, Black-owned beauty products Black Dollar Network: an
app allowing you to buy Black-owned products and services in one place
• Black Nile: a marketplace featuring luxury Blackowned brands and services
Sadiaa: a Black-owned beauty directory
Lester says there’s enough room for all these platforms to help the Black community retain its $2.1 trillion spending power.
“You can go out; you can march,” he explains. “Trouble only comes knocking when
How Black athletes, artists can turn talent into capital, equity and ownership
By Laura Onyeneho
Black athletes and musicians are building billion-dollar brands, but too often, someone else owns the scoreboard.
Black talent fuels an entertainment economy worth $1.4 trillion globally, from sold-out concerts to packed stadiums. Yet, all across the country, the people generating the revenue often see only a fraction of the long-term wealth. Endorsement checks get spent, careers end early and the businesses built on their backs are owned by someone else.
Successful business moguls like Lebron James, Shaquille O’Neil, Magic Johnson, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent all understand what is needed to create generational wealth beyond music and sports.
That’s the problem two insiders, investor Brandon Comer and music-finance executive Jennifer Horton, say must change if rising stars are going to turn their influence into equity and generational power.
Comer, founder of Alterity Capital (managing roughly $3 billion and an investor in Black-owned Redemption Bank west of Houston), said the spark for this dialogue is the widening gap between who performs and who profits. His pitch is to stop aiming only at the sexiest assets, like team stakes, and start buying into the entire entertainment district surrounding the action.
“You don’t just build a stadium anymore. It’s hotels, retail, food and beverage, tech, fan experience,” Comer said. “Athletes who help fill venues should own pieces of the companies that power them, concessions, merchandising, IT, hospitality and even the mixed-use developments next door. That’s the heart of Alterity’s venue opportunity fund.” Comer shared his playbook with the Defender for athletes (and the entrepreneurs who support them) interested in long-term success beyond their careers.
Think like an institution.
Treat your name as a business with a long-term plan. Choose equity over cash when your living expenses are covered. Leverage your brand to negotiate equity grants for appearances and promotions.
“Write a check and lend your brand,” he said, to earn a bigger seat at the table.
• Build a real team. Contract negotiators and investment advisors do not have the same job. Hire specialists, keep learning enough to ask hard questions and don’t surrender decision-making.
• Invest for the next chapter. Careers are short; habits should be long. Live on what you need
particular, have long been ground zero for independent hustle. From Master P and Cash Money to Bun B and Scarface, the blueprint is entrepreneurship. What’s new is that entrepreneurship is no longer optional. Artists and managers are now the CEOs who build the structure. Her advice for turning social media followers into assets includes:
• Measure conversion. Don’t confuse likes with buyers. Use pre-orders and countdown campaigns for merch or other branded products to test real demand before fronting inventory costs. Own your data. When you sell directly, you collect granular customer info that major platforms won’t share. That data-
“Athletes who help fill venues should own pieces of the companies that power them — concessions, merchandising, IT, hospitality and even the mixed-use developments next door.” — Brandon Comer
and invest the rest in a diversified mix of traditional stocks and bonds plus alternative assets such as venue and ancillary developments with higher return potential.
The same ownership mindset powers Horton’s career. A Houston native who has spent two decades building artists’ businesses from Los Angeles, Horton runs Matrix Equity Partners, which provides alternative financing, “growth capital” to established artists and executives. This is not starter money for those who see entertainment as a hobby.
“There has to be something to finance,” she said. “Proven demand, revenues and a clear path to repayment or negotiated ownership.” Horton argues that the South and Houston, in
base is a long-term moat.
• Diversify income. Beyond touring and streams, pursue brand deals through emerging marketplaces and negotiate for data access whenever possible. Make it audiovisual. Everything needs a visual language and message, whether you’re on camera or partnering with someone who is.
• Build community, then stage. Define an authentic theme (books, wellness, culture), cultivate dialogue, and deliver a compelling live show.
“You’re never going to give anybody goosebumps if you can’t perform live,” she said. This article was originally published by the
Photo courtesy of Word in Black
Houston Defender.
Unsplash / Vinicius “amnx” Amano Experts say wealth comes not just from performance, but from investing in the businesses and infrastructure that surround it.
Pexels / RDNE Stock project Black athletes and entertainers are increasingly urged to turn influence into equity and ownership.
Name of Decedent
DENNIS A. BAIRD 1323 FENWICK LANE SILVER SPRING,MD 20910 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
RONALD WALKER, whose address is 909 CRAWFORD AVENUE, DUQUESNE, PA 15110 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of JOSEPH WILLIAMS who died on JANUARY 28, 2016 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before MARCH 01, 2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before MARCH 01, 2026 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: AUGUST 29, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO
The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is providing notice of the Public Hearing and Comment Period to solicit comments on its proposed Administrative Plan (Admin Plan).
To download a copy of the proposed Admin Plan, please visit the DCHA website at https://www.dchousing.org/plans-and-reports. To request a copy of the proposed Admin Plan, send an email to PublicationComments@dchousing.org or call 771-240-4377.
The virtual Public Hearing will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025.
To speak during the Virtual Public Hearing, register online at https://bit.ly/RegisterAdminPlanPublicHearing
To join the live event, at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025, please visit https://bit.ly/AdminPlanPublicHearing. This event will also be live streamed on the DCHA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dchousing/.
Comments
Written comments regarding the proposed Admin Plan will be accepted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 26, 2025. Email your comments to PublicationComments@dchousing.org.
Alternatively, you can mail comments to: District of Columbia Housing Authority Office of the General Counsel Attn: General Counsel 300 7th Street, SW 10th Floor Washington, DC 20024
Requesting Reasonable Accommodation
DCHA strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. It is the policy of DCHA that all agency-sponsored public meetings and events are accessible to people with disabilities. DCHA is committed to providing equal access to events for all participants & residents with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, or assistance in participating in a meeting or event due to a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact our ADA/504 Program Office at 202-535-1000 or at ADA504@dchousing.org with your complete request. Every reasonable effort will be made to meet your request.
If you need a sign language interpreter or foreign language interpretation or translation, please contact our Office of Customer Engagement at 202-535-1000 or go to www.dchousing.org/language. Please allow at least 3 business days to make the necessary arrangements.
City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Procurement
Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be Received until, but not later than 11:00 am local time on the following dates for the stated requirements.
September 17, 2025
Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.
ENTIRE SOLICITATION CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED BY VISITING THE WEBSITE: https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/supplier/baltimorecity/ SupplierSite
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MARYLAND
Annapolis, Maryland ANNOUNCEMENT
REQUEST FOR BIDS
On or after August 25, 2025, Plans and Specifications may be obtained from the Anne Arundel County Web Page at the following address: https:// www.aacounty.org/departments/central-services/purchasing/P.O.R.T./ bids/index.html . Bids will be received until time/date shown below, please submit your bid electronically via the PORT. Bids received after the date and time set will be rejected.
Due by 1:30 p.m. Local Time, Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Project: P584401 – Odenton Library Community Park Phase 1
Solicitation No.: CAP26000034
Contact: Blake Zalar – 443-591-8224
Division 10 Specialties – Toilet & Bath Accessories, Fire Extinguishers and Cabinets, Metal Lockers, Etc. Request for Proposals
Proposals are requested for Division 10 Specialties- Toilet & Bath Accessories, Fire Extinguishers and Cabinets, Metal Lockers, Etc. scope of work for the Upton Mansion project located at 811 W. Lanvale Street Baltimore, MD 21217. Scope of work to include final painting and caulking.
Project is partly funded by the MD Historical Trust. All work must comply with Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, all State regs., incl. EEO.
Proposals must be rec’d by noon on September 08, 2025 at Commercial Construction 7466 New Ridge Road, Suite 13 Hanover, MD 21076. Contact Ni’Asia Daniels (Niasiad@commercial-group.com) for additional information or proposal submission.
Contract awarded to the lowest proposal from a qualified firm conforming to project schedule.
Painting Request for Proposals
Proposals are requested for painting scope of work for the Upton Mansion project located at 811 W. Lanvale Street Baltimore, MD 21217. Scope of work to include final painting and caulking.
Project is partly funded by the MD Historical Trust. All work must comply with Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, all State regs., incl. EEO.
Proposals must be rec’d by noon on September 08, 2025 at Commercial Construction 7466 New Ridge Road, Suite 13 Hanover, MD 21076. Contact Ni’Asia Daniels (Niasiad@commercial-group.com) for additional information or proposal submission.
Contract awarded to the lowest proposal from a qualified firm conforming to project schedule.
St. James Dev Corp, a non-profit CDC, seeks proposals from experienced contractors for tree well & sidewalk improvements at W Lafayette Ave and N Arlington Ave 21217. The RFP & Plans are on http://www. sjdevelopment.org/. Questions & Bids by email only. Questions: caroline@baltimorecityscape.com cc: projects@sjdevelopment.org. Bids: projects@sjdevelopment.org, Bid Due: 9/12/2025.
St. James Dev Corp, a non-profit CDC, seeks proposals from experienced contractors for tree well & sidewalk improvements at W Lafayette Ave and N Arlington Ave 21217. The RFP & Plans are on http://www. sjdevelopment.org/. Questions & Bids by email only. Questions: caroline@baltimorecityscape.com cc: projects@sjdevelopment.org. Bids: projects@sjdevelopment.org, Bid Due: 9/12/2025.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ENHANCED LEASING ASSISTANCE AND CHOICE MOBILITY PROGRAM SERVICES
RFP NUMBER: B-2048-25
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (“HABC”) is requesting proposals from interested and qualified firms and organizations (individually, the “Entity” and collectively, the “Entities”) to:
• Continue implementation of the Enhanced Leasing Assistance Program (the “ELA Program”); and
• Create and implement a program designed to assist residents of properties funded through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (“RAD”) Program associated with HABC who have received a Choice Mobility Vouchers issued by HABC in successfully leasing rental units.
PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 26, 2025.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., which will be scheduled as a virtual meeting.
The entire RFP can be viewed and downloaded by visiting https://habc.bonfirehub.com/projects on or after Monday, September 1, 2025.
Questions regarding the RFP should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated below and must include the reference: HABC RFP Number B-2048-25.
Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Procurement Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Attention: Mary Kate Gagliardi, Senior Buyer Tel: 410-396-3105 mary.gagliardi@habc.org
