ABERDEEN, Md. – Powell Entertainment proudly presents the 5th Annual Caribbean & Soul  Music Festival, taking place Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to  8:00 p.m. at Aberdeen Festival Park, 60 N. Parke Street, Aberdeen, MD 21001. 

Founded by husband-and-wife team Alphonse and Cherylette Powell, the festival has become a  signature summer celebration that brings together the rich sounds of Caribbean and soul music with  food, culture, and community. As the event marks its fifth year, attendees can once again enjoy two  days of live entertainment, local vendors, delicious food, a cash bar, and family-friendly fun. 

The festival will feature performances by DJ Samson Di Great, MSE Band, Shawn Allen Choice  Band, Eclipse International Band, Strykers Posse Band, Image Band, DJ Black Poet, and additional  entertainment throughout the weekend. MC Neil Mattei will serve as host. 

In addition to celebrating music and culture, a portion of the event proceeds will benefit the Kurt Lee  Foundation, supporting the festival's commitment to giving back to the community. 

Admission is $10, and tickets are available through Eventbrite by scanning the QR code on the official event flyer or by visiting the event link online. Guests are reminded that outside food and  coolers are not permitted. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-caribbean-soul-music-festival-tickets-1988941974988

Event Details 

Caribbean & Soul Music Festival 

August 29–30, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

Aberdeen Festival Park 

60 N. Parke Street 

Aberdeen, MD 21001 

Event Information: 

Cherylette Powell: 443-414-7777 

Alphonse Powell: 443-421-6058 

Media Inquiries: 

Elevation Global Media Group, LLC 

443-548-0765 

marketing@elevationgmg.com 

About Powell Entertainment 

Powell Entertainment produces community-centered events that celebrate music, culture, and unity.  Through the annual Caribbean & Soul Music Festival, founders Alphonse and Cherylette Powell  continue to create memorable experiences that showcase talented performers, support local  businesses, and strengthen the community.

HOLLYWOOD, MD. – Historic Sotterley invites the public for a presentation by University of Maryland professor and author Richard Bell on Wednesday, September 9th, at 7:00 pm. Bell will be providing a brief but insightful dissection on the topic of his latest book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, which takes a deep dive into the far-reaching impacts and  consequences of the Revolutionary War.  

When we think of the American Revolution, we often picture a parochial drama: thirteen  colonies squaring off against the British Crown in a spirited bid for independence. But this version of the story is only half the truth—and perhaps not even the most interesting half. In this  riveting program, Richard Bell invites our audience to rediscover the Revolution as a world war  that unleashed chaos, opportunity, and transformation across six continents. From the sugar  fields of the Caribbean to the court of the King of Mysore, from refugee camps on the Canadian  frontier to political uprisings in Sierra Leone and Peru, the war that gave birth to the United  States was never simply America’s own. It was a seismic global event that redrew maps, toppled  hierarchies, catalyzed migration, and accelerated new movements for liberty—and for empire. 

Throughout the evening, Bell will trace the far-flung reverberations of the war through the lives of the people it displaced, empowered, or destroyed. Participants will encounter a Native  matriarch struggling to preserve a transatlantic military alliance, a Prussian officer reinventing  himself in a foreign army, and a Boston schoolteacher shipwrecked thousands of miles from  home. Along the way, Bell explores how the Revolution stirred a transoceanic refugee crisis,  ignited antislavery activism, and inspired uprisings from Ireland to India. The program offers a  bold new framework for understanding the Revolutionary War not as a tidy founding moment  but as a sprawling, high-stakes struggle fought on land and sea, shaped by commerce, diplomacy,  propaganda, and contingency. This is the American Revolution as you’ve never seen it before:  complex, global, and astonishingly relevant to the modern world. 

The event is free and open to the public. Sotterley is delighted to offer this as a hybrid event,  so those who cannot make it in-person can still experience one of our favorite speakers. In person attendees will have the opportunity to get their book signed. Registration is required. 

Event Details 

Date: Wednesday, September 9th, 2026 

Time: 7:00 pm, with a pre-reception at 6:30 pm to meet the speaker and enjoy light refreshments Location: 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, Maryland 

Registration: In-person | Virtual 

Richard Bell has visited Sotterley for presentations previously and has always been one of our  most engaging and exciting speakers. We welcome the entire community to join us for this  experience. 

Season opens with world premiere, expanded opportunities for audiences to engage with artists and influential voices beyond the stage

BALTIMORE, Md. — Baltimore Center Stage (BCS) officially welcomes audiences to its 2026/27 season, its most ambitious season in recent history, featuring 10 productions, three world premieres, bold artistic collaborations, and expanded opportunities for audiences to engage with artists both onstage and beyond.

Launching the season is Bocking, a hilarious, provocative world premiere comedy by playwright Preston Crowder, which runs Aug. 14 through Sept. 6, with opening night on Aug. 22. 

To celebrate the production, BCS will present the Bocking Conversation Series, a collection of special post-show conversations featuring acclaimed artists, entertainers, creators and community leaders alongside playwright Preston Crowder and members of the cast exploring the play’s themes of identity, relationships, faith, sexuality, culture and belonging.

Confirmed guests include:

• Aug. 14: Lena Waithe together with Baltimore Center Stage’s Artistic Director, Stevie Walker-Webb, to kick of the Conversation Series.
• Aug. 15: Myoshi Smith, Baltimore-based sex educator and founder of Romance by Myoshi, presented in partnership with Blaq Equity as part of Black Pride Night.
• Aug. 19: Karrueche Tran, actress and entrepreneur whose career spans fashion, beauty and entertainment.
• Aug. 22: Lena Waithe, Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, screenwriter and performer, and presenting producer of Bocking.
• Aug. 23: Jonathan Burke, Jonathan Burke, a Baltimore native, Baltimore School for the Arts alumnus and Obie Award-winning actor.
• Aug. 26: Monroe Alise, actor, media personality and influential voice.
• Aug. 27: Carla Hall, chef, television personality and former model.
• Aug. 29: Jordan E. Cooper, playwright, actor and director.
• Sept. 2: LaLa Anthony, actress and television personality.
• Sept 5: Alana Bowers, a Baltimore native, actor, dancer, singer and producer.

Developed in collaboration with The New Group, Bocking sets the tone for a season that embraces artistic risk, celebrates new voices and gives audiences the opportunity to experience stories at the very beginning of their journey.

“This season is a reflection of who we are and where we’re going,” said Baltimore Center Stage Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb. “As both a national tastemaker and a hometown theater, Baltimore Center Stage is a place where new work is born, artists are encouraged to take creative risks, and new voices are championed. We’re building a home for the next generation of storytellers while creating work that resonates with audiences here in Baltimore and beyond.”

Tickets for Bocking and additional information about the conversation series are available at www.centerstage.org/events/bocking.

Welcome to the 2026/2027 Season

The 2026/27 season represents an exciting new chapter for BCS, bringing together world premieres, celebrated playwrights, fresh interpretations of beloved works and expanded community programming designed to make theatre more accessible, engaging and connected to Baltimore.

“We wanted to build a season that's bold without losing sight of what theater is really about — creating a shared experience,” said Baltimore Center Stage Producing Director Ken-Matt Martin. “There's truly something for everyone, and we can't wait to share it with Baltimore.”

From bold new comedies to contemporary dramas and timeless classics, the season reflects BCS’ commitment to producing work that entertains, challenges and creates meaningful opportunities for conversation both inside and outside the theater.

For more information about the 2026/27 season and the full lineup of productions, visit www.centerstage.org/2026-27-season.

ABOUT BOCKING

Bocking is a wildly irreverent new comedy by Preston Crowder, making its world premiere at Baltimore Center Stage.

The play begins when two children innocently repeat something they overheard at home, landing their embarrassed parents in the principal’s office. What follows is a chaotic unraveling involving a preacher, a so-called gay exorcism and a mysterious chicken named Danalana Parmesana.

As the parents scramble to contain the fallout, long-buried secrets, personal quirks and social taboos rise to the surface. Blending sharp humor with outrageous theatricality, Bocking explores the collision between public respectability and private desire in a fast-paced comedy that refuses to behave.

Bocking features strong language and adult themes and is intended for mature audiences.

Cast Credits: Marchánt Davis, Kalen Allen, Baltimore natives Rebecca L. Hargrove and Lance Coadie Williams, and Adrienne C. Moore of Orange Is the New Black.

ABOUT BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE
Designated the State Theater of Maryland in 1978, Baltimore Center Stage provides the highest quality theater and programming for all members of our communities, including youth and families, under the leadership of Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb and Executive Director Ken-Matt Martin.

Baltimore Center Stage ignites conversations and imaginations by producing an eclectic season of professional productions across two mainstages, through engaging community programs, and with inspiring education programs. Everything we do at Baltimore Center Stage is led by our core values—chief among them being Access For All.

Our mission is heavily rooted in providing active and open accessibility for everyone, regardless of any and all barriers, to our Mainstage performances, education initiatives, and community programming. For more information, visit www.centerstage.org.

ABOUT THE NEW GROUP

Founded in 1995, The New Group is an award-winning, artist-driven company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater. Now based at their new artistic home at The Theater at St. Clement’s, the constantly evolving company strives to maintain an ensemble approach to all our work and an articulated style of emotional immediacy in our acting and productions. In this way, the company seeks a theater that is adventurous, stimulating, and most importantly, “now” – a true forum for our present culture. 

The New Group has received over 200 awards and nominations for excellence, including the Tony^® Award for Best Musical for Avenue Q, multiple Lortel Awards, two special citation Obie Awards, and a Drama Desk Special Award “for presenting contemporary new voices,” and for “uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions.” The organization’s New Group/New Works play and musical development program champions original works by emerging and established authors. The New Group also operates a variety of theater education programs including a summer conservatory for teens, college access programs, and a college-level BFA Acting program in collaboration with LIU-Brooklyn.

Season Five Celebrates “Mahogany — A Tribute to Diana Ross,” Bringing Together Fashion, Art, Culinary Excellence and Community Impact

BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore MET Gala (BMG) returns for its landmark fifth season with the announcement of its 2026 Culture Awards Honorees and Choo Smith Youth Empowerment (CSYE) as this year’s official beneficiary. 

Taking place on Saturday, August 29 at The Hall at LIVE! Casino & Hotel Maryland, the BMG continues its mission of celebrating the visionaries, artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who shape culture and create opportunities to invest in the next generation. 

Produced by the Curators of Culture, LaRian Finney (The Finn Group) and Derrick Chase (Chase Executive Holdings), the BMG has become one of the region’s premier cultural experiences, blending luxury, creativity, philanthropy, and storytelling into a signature annual celebration. 

This year’s theme, “Mahogany — A Tribute to Diana Ross”, draws inspiration from the iconic film and the legendary entertainer whose influence transcends generations. Through fashion, visual art, culinary experiences, and live entertainment, the 2026 presentation celebrates the elegance, resilience, ambition, and artistic excellence that continue to define Black culture. 

“As we celebrate five years of the Baltimore MET Gala, we’re proud to recognize individuals whose creativity and leadership continue to elevate our communities,” said LaRian Finney, Executive Producer and Managing Partner of The Finn Group. “This year’s honorees and our beneficiary, Choo Smith Youth Empowerment, embody the spirit of the Baltimore MET Gala—celebrating culture with purpose.” 

2026 Baltimore MET Gala Culture Awards 

A signature moment of the evening, the Baltimore MET Gala Culture Awards honor extraordinary individuals whose influence continues to shape industries, inspire communities, and leave a lasting cultural legacy.

2026 IMPACT + ICON HONOREES 

● Demont “Peekaso” Pinder | IMPACT Culture Award 

● Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper (Owner, Afro Newspaper) | Media ICON Award

● Brandon “Bleecasso” Lee | Unsung ICON Award 

● Yeiboh Kitchen (Owners, Ashlee Mack and Adeirdra Campbell)| Culinary ICON Award 

● Nancy Blackwell (Owner, Quid Nunc Art Gallery)| Artist ICON Award

● Kevin Scott (Owner, Benedetto Haberdashery)| Fashion ICON Award 

Together, these distinguished honorees represent the creativity, innovation, leadership, and service that continue to define Baltimore's vibrant cultural landscape. 

2026 BENEFICIARY

Choo Smith Youth Empowerment Inc. 

The Baltimore MET Gala is proud to name Choo Smith Youth Empowerment Inc. (CSYE) as the 2026 beneficiary. 

“Empowering young people means helping them see possibilities beyond their current circumstances. We’re honored to be this year’s beneficiary and grateful that the Baltimore MET Gala continues to shine a light on organizations like Choo Smith Youth Empowerment. This recognition helps amplify our mission and creates opportunities to inspire confidence, creativity, and purpose in the lives of the young people and families we serve." – Charles “Choo” Smith, Founder, Choo Smith Youth Empowerment Inc. 

The Mahogany Experience 

Guests will experience a series of curated activations celebrating Baltimore’s creative excellence. 

THE RUNWAY | Fashion Experience 

Curated by Lana Rae, It’s Lana Rae 

STATEMENT 2026 | Art Experience 

Curated by Nancy Blackwell, Quid Nunc Art Gallery 

TASTE OF THE MET | Culinary Experience 

Curated by La Chow and Greater Baltimore Urban League, special guest - Chef Dash

Each experience showcases the extraordinary talent, innovation, and artistry that continues to position Baltimore as a destination for culture and creativity. 

For event information, tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and the latest announcements, visit BaltimoreMETGala.com. Media interested in covering the BMG may apply for credentials at bit.ly/BMG26MediaCredentials. 

ABOUT THE BALTIMORE MET GALA 

Since its debut in 2022, the Baltimore MET Gala has grown into one of the region’s premier celebrations of culture, creativity, and community impact. Over the past five seasons, the experience has welcomed more than 4,000 guests across three iconic venues—the Baltimore Museum of Art, M&T Bank Exchange, and The Hall at Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland. The BMG has featured more than 100 fashion designers, visual artists, and culinary professionals, along with more than 500 runway models, creating a platform that celebrates Baltimore’s creative economy and the individuals shaping its cultural future. 

Baltimore MET Gala 

Instagram | YouTube 

The Finn Group 

Instagram | YouTube 

Media Contact 

Ritza Yana 

R.Y.Ink! | The Finn Group 

202.596.7439 | ritzayana@ryink.co 

Baltimore, MD — The Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL), Baltimore's historic affiliate of the National Urban League, and its award-winning young professionals auxiliary, the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association (GBLA), returned from the 2026 National Urban League Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, with an impressive slate of organizational and individual honors. Together, the recognitions affirm a shared conviction that drives the work of the Urban League movement in Baltimore: economic mobility is a civil rights issue.

Leading GBUL's national showing was Kiara Scott, founder of Free Money Meister, who represented the Greater Baltimore Urban League and earned first place in the National Small Business Matters Pitch Competition. Her victory put Baltimore entrepreneurship on the national stage and reflects GBUL's deep investment in small business development as a pathway to wealth building for the city's residents.

Baltimore's young professionals matched that excellence. GBLA President Coby Smith was named the 2026 National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP) President of the Year, one of the movement's highest individual honors, recognizing exemplary commitment, engagement, and servant leadership. Under Smith's leadership, GBLA has grown significantly, expanded community programming, and strengthened the Urban League movement throughout the Greater Baltimore region. The honor builds on GBLA's recent recognition as the 2026 Baltimore Times Best of Black Baltimore Best Community Organization and the 2025 NULYP Chapter of the Year.

The conference also honored 22 members of the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association through the NULYP Distinguished Recognition Program for their outstanding leadership, service, and commitment to advancing the Urban League movement.

2026 YP Distinguished Honorees:

Taylor Alexander, Elena Huang, Chelsea Ashby, Dr. Akin Abioye, Miles Armstrong, Taylor Clark, Ellwood Lane, Coby Smith, Jennifer Wicks, Harold Booker, Sydnee Logan, Raven Holly, Charell Elliott, Julian Walker, Natasha Speaks, Raiana Davis, Nicole Campbell, Jenn Dorsaivil, Dan Garedew, Joshua Walsh, Malik Washington

Several GBLA members also received NULYP Longevity Awards, recognizing years of dedication and continued commitment to the Urban League movement.

Longevity Award Honorees:

Harold Booker, Jennifer Wicks, Sydnee Logan, Charles Jackson, Coby Smith, Joshua Walsh

Tershea Rice, Interim President & CEO of the Greater Baltimore Urban League, celebrated what the honors mean for the city.

"Watching Baltimore receive recognition on the national stage is a testament to the extraordinary leadership, dedication, and heart of our volunteers, young professionals, entrepreneurs, and community partners. These accomplishments demonstrate what happens when people come together with a shared purpose of creating opportunities and empowering communities. We are incredibly proud of GBLA and everyone who represented Greater Baltimore with excellence."

GBLA President Coby Smith added:

"These recognitions represent far more than individual accomplishments. They represent what is possible when an entire community commits to lifting one another up. Every award reflects countless hours of volunteer service, leadership, mentorship, and collaboration. I'm incredibly proud of our members for continuing to set the standard for excellence and grateful to everyone who has invested in building a stronger Urban League movement here in Baltimore. This is only the beginning."

Collectively, these honors reflect the culture of leadership, service, and excellence fostered across the Greater Baltimore Urban League family. They underscore GBUL's commitment to advancing economic empowerment, workforce development, entrepreneurship, youth leadership, civic engagement, and community impact throughout the Baltimore region, while positioning Baltimore as a national leader within the Urban League movement.

The Greater Baltimore Leadership Association will celebrate these historic achievements during its signature Masquerade Ball on Saturday, September 26, an evening dedicated to celebrating Black excellence, culture, leadership, and community. Community members, partners, alumni, and supporters from across the region are invited to commemorate this milestone year while supporting the continued mission of developing leaders and empowering communities.

RSVP today using the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/masquerade-ball-tickets-1989154078395?aff=oddtdtcreator

About The Greater Baltimore Leadership Association

The Greater Baltimore Leadership Association (GBLA) is the young professional's auxiliary of the Greater Baltimore Urban League, engaging professionals ages 21–40 in leadership development, community service, and economic empowerment. Over the past decade, GBLA has hosted dozens of programs annually, raised tens of thousands of dollars for community initiatives, supported Black entrepreneurs, and earned national recognition for leadership and community impact.

About The Greater Baltimore Urban League 

The Greater Baltimore Urban League is a historic civil rights and community empowerment organization dedicated to advancing economic mobility and opportunity throughout Maryland. As an affiliate of the National Urban League, GBUL works to create lasting impact through workforce development, youth leadership, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, education, housing, advocacy, and community-centered programming designed to strengthen individuals, families, and communities across the Baltimore region.

Media Assets

• Event Details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/masquerade-ball-tickets-1989154078395?aff=oddtdtcreator

Museum invites families to explore the inventions, engineering and science that helped build America’s railroads

Baltimore, MD – The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation will debut Summer S.T.E.A.M. Week, from August 17–21, offering a week of hands-on experiments, workshops and tours exploring the innovation behind America’s railroads. 

Presented in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, the week will introduce visitors to the inventors and engineers whose work in science, technology, engineering, art and math helped shape rail transportation and the nation.

“As the nation continues to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, Summer S.T.E.A.M. Week gives us an exciting opportunity to explore the people and ideas that helped railroads—and our country—move forward,” said Kris Hoellen, executive director of the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation. “Through hands-on learning, we hope to help young visitors understand the science behind railroading and inspire them to become the next generation of thinkers, builders and innovators.”

Maglev Workshop

Each day will focus on a different area of railroad history and innovation. Programs will include opportunities to build and test a locomotive, send messages using telegraph technology, design a bridge strong enough to carry a model train car and explore the electromagnetic energy behind magnetic levitation trains.

Build Your Own Locomotive Workshop

Daily workshops and tours will also highlight the inventors of these technologies such as Samuel Morse, Peter Cooper, Olive Dennis and George Washington as well as the evolution of railroad technology. 

Peter Cooper Workshop

Younger visitors can participate in age-appropriate activities in the Museum’s B&O Junior Junction, including designing locomotives, solving puzzles and creating railroad engineer hats.

All Summer S.T.E.A.M. Week workshops, tours and activities are included with regular Museum admission and are free for Museum members. Train ride tickets will be available for purchase on-site.

For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit https://nationalrailroad.org/events/summer-steam-week/. 

BALTIMORE, MD. – Team members from Securityplus Federal Credit Union volunteered with the Maryland Food Bank on July 23, helping prepare more than 505 meals that will be distributed to students and families throughout Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County schools.

The volunteer effort reflects Securityplus Federal Credit Union's ongoing commitment to strengthening communities and supporting organizations that address critical needs across Maryland. Team members worked alongside Maryland Food Bank staff and fellow volunteers to prepare nutritious meals that will help combat food insecurity among local children and families.

Founded in 1979, the Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit organization leading the movement to end hunger in Maryland. Through an extensive network of community and organizational partners, the organization supplies food to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, faith-based organizations, and other hunger-relief programs serving Marylanders in need.

"At Securityplus Federal Credit Union, we believe that strong communities are built through service and meaningful partnerships," said Danielle Warren, Community Impact Coordinator at Securityplus Federal Credit Union. "Volunteering with the Maryland Food Bank gave our team the opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of local students and families. We are proud to support an organization that is helping ensure children have access to nutritious meals and the resources they need to succeed."

Food insecurity continues to affect families across Maryland, making community partnerships and volunteer service essential to meeting the growing need for reliable access to healthy food. By helping prepare more than 505 meals for students and families in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties, Securityplus volunteers contributed to a larger effort focused on feeding people, strengthening communities, and supporting the well-being of Maryland's youth.

Participants from Securityplus Federal Credit Union included Erin Thompson, Regenia Speaks, Sheryl Phelps, Destinee Smoot, Tymeshia Alleyne, Keshawna Fisher, Jack Schiefer, Obinna Ndukwe, and Danielle Warren, who dedicated their time to supporting the Maryland Food Bank's mission of ending hunger across the state.

The volunteer event also provided Securityplus employees with an opportunity to strengthen teamwork while demonstrating the credit union's commitment to community engagement and service.

Securityplus Federal Credit Union is proud to support the Maryland Food Bank's mission and looks forward to continuing partnerships that create meaningful, lasting change throughout the communities it serves.

About Securityplus Federal Credit Union

Securityplus Federal Credit Union is a member-focused financial institution dedicated to improving the financial well-being of its members and the communities it serves. Through financial education, personalized banking solutions, charitable giving, and community partnerships, Securityplus helps individuals and families build a stronger financial future while supporting initiatives that strengthen local communities.

About Maryland Food Bank

The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit organization leading the movement to end hunger in Maryland. Since 1979, it has worked with a statewide network of community partners to provide food assistance, nutrition education, and innovative hunger-relief programs that help feed people, strengthen communities, and end hunger for more Marylanders.

For more information about Securityplus Federal Credit Union and its community initiatives, visit www.securityplusfcu.org.

Preparing for a new school year rarely comes down to just one task. It's a season of checklists, appointments, paperwork, and settling everyone back into a routine, all with the same goal of helping our children walk into the classroom healthy, confident, and ready to learn.

Dr. Darrell Gray II

As a husband and father, there's one appointment I never want to leave until the last minute for my own children: their annual well-child visit.

An annual well-child visit is one of the few appointments that is not about treating an illness or injury. Instead, it is an opportunity to pause and focus on your child's overall health as they prepare for the year ahead.

These visits give families dedicated time to talk with their child's healthcare provider about how they're sleeping, eating, learning, feeling, and developing. They also create space for the questions that naturally come up as children grow, whether it's managing an ongoing health condition, getting ready for a new school year, building healthy habits, or navigating a new stage of childhood. 

These appointments also provide time to complete school or sports forms, review recommended screenings, and help make sure your child stays on track with preventive care, including any immunizations that may be recommended or required before the first day of school. Most importantly, they give families the opportunity to get their questions answered, talk through concerns, and leave with a clearer understanding of their child's health.

Planning ahead can make the back-to-school season a little less hectic.

Maryland requires children entering a Maryland public school for the first time to receive a physical examination, and students must meet the state's school immunization requirements. Hearing and vision screenings are also required when students first enter a school system and again in first grade and eighth or ninth grade.

Scheduling this visit early can help families take care of several important back-to-school requirements.

If you're wondering whether it's time to schedule your child's next well-child visit, start with a quick call to your pediatrician or family medicine provider. They can help you understand what your child may still need before school begins.

As parents, we spend a lot of time preparing our children for a successful school year. We make sure they have the supplies they need, encourage healthy habits, and help them start the school year feeling their best.

Making time for this appointment is another important way to help set them up for success.

The first day of school will be here before we know it. Scheduling this appointment now is one simple way to help your family feel prepared for whatever the new school year brings.

As August ushers in Black Business Month, the Baltimore Times launches a weekly series spotlighting the professionals who keep Black-owned businesses thriving — starting with the case for putting people first.

Every August, Black Business Month calls on us to celebrate, support, and strategically grow Black-owned enterprises across the country. It's a month for shopping intentionally, for spotlighting entrepreneurs who've built something from nothing, and for reminding our community that economic power is community power.

It's also a month when we talk about infrastructure. A healthy, thriving business needs a sharp accountant to keep the books honest. It needs an attorney to protect contracts, intellectual property, and the founder's own liability. It needs a banker who understands access to capital isn't always equal, and an insurance professional who can shield a life's work from the unexpected. These four pillars matter. And next week, this series turns to exactly that — the operational backbone that keeps a business standing.

But before we get to operations, we must start somewhere else: the person.

A Business is Only as Healthy as the Person Running it

Here's a question we don't ask often enough: can a business be healthy if the person behind it isn't?

I've spent years working at the intersection of food, emotion, and healing, and I can tell you what I've seen repeatedly — burnout doesn't announce itself with a memo. It shows up as a missed invoice, a snapped reply to a loyal customer, a founder who hasn't taken a real day off in eleven months and calls it "hustle." We celebrate the grind in entrepreneurship culture. We rarely ask what the grind is costing the person grinding.

"You can have the best accountant in Baltimore and still lose the business — because the person running the business burned out before the balance sheet ever did."

For Black business owners specifically, the stakes are compounded. Many are first-generation entrepreneurs carrying the weight of generational expectation, building without the cushion of inherited wealth, and doing it all while navigating a healthcare system that has historically underdiagnosed and underserved Black patients, particularly around mental health. The pressure to appear strong, capable, and unshakable is its own quiet tax on the body and mind.

The Five Principles of Health Every Entrepreneur Needs to Embrace

If the accountant, attorney, banker, and insurance agent are the professional team every business needs, think of these principles as the personal team every business owner needs to remain standing:

●       Hydration — the simplest habit, and the first one abandoned during a 12-hour day behind the register.

●       Sleep — not a luxury, but the difference between a founder who can problem-solve under pressure and one who can't.

●       Nutrition — how you fuel your body during service hours, not just what's fast and convenient.

●       Mental health — meditation, therapy, stress management, and permission to not be okay in front of your staff.

●       Movement — the body wasn't built to sit behind a desk or stand behind a counter without regular relief.

Neglect any one of these, and the cracks eventually show up on the balance sheet anyway — in decision fatigue, in high turnover, in a founder who can't scale because they can't sustain themselves.

What's Coming This Month

Over the next several weeks, this space will introduce you to the people doing the work of protecting Black business from both sides of the equation. We'll meet an accountant who sees clients through crisis, an attorney who fights for founders who've been overlooked, a banker building bridges to capital, and an insurance professional who plans for the worst so business owners don't have to lose everything when it happens.

But today, we start with health because it's the foundation on which everything else is built. A business can survive a bad quarter. It's much harder to survive a founder who never learned how to rest

"Can a business be healthy if its people are not? This month, we're making the case that the answer is no — and introducing you to the professionals helping Black Baltimore build both."

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency, Inc. (AACCAA), Anne Arundel County's designated anti-poverty agency, today announced the retirement of Chief Executive Officer Dr. Charlestine R. Fairley and the appointment of Berneitha McNair as the agency's new Chief Executive Officer.

 

Dr. Fairley concludes a distinguished tenure marked by sustained growth in the agency's capacity to serve individuals and families across Anne Arundel County. Under her leadership, AACCAA strengthened its portfolio of programs — including Early Head Start, Energy Assistance, Housing Assistance, Health and Wellness, Youth Development, and Diversion and Reentry Services — and deepened its commitment to a 2-Generation Whole Family approach serving household members from infancy through their senior years. The Board of Directors extends its deep gratitude for her vision, integrity, and years of dedicated service.

Dr. Fairley

On Saturday, August 8, the Lord Baltimore Hotel will be transformed into a world of imagination, creativity, and fashion as SewFabulous Sewing School presents The Wonders of Alice Fashion Showcase from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the showcase will invite guests to step “down the rabbit hole” into an afternoon filled with original garments, theatrical design, and artistic storytelling. The event will feature work created by children, teenagers, adults, emerging designers, and special guest designers, including design students from Morgan State University.

The showcase is designed to celebrate more than beautiful clothing. It will highlight the dedication, technical skill, and creative vision required to transform an idea into a finished garment. Each piece presented on the runway will reflect the designer’s individual interpretation of Wonderland, using color, texture, shape, and construction to bring imaginative concepts to life.

For many SewFabulous students, the event represents the culmination of months of study and practice. Students learn how to select fabrics, read and modify patterns, operate sewing machines, construct garments, solve design problems, and present their work professionally. These skills help young designers develop patience, discipline, confidence, and an appreciation for craftsmanship.

SewFabulous Sewing School provides sewing and fashion-design education for children, teens, and adults. Its programs are intended to make creative arts education accessible while introducing students to educational and career opportunities within the fashion industry. Participants are encouraged to see sewing not only as a hobby but also as a pathway to college design programs, entrepreneurship, costume design, tailoring, merchandising, and other creative professions.

The Wonders of Alice will also demonstrate the importance of intergenerational learning. Beginning students will share the runway with more experienced designers, allowing participants to learn from one another and see what is possible through continued education and practice. The inclusion of Morgan State University design students will further connect younger participants with emerging professionals who are developing their skills at the college level.

Guests can expect a full runway presentation featuring original collections inspired by the magic and mystery of Wonderland. The afternoon will also include entertainment, photo opportunities, and opportunities to meet designers and learn more about their creative processes. The Lord Baltimore Hotel will provide an elegant backdrop for the event and reinforce the showcase’s combination of fantasy, fashion, and community celebration.

Baltimore has a long tradition of artistic innovation, and events like this help ensure that emerging creators have a visible place within that tradition. By presenting student work in a formal venue, SewFabulous gives participants the experience of being recognized not simply as learners but as designers whose ideas and labor have value.

The event is intended for a broad audience. Fashion enthusiasts will have the opportunity to discover new talent, while families and community members can support students as they present their work publicly. Educators, artists, entrepreneurs, and supporters of youth development may also find inspiration in seeing how hands-on arts instruction can help students identify their strengths and imagine future possibilities.

Creative education can have a lasting effect on students. Completing a garment requires planning, measurement, precision, persistence, and the ability to revise when something does not work as expected. Presenting that garment before an audience requires another kind of courage. Through experiences such as The Wonders of Alice, students learn that their ideas deserve to be developed. 

The showcase also reflects SewFabulous Sewing School’s broader commitment to strengthening the Baltimore community through the arts. By creating a professional platform for student and emerging designers, the school helps participants build portfolios, gain runway experience, connect with mentors, and receive recognition for their work. The event also gives local audiences a chance to invest in the next generation of designers and creative entrepreneurs.

The Wonders of Alice Fashion Showcase will take place Saturday, August 8, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. Ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, media inquiries, interview requests, and requests for media passes may be directed to Margaret Garland, founder and director of SewFabulous Sewing School, at 410-653-3212.

Through imaginative designs and the achievements of its students, The Wonders of Alice promises an inspiring afternoon where fashion becomes storytelling and creativity knows no limits.

We've gotten used to talking about burnout as an individual experience.

Someone is burned out. Someone needs a break. Someone should practice more self-care.

But what if we've been looking at burnout through too narrow a lens?

Across Maryland, healthcare professionals, educators, nonprofit leaders, public servants, business leaders, and employees are doing meaningful work under increasing pressure. When that pressure becomes chronic, the effects ripple far beyond the workplace.

It doesn't stop when the workday ends. Parents have less patience at home. Volunteers have less capacity to give back. Leaders make decisions from depletion rather than clarity. The emotional labor carried by healthcare workers, educators, nonprofit professionals, and public servants eventually affects the people, families, and communities they serve.

That's why I believe burnout isn't just a workplace issue. It's a community issue.The conversations we have about burnout should reflect that broader reality.

As a licensed clinical social worker, I've spent more than 25 years supporting people through stress, trauma, grief, and life's most difficult seasons. Today, I also partner with organizations to help leaders build healthier workplace cultures.

Sharise Nance speaks with healthcare professionals about burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotionally sustainable leadership during a keynote presentation. Photo credit: CLW Creatives

One thing I've learned is this:

Most people don't wake up one day completely burned out.

It happens little by little. 

One skipped lunch.

One late night.

One more responsibility.

One more email answered after hours.

One more time saying "yes" when your mind and body were begging you to say "not today."

Eventually, carrying so much becomes normal.

I've seen this pattern everywhere—from hospitals and schools to nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses. The settings change. The story often doesn't. Good people keep saying yes until carrying too much simply becomes the way they work.

Somewhere along the way, we've started treating exhaustion as the price of doing meaningful work. I don't believe it has to be.

We've spent years telling people to become more resilient.

Resilience matters.

But resilience was never meant to carry the weight of an unhealthy workplace.

Imagine what could change if we asked different questions.

Instead of asking, "Why can't people handle the pressure?"

What if we asked, "What is creating so much pressure in the first place?"

Sometimes it's chronic understaffing. Sometimes it's unrealistic workloads. Sometimes it's constant organizational change. Sometimes it's the unspoken expectation that people will simply keep absorbing more with fewer resources and little opportunity to recover.

That shift changes everything.

That doesn't mean removing every challenge from the workplace. It means creating cultures where people feel supported, workloads are realistic, recovery is encouraged, and asking for help isn't seen as weakness.

Healthy workplace cultures aren't built through wellness initiatives alone. They're built through everyday leadership decisions. They take shape in how workloads are assigned, how leaders respond when someone is struggling, whether people feel safe speaking up, and whether recovery is encouraged. Small decisions, repeated consistently, shape workplace culture far more than any single wellness program ever could.

I've had the privilege of partnering with organizations across the country, including in Maryland, and one thing gives me hope: more leaders are beginning to recognize that employee well-being isn't separate from organizational success. It is organizational success.

Sharise Nance presents on compassion fatigue and emotionally sustainable leadership during a professional conference. Photo Credit: William Nance

No organization will eliminate stress completely, nor should it. Meaningful work is often demanding. The goal isn't to remove every challenge. It's to create environments where people feel supported, respected, and able to recover.

When that happens, everyone benefits.

Employees stay longer. Teams work better together. People have more energy to serve the communities that depend on them. Healthy workplaces create healthier communities.

As Maryland continues investing in healthcare, education, behavioral health, nonprofits, and public service, I hope we also invest in something that doesn't always make the headlines: the emotional sustainability of the people doing the work.

The health of our organizations shapes the health of our communities.

And maybe the conversation isn't simply about preventing burnout.

Maybe it's about creating workplaces where people can do meaningful work without losing themselves in the process.

We don't have to choose between healthy people and high-performing organizations.

The healthiest organizations understand those two things go hand in hand.

Healthy workplaces don't just change organizations. 

They change dinner table conversations.

They change families.

They strengthen communities.

And I can't think of a better investment than that.

Employee volunteers and skilled electricians will complete critical electrical upgrades and other improvements to support food access and community services in Baltimore.

WHAT:

Local nonprofit Rebuilding Together Baltimore and IDEAL Electrical are teaming up to improve the U Empower Maryland (UEMD) Resource Hub, home to The Food Project, helping strengthen a Southwest Baltimore community resource that connects individuals and families with food, resources, and other essential services. 

Around 20 employee volunteers and skilled electricians from IDEAL Electrical will work alongside Rebuilding Together Baltimore to improve the safety, functionality, and long-term resilience of the UEMD Resource Hub. Planned improvements include electrical upgrades, enhanced lighting, new phone charging stations, laundry room improvements, expanded power access in key program areas, and other facility enhancements that will better support the organization’s day-to-day operations. Volunteers will also replace ceiling tiles, assemble bike racks, and refresh the space with new paint and branded graphics. 

These improvements will be provided at no cost to the UEMD Resource HUB, and will create a safer, more functional space for staff, volunteers, and the individuals and families who rely on The Food Project and Resource’s Hub’s services. The project also demonstrates how skilled trades professional can use their expertise to strengthen the communities they serve. 

WHERE:

424 S. Pulaski Street 

Baltimore, MD 21223

WHEN:                                     

Thursday, July 30, 2026 

7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

SPOKESPEOPLE:    

Bonnie Bessor, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together Baltimore

Nicole Juday, Foundation Director, IDEAL Industries, Inc.

Kaitlin Liebling, PR and Content Specialist, Content & Communications, IDEAL Industries, Inc. 

Michelle Suazo, Executive Director, The Food Project 

QUICK FACTS:    

Rebuilding Together Baltimore (RTB) is a nonprofit organization devoted to repairing homes, revitalizing communities and rebuilding lives by providing no cost home repairs to homeowners earning less than area median income. Since 1989, RTB has mobilized over 20,000 volunteers to repair more than 3,000 homes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Its work represents a cumulative value of over $20 million for the Baltimore area. 

IDEAL Electrical™  is a global leader in manufacturing tools and supplies for professional electricians. Trusted for its high-quality wire connectors, electrical installation products, and test and measurement equipment, IDEAL has supported the industry’s most critical work for more than 100 years—from Arctic research missions and the moon landing to iconic buildings and everyday residential and commercial construction around the world. IDEAL is dedicated to advancing the craft for electrical contractors and electricians everywhere.

What Steel Mills Teach Us About Data Centers and Environmental Justice

Baltimore's industrial history reveals a pattern that extends well beyond steel. Each era of economic and technological advancement has been celebrated as evidence of progress, yet the benefits and burdens have rarely been shared equally. Black workers endured the dangerous conditions that fueled America's industrial ascent, only to be among the first displaced when manufacturing gave way to a new economy that demanded different skills and offered few pathways for their inclusion. The wealth generated by industrial expansion flowed upward, while the physical, environmental, and social costs settled in working-class communities that had little power to shape their own futures. Today, as data centers, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure promise another economic transformation, Baltimore's history invites a more careful question: who will benefit from this new prosperity, and who will once again be asked to absorb its costs? The Baltimore Legacy Project preserves these stories not as artifacts of a vanished industrial age, but as a reminder that progress is never neutral. The communities that built one economy should not be left behind by the next.

For decades, Baltimore's industrial economy rested on a paradox. The mills and factories that exposed Black workers to relentless danger also provided one of the few reliable pathways into the American middle class. They offered wages substantial enough to purchase a home, send children to college, and imagine a future that extended beyond mere survival. When those jobs disappeared, the loss was measured not only in paychecks, but in the unraveling of families, neighborhoods, and the quiet architecture of everyday life.

When the Mills Went Silent

Beginning in the 1970s, Baltimore entered a prolonged period of deindustrialization. Bethlehem Steel contracted General Motors, Westinghouse, Western Electric, and other manufacturing giants downsized or closed altogether. The jobs that had anchored working-class Black families vanished with startling speed.

Dr. Kevin Daniels recalls this period as a turning point:

"In the '70s, that's where real challenges started to happen, in the sense where there was the decentralization of the family, because you can't have community without family."

His observation points toward a deeper truth. Stable employment had done more than provide income. It had structured family life, shaped identity, and offered fathers a tangible role as providers and community anchors. When those jobs disappeared, the losses rippled far beyond the workplace.

Entire neighborhoods experienced rising poverty, substance abuse, housing instability, and family fragmentation. Federal policies often intensified these pressures. Programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children, while designed to provide relief, sometimes discouraged the presence of adult men in the household, forcing families to navigate impossible choices during a period of economic collapse.

Captain Andrew Muhammad of Nation of Islam Mosque No. 6 remembers watching those consequences unfold within his own family:

"My uncle was laid off… he lost his car, he lost his wife, he lost his apartment, and he started using drugs"

His story is not presented as an isolated tragedy but as a pattern repeated throughout Baltimore. Layoffs became more than economic events; they became moments of social rupture.

The Generation That Watched

As Baltimore transitioned toward a service and technology economy, few meaningful efforts were made to retrain industrial workers whose skills had been forged inside mills rather than offices. Black men, often the first hired into the most physically demanding jobs, became among the first displaced and the least likely to benefit from the city's changing economy.

Children witnessed these transformations from their living rooms. They watched fathers lose jobs that had once seemed permanent. They watched homes become unstable, marriages strain, and neighborhoods change. For many participants in the Baltimore Legacy Project, these memories form part of a larger explanation for later cycles of underground economies, addiction, incarceration, and father absence—not as inevitable outcomes, but as consequences of structural abandonment.

The collapse of Baltimore's industrial economy was therefore more than an economic transition. It represented the dismantling of an entire social infrastructure. The mills had extracted enormous physical costs from Black workers, yet they had also sustained families, neighborhoods, and aspirations. When they disappeared, little was built to replace them.

The story of deindustrialization, then, is not simply about factories closing. It is about fathers whose labor once held families together, communities forced to absorb generations of economic dislocation, and a city still reckoning with what was lost when the furnaces finally went dark.

The story of Baltimore's industrial rise is also the story of the families who built it. Drawn by the promise of steady work during the Great Migration, Black workers helped forge the steel that reshaped the nation's skyline while navigating dangerous labor, racial exclusion, and unequal opportunity. Their sacrifices extended beyond the mill gates, shaping neighborhoods, institutions, and generations that followed. By preserving these lived histories, the Baltimore Legacy Project invites viewers to encounter Baltimore not simply through its industries or landmarks, but through the people whose lives gave the city its enduring character.

Back to School Bash offers free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, health resources and family fun

Baltimore, MD — Ascension Saint Agnes, together with community partners, will host its annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s Monastery, 3801 Old Frederick Road. 

The free event will help local students get ready for the new school year with backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, food, health education and family fun, including a DJ, moonbounce and face painting. 

Students attending Baltimore International Academy West, Beechfield Elementary/Middle School, North Bend Elementary/Middle School and Violetville Elementary/Middle School are also eligible to receive one free uniform shirt per child, while supplies last. 

“Our Back to School Bash is an opportunity to invest in the success of local students and remind families they have a community behind them,” said Lesley Wallace, Vice President, Population Health, Ascension Saint Agnes. “We’re especially thankful to our associates, whose generous donations provided many of the school supplies we’ll be distributing. Their kindness helps ensure students have the tools they need to start the school year ready to learn.” 

This event is made possible through the support of our valued community partners, St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish and My Brother’s Keeper. 

Families are encouraged to arrive early. 

EVENT DETAILS 

● What: Back to School Bash 2026 

● When: Saturday, August 15 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

● Where: Saint Joseph’s Monastery, 3801 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore, MD 21229

● Cost: Free and open to the community 

To schedule an interview, please contact Megan Garrett.

About Ascension Saint Agnes 

For more than 150 years, Ascension Saint Agnes has provided personalized, compassionate care to all in the greater Baltimore area. We offer a full range of services through our hospital campus and 30 community locations, including primary, emergency, and advanced specialty care. Ascension Saint Agnes encompasses a 254-bed teaching hospital and Baltimore's first 

Catholic hospital, founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1862; an extensive network of primary and specialty physicians throughout Baltimore and Howard County; and centers with advanced medical imaging technologies.

What Steel Mills Teach Us About Data Centers and Environmental Justice

"It is a blue-collar city. Factories created a lot of the employment opportunities here, especially during the Great Migration. African Americans migrated here from South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, to come to Baltimore to work in factories. Bethlehem Steel, at one period of time, was the largest employer in Baltimore City."— Imam Earl El-Amin, Baltimore Legacy Project Interview

Imam Earl El-Amin's recollection captures more than an economic history. It recalls an era when Baltimore's identity was forged in steel, shipbuilding, and industrial labor; when the city's skyline rose alongside the fortunes of thousands of working families whose lives revolved around the whistle at Sparrows Point.

For more than eight decades, Bethlehem Steel dominated Baltimore's industrial landscape. By the 1950s, the company employed more than 33,000 workers, making it the city's largest employer and one of the largest steel producers in the nation. At its peak, Sparrows Point was the largest steel mill in the world. Steel produced there became the skeleton of the Empire State Building, stretched across the Golden Gate Bridge and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and filled the hulls of countless ships. During the Second World War, the mill produced nearly one-fifth of the steel used by the United States Navy.

For Black families arriving from the rural South, the mill represented something far greater than industrial production. Many migrants came from communities where opportunities had been confined to sharecropping, domestic labor, or seasonal agricultural work. Formal education was often limited. A steady job could mean a mortgage instead of rent, savings instead of debt, and a measure of dignity long denied elsewhere.

Yet the promise of industrial prosperity rested upon unequal foundations.

Labor Beneath the Furnace

The same jobs that elevated many Black families economically demanded extraordinary sacrifice. Black workers routinely endured racial hostility from supervisors and white coworkers while performing the most physically punishing and dangerous assignments in the mill. They worked the coke ovens, blast furnaces, and other "hot jobs," where temperatures reached unbearable levels and exposure to toxic dust became a daily reality.

The dangers were not accidental. Research has shown that longstanding racist assumptions shaped workplace practices. An enduring myth that Black workers were somehow biologically better suited to withstand extreme heat echoed arguments once used to justify the exploitation of enslaved Africans. As Dr. Alan Derickson has documented, in the American Public Health Association journal. Industrial employers recycled these beliefs to rationalize assigning Black workers to the most hazardous environments.

The consequences accumulated over decades. Explosions claimed lives without warning. Silica dust slowly destroyed lungs. Occupational illnesses emerged years after retirement, leaving many former steelworkers to spend the final chapters of their lives battling chronic respiratory disease.

Resistance Inside the Mill

In 1959, more than half a million steelworkers across the country launched what became the largest work stoppage in American history. The strike lasted 116 days before President Dwight D. Eisenhower invoked the Taft-Hartley Act, compelling employees to return to work while negotiations continued.

For the workers at Sparrow’s Point the strike carried severe hardship. Maryland law prevented striking workers from receiving unemployment insurance or public assistance, forcing many families into financial crisis.

For Black workers, collective resistance was often constrained by structural exclusion. Concentrated in the lowest-paying departments and underrepresented within union leadership. 

The inequalities of Sparrows Point extended beyond the factory gates.

White employees often lived in company-supported housing surrounding the mill, while Black workers were steered toward segregated communities such as Turner Station. These neighborhoods supplied the labor that fueled Baltimore's industrial economy while receiving comparatively little of its investment.

Environmental burdens followed racial boundaries. For decades, Bethlehem Steel accumulated violations involving air pollution, contaminated waterways, and hazardous waste that affected Bear Creek, the Patapsco River, and Old Road Bay. The consequences linger long after the furnaces cooled, leaving nearby communities to contend with environmental damage that outlasted industrial prosperity.  Among Turner Station's most notable residents was Henrietta Lacks, who moved there in 1941 after her husband, David "Day" Lacks, found employment at Sparrows Point. 

The jobs that offered many Black families a pathway into the middle class also demanded extraordinary sacrifice. At Sparrows Point, Black workers routinely faced racial hostility while being concentrated in the mill's most dangerous assignments. The coke ovens, blast furnaces, and other "hot jobs," where extreme temperatures, toxic dust, and constant physical risk were treated as ordinary conditions of employment. These patterns were not incidental. As historian Dr. Alan Derickson has documented, industrial employers drew upon racist myths that Black workers were somehow better suited to withstand extreme heat, repurposing ideas rooted in slavery to justify exposing them to the most hazardous work. The costs accumulated over a lifetime. Explosions claimed lives without warning, silica dust scarred lungs, and chronic respiratory disease often surfaced years after retirement.

Although the furnaces have long gone cold, the geography of environmental inequality remains strikingly familiar. Today's economy is increasingly organized around data centers rather than steel mills, yet many of these facilities are being concentrated in communities with limited political power, where concerns about intensive energy consumption, water use, diesel backup generators, air pollution, and strain on local infrastructure are frequently overshadowed by promises of economic growth. The technologies have changed, but the underlying question persists: who benefits from industrial progress, and who is asked to bear its environmental costs? The history of Sparrows Point reminds us that the burdens of innovation have rarely been distributed equally, making the preservation of these stories not only an act of remembrance, but also a lens through which to recognize recurring patterns in the landscapes we continue to build.

ANNAPOLIS, MD –  Governor Moore today announced that 44 organizations have received nearly $4 million in awards from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s NourishMD Grant Program in an effort to increase fresh food options in Maryland.

“Every Marylander should have access to healthy, nutritious and fresh food, no matter their zip code,” said Gov. Moore. “As our administration works to address food insecurity, the NourishMD grants work to address nutritional health gaps and ensure that every community has the necessary food to thrive.” 

NourishMD provides grants to support the development, stabilization and expansion of retail outlets that provide fresh food in Maryland’s food deserts, areas where residents have limited or no access to nutritious food options. The program is offered by the Department’s Division of Business Development in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Health. Initial program support comes from $2 million in state funds; with an expanded rural focus thanks to $1.65 million in federal funds via the Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program. 

“No Marylander’s access to fresh and healthy food should depend on their ZIP code,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “The NourishMD awards are investments in the people and businesses of Maryland as the Moore-Miller Administration works to reduce food insecurity by providing a necessary boost to our community-based small businesses and nonprofits.”

NourishMD provides eligible food retailers with grants of between $25,000 and $150,000 for capital-related needs such as certain facility upgrades, infrastructure and technology and equipment purchases, including cold storage. To be eligible for funding, businesses must be located in an area with a Fresh Food Gap Score of 60 or higher as provided by the Maryland Community Business Compass, an initiative of Governor Wes Moore’s Innovation Team, led by the State’s Chief Innovation Officer, Francesca Ioffreda. 

A total of 44 organizations across 18 Maryland counties will receive $3.65 million in NourishMD awards, including:

• Horizon Goodwill Industries will use their award for the development and establishment of Horizon Market, a nonprofit full-service grocery store located in Hagerstown. The project is intended to expand access to affordable fresh and healthy foods for residents who face transportation barriers and high levels of food insecurity.

• The Appalachian Farm and Food Alliance in Garrett County will transform the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market pavilion in Oakland into a year-round fresh food hub serving residents in Garrett County’s food gap area. 

• The Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center will establish a community-based “Local Food Marketplace” at its Chamber and Visitor Center in Crisfield in Somerset County.

• Mayo Snackz Too Food Park will establish a permanent food hub in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City. This awardee, - who works with Cherry Hill Strong and the Governor’s Office forof Children as part of the ENOUGH Initiative to address child poverty, -  will provide residents with access to groceries, prepared foods and staple household items within walking distance of their homes.

• The Capital Market will use NourishMD funding to develop the BlueLine Agrihub in Prince George’s County. In partnership with Gethsemane United Methodist Church, the project will create shared processing, climate-controlled storage and commercial kitchen space to support more than 75 Maryland-based farmers and food producers, strengthen healthy food access and expand the regional food economy. 

The NourishMD Grant Program prioritizes awards to businesses that accept, or are seeking support to become able to accept, federal nutrition benefits. To support this, DHCD entered into a co-awarding partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland Market Money Program. The Maryland Market Money Program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for purchases made using federal nutrition benefits at participating Maryland farmers' markets, farm stands and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), while providing technical assistance, training, marketing and additional services to stakeholders.

"Expanding access to fresh, healthy food goes hand in hand with creating new opportunities for Maryland farmers," said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. "Through Maryland Market Money, we're helping residents stretch their food dollars while ensuring local farmers and food businesses benefit from every purchase. NourishMD builds on that success by expanding the number of places where Marylanders can access nutritious, locally grown food, which helps strengthen communities, supports local agriculture and makes healthy choices more accessible for everyone." 

The NourishMD Grant Program received $1.65 million for the first year through Maryland's Rural Health Transformation Program. This funding may be renewable for up to five years. The Maryland Department of Health received $168 million in federal funding in the first year of the award to strengthen and modernize health care in rural areas across the state. The Department leads the deployment of funds across the state to reach these goals. The Rural Health Transformation Program funding will serve to enhance the Moore-Miller Administration’s ongoing efforts to bolster health care access and affordability in Maryland’s rural communities.  

“Healthy communities begin with access to nutritious food, and tackling it requires a united approach,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “The Department of Health is proud to invest in NourishMD, ensuring that families across our rural communities have access to healthy food options. This collaborative effort strengthens local businesses while addressing underlying conditions that contribute to people’s overall health.”

To learn more about the NourishMD Grant Program, visit the Department’s website. 

The Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $168,180,837.61 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. 

Baltimore, MD - To salute National Farmers Market Week (August 2 - 8), Create Baltimore, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (MOACE), intends to honor it with greater intention than ever before. On SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market will commemorate National Farmers Market Week with live performances from David Lindberg and DJ Daveology, farm-to-table cooking demos, restaurant pop-ups, and more.

National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration that highlights the vital role farmers markets play in our nation's food system. Through special events, activities, and community engagement, the week raises awareness of the value farmers markets bring to neighborhoods while strengthening relationships with residents, elected officials, community organizations, and funding partners. It is also an opportunity to advocate for food access, support local agriculture and small businesses, encourage research and data collection, and elevate the importance of farmers' markets as essential community assets. Farmers markets preserve farmland, stimulate local economies, increase access to nutritious food, support healthy communities, and promote sustainability. 

“Farmers are the nucleus of the market, and we appreciate everything they do for the wellbeing, health, and sustainability of Baltimoreans,” said Robyn Murphy, CEO of Create Baltimore. “Every Sunday, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market demonstrates how food systems, entrepreneurship, tourism, arts and culture, and placemaking intersect to strengthen our local economy. Just as importantly, it has become one of Baltimore’s great weekly gathering places – a cultural hub where people from every neighborhood in the city and communities across the region come together, connect with one another, and experience a shared sense of belonging. For 49 years, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market has nourished our city not only through fresh food, but through community. As we celebrate National Farmers Market Week, we’re proud to honor one of Baltimore’s most enduring civic institutions as we look ahead to the Market’s 50th anniversary next year.”

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market has long served as a small business incubator, launching entrepreneurs who have gone on to become successful brick-and-mortar restaurants, retailers, and food businesses throughout Baltimore. During this year's Farmers Market Week celebration on Sunday, August 2nd, Jasmine Norton, head chef and owner of The Urban Oyster, one such success story, will be welcomed back for a special pop-up highlighting her entrepreneurial journey that began at the Market. The day will also feature cooking demonstrations from 9:00am – 10:00am, live entertainment on the Mayor's Mobile Stage from 10:00am – 1:00pm, and the opportunity to welcome elected officials, civic leaders, and community partners as we begin building excitement for the Market's milestone 50th season.

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market is located underneath the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX I-83) at 400 E. Saratoga Street on Sundays from 7:00am - 12:00pm (quiet hours are 7:00am - 9:00am) from April – December. Beginning on Sunday, August 2nd and the remaining 1st Sundays of the season, hours will extend until 1:00pm to accommodate musical performances. Music at the Market will take place on September 6, October 4, November 1, and December 6.

BALTIMORE — More than 100 high school students from across the Baltimore region gained hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics during the Exelon Foundation STEM Academies, held July 19–24, 2026, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the BGE White Marsh Training Center.

The weeklong academies introduced students to career opportunities in the rapidly evolving energy industry while strengthening their leadership, teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.

Throughout the program, students worked alongside engineers, scientists and technical professionals from Exelon and its operating companies. Participants learned how STEM concepts are applied to real-world energy challenges and explored the technologies that support the region’s utility infrastructure.

Interactive activities allowed students to build parallel and series electrical circuits, conduct laboratory experiments examining the greenhouse effect and design and test wind turbine blades. Participants also assembled solar panel arrays, built microgrids and competed in simulations focused on energy distribution and resilience.

The activities were designed to show students how renewable energy, electrical systems and utility operations work together to provide safe, reliable and sustainable energy to communities.

Students also collaborated in teams to develop solutions to a real-world energy and sustainability challenge. With guidance from Exelon mentors, participants refined their ideas during office hours, networking events and leadership development sessions.

Teams presented their final projects to a panel of judges during the academy’s closing ceremony on Friday, July 24.

The academies also included a visit to the BGE White Marsh Training Center, where students observed utility operations and interacted with engineers and technical professionals. The field experience gave participants a closer look at the equipment, workforce and specialized skills needed to power central Maryland.

The Exelon Foundation STEM Academies seek to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and energy professionals by providing students with meaningful exposure to STEM careers. The program also helps students develop skills that can support their success in college, technical training programs and the workforce.

Several students were recognized for their performance, teamwork and innovative ideas during the academies.

The STEM Academy winners were Nevaeh James, Aarna Malli Senthil and Deecha Ghimire.

The Boys to STEM Academy winners were Cameron Crawford, Sergio Argueta, Anderson Santana Mateo and Max Johnson.

By connecting students directly with industry professionals and giving them opportunities to solve practical problems, the academies offered participants a clearer understanding of the range of careers available within the energy sector.

The experience also demonstrated that the future of energy will require professionals with expertise in engineering, environmental science, technology, renewable energy, skilled trades and other STEM-related fields.

Through programs such as the STEM Academies, the Exelon Foundation is working to expand access to STEM education and encourage more young people to consider careers that will shape the future of energy and sustainability.

As someone who wasn't born in Baltimore, one of my favorite parts of living here has been discovering the city through its food.

I have learned that Baltimore's culinary scene is built on community, culture, and the people behind each business. There are few places that capture that spirit better than Lexington Market.

So when it came time to welcome creator and actor Kalen Allen to Baltimore, I knew exactly where to take him.

With the help of Simone Phillips, creator of Charm City Table, we spent the afternoon exploring some of Lexington Market's standout merchants, each offering a unique taste of Baltimore.

Our first stop was Super Fried Chicken, where Kalen experienced a Baltimore classic: a chicken box with western fries. Since he's in town starring in Baltimore Center Stage's production of Bocking, it felt like the perfect way to introduce him to one of the city's most iconic meals.

Next, we visited Sunnyside Café, where Chef Chris prepared several signature dishes, including hot honey fried catfish and grits, French toast, and the restaurant's popular crab-stuffed croissant. Each dish reflected the creativity and hospitality that make Baltimore's food scene so memorable.

We also stopped by Crunch Kulture to try the Chesapeake Salad, a fresh and flavorful dish that celebrates local ingredients.

No visit to Lexington Market would be complete without dessert. We wrapped up the afternoon with sweet treats from Taharka Brothers and Deedle's Donuts, two Baltimore favorites that provided the perfect ending to our food tour.

As a transplant, I understand what it's like to experience Baltimore for the first time. Over the years, I've learned that the city's story is best told through its neighborhoods, its small businesses, and the people who proudly share their craft with every customer.

Lexington Market is more than a place to grab a meal. It is where Baltimore's history, culture, and community come together under one roof. It has become one of my favorite places to bring visitors because every stop offers another opportunity to experience the heart of Charm City.

Welcome to Baltimore, Kalen. I hope this was just the first of many unforgettable meals in Charm City.

If you'd like to see more of Kalen during his time in Baltimore, be sure to catch him in Bocking at Baltimore Center Stage, running August 14 through September 6. Purchase tickets online at www.centerstage.org/events/bocking/

Nikki Massie was born three weeks early and still weighed in at nearly nine and a half pounds. “God bless your mama,” I told her, and she laughed the way you laugh at a story you’ve told a hundred times. That early arrival was the first chapter of a lifelong relationship with weight that would eventually carry the Baltimore mother of two from a hospital bed at St. Agnes to the board chair at the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the nation’s only organization that speaks exclusively on behalf of people living with obesity.

"This month, Massie wrapped up her final convention as OAC board chair — her two-year term officially runs through January — closing it out at the organization’s Your Weight Matters Convention in Orlando, a gathering of hundreds who come together each year for education, advocacy, community and, as she describes it, a rare kind of freedom. 

The Surgery That Changed Everything

Massie had tried Weight Watchers, keto, South Beach — “all of the things,” she said. It was watching her two young daughters, then 9 and 6, that pushed her toward a different path. “I wanted to be that mom who played sports with them and ran around the playground,” she said. In January 2008, she underwent gastric bypass surgery at St. Agnes Hospital, but not before insurance hurdles still familiar to many Baltimoreans today: a six-month waiting period, a mandated weight-loss target, and an insurer that treated the surgery as elective. She lost 155 pounds over two years — and then hit a wall no one had prepared her for.

“It became very glaringly obvious to me that obesity is not treated the same way as other health problems,” she said. “Nobody knew how to help me.” Her surgeon and her primary care physician barely communicated, she said. At the time, bariatric surgery itself was viewed as the last resort — “the end of the road,” in her words — and prescribing medication to patients after surgery wasn’t yet common practice.

The Convention That Changed Everything

That gap in care led Massie to the OAC. She still remembers the late Rob Portinga, a friend who heard she couldn’t afford her first convention in 2013, and paid for a hotel room so she’d simply have a bed waiting. What struck her most wasn’t the science, though there was plenty of it — it was smaller things, like a welcome bag listing the macros of every meal served, for a room full of people who food-logged their every bite. “Those people get me,” she remembers thinking. She later won the OAC’s Member of the Year award and joined the board in 2015.

Lived Experience as a Tool

Under Massie’s leadership, the OAC has leaned hard into a core belief: that people living with obesity belong in the room where decisions about their care are made. She remembers early advocacy panels where researchers presented data and patients like her spoke afterward — to silence. “Nobody ever had any questions for me at first,” she said. That has changed. OAC members now sit on research advisory panels, address audiences at Obesity Week, and have met directly with drugmakers including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. “You can make the best treatment out there, but if it doesn’t work within somebody’s life, it’s not going to work,” Massie said.

What Baltimore Should Know

The OAC, now roughly 90,000 members strong nationally, has had a visible presence in Baltimore for years through the BMore Healthy Expo, typically held each March at the Baltimore Convention Center. Massie said the organization stays “treatment agnostic” — supporting surgery, medication, or behavior-based approaches, as long as they’re safe and evidence-based. That matters most right now around GLP-1 medications. Massie is candid about their promise and their pitfalls: high cost, thin insurance coverage, and a fast-growing market of unregulated compounded versions where, she said, “there isn’t even a guarantee that you’ll know how much of the active ingredient is in” what you’re taking. Her advice: start at obesityaction.org for vetted information and a directory of obesity-informed clinicians — the same one her daughter used to find her own doctor.

No One-Size-Fits-All

Researchers have identified more than 40 known causes of obesity, Massie noted, yet treatment has largely lagged behind that complexity. “We’re getting to a time where my obesity treatment and your obesity treatment and a third person’s obesity treatment might be completely different,” she said. What hasn’t changed is the sense of belonging she still feels at convention. “The people there see you for who you are,” she said, “not as anybody’s flaw.” For a few days each year, people get to shed the bias and stigma they carry everywhere else and simply be themselves.

As Massie’s term as chair winds down this coming January, her message to Baltimore is simple: obesity is a chronic disease, not a character flaw, and there is no single path through it. Whether the way forward is surgery, medication, or the kind of writing-as-healing this column has long championed, help — and a community that has walked the road before — is closer than it looks.

For decades, the War on Drugs has been narrated through the familiar vocabulary of crime, punishment, and public safety. Far less attention has been given to its afterlife: the neighborhoods hollowed out by incarceration, the wealth never permitted to accumulate, the families reshaped across generations, and the civic institutions expected to thrive after decades of deliberate neglect. As Dr. Khalilah Harris, Chair of Baltimore's Community Reinvestment and Reparations Commission, observes, "This war was waged on the community; it was not of the community."

Maryland is now attempting something that would have seemed improbable not long ago, not merely to acknowledge those harms, but to build a public infrastructure for repair.

The Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) is among the state's most consequential approaches in reparative policy. Rather than just folding all of the  tax revenue from Maryland's legal cannabis market into the general treasury, lawmakers directed a portion of those dollars toward the communities that endured the heaviest burdens of cannabis prohibition and the broader War on Drugs. 

The premise is deceptively simple: legalization, by itself, cannot undo decades of unequal enforcement. Justice requires more than ending a policy; it requires investing in the places that policy systematically diminished.

The Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) also referred to as Reparations for the War on Drugs, the initiative distinguishes itself from many governmental equity efforts for one essential reason. The question of what repair should look like has not been reserved for elected officials or policy experts alone. It has been entrusted to the communities that have lived with the consequences.

In Baltimore, that responsibility rests with the Community Reinvestment and Reparations Commission (CRRC), a community-led body charged with answering a question that is as philosophical as it is practical: What does repair require? The Commission is responsible for determining the use of those public resources for neighborhoods that have experienced generations of disinvestment strengthening local institutions, expanding economic opportunity, supporting community development, and creating conditions for long-term restoration.

As Sadiq Ali, Vice Chair of the Commission, explains, "The Baltimore City Commission, along with the twenty-three other counties across Maryland, were designated to create commissions to disperse community reinvestment in the form of dollars that come from tax sales from legal recreational cannabis."

The policy is statewide, but its geographic distribution tells a larger story. Baltimore receives the largest share of the fund, not by political favor, but by historical record. Allocation is determined by each jurisdiction's share of nonviolent cannabis arrests over the previous two decades, a formula that transforms arrest statistics into a measure of public obligation.

Ali explains:

"How those numbers were determined were based on that jurisdiction's contribution to nonviolent marijuana arrests over the preceding twenty years. Based on what we know about how over-incarceration works, especially in areas where there are concentrations of Black and Brown folks, Baltimore City is receiving the lion's share of those funds to be redistributed with an investment lens to help undo some of that harm."

The Commission's work asks a profound civic question: Can government repair what government helped break? It suggests that reparations need not remain an abstract moral aspiration or a distant national debate. They can become administrative practice, budgetary decisions, public meetings, and neighborhood investments. In this framework, repair is measured not by symbolic gestures, but by whether public institutions are willing to redirect resources with the same intentionality that once directed harm.

Rev. Dr. Robert Turner (CRRC Commissioner) situates the effort within an even broader ethical tradition:

"I think, as any society that wants to ground itself on morality and ethics, if you have done wrong, it is vitally important to correct, to repair that wrong. This work is important, and America has done that, in large part, for a lot of other people."

His observation lingers beyond Maryland's borders. The question is no longer whether the harms of the War on Drugs can be documented; history has already rendered its verdict. The more urgent question is whether democratic institutions possess both the imagination and the resolve to make repair more than a promise. In Baltimore, that question is no longer theoretical. It is being tested in real time.

New law expands early identification and referral for behavioral health conditions during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth.

Annapolis, MD — Under the Perinatal Behavioral Health Conditions Act (HB 1118), which took effect on July 1, the Maryland Health Care Commission is studying the fiscal impact of requiring standardized perinatal behavioral health screenings statewide. The Commission's report, due by the end of the year, will help inform future policy decisions on expanding standardized screening requirements across Maryland.

"After the passage of the Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024, I reflected on testimony our committee received from someone who lost their loved one by suicide, three months after giving birth to their baby," said Delegate Jennifer White Holland, sponsor of HB 1118. "Paired with our statewide data and my own recent experience as a new mom, I knew we needed to strengthen our systems of care to better address perinatal mental health. Four months into my own postpartum journey, I brought together advocates, perinatal mental health providers, insurers, health officers, hospitals, state agencies, doulas, nurses, providers, midwives, and nonprofit organizations to advance this bill. This is a critical step, and we know there is more work to be done."

Sponsored by Delegate Jennifer White Holland, the legislation strengthens Maryland's approach to maternal mental health through phased implementation. While perinatal behavioral health screenings are already occurring and generally covered by insurance, beginning January 1, 2027, the law formally codifies coverage requirements, establishes standing referrals for follow-up behavioral health care, and requires the Maryland Department of Health to develop and implement perinatal behavioral health training for health care providers to improve care for pregnant and postpartum patients.

The implementation comes during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, underscoring the importance of expanding access to maternal mental health care and addressing disparities that disproportionately affect Black women and other communities of color.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are among the most common complications of pregnancy and the postpartum period, affecting an estimated one in five mothers, yet many go undiagnosed and untreated. While mothers of every race can experience perinatal behavioral health conditions, women of color—particularly Black women—face elevated risks.

"Far too many Black mothers face barriers to receiving timely behavioral health care during pregnancy and after childbirth," said Delegate N. Scott Phillips, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. "The Perinatal Behavioral Health Conditions Act advances our efforts to strengthen maternal mental health care by laying the groundwork for standardized screening, improving connections to behavioral health services, and better equipping providers to recognize and respond to perinatal mental health conditions. During National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, this legislation reminds us that mental health is maternal health, and every mother deserves access to compassionate, high-quality care."

The legislation was developed in collaboration with a broad coalition including advocacy organizations, community birth workers, providers, hospitals, public health professionals, perinatal mental health advocates, state and local agencies and insurers.

Founded by three Georgetown football teammates, the Washington, D.C.-based organization enters its second decade prepared to deepen its impact in Southwest D.C. and expand its place-based model globally.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — GOODProjects is celebrating its tenth anniversary, marking a decade of work alongside youth and families to address the interconnected challenges of race, poverty, community violence, educational inequity, and limited economic opportunity. 

GOODProjects began in 2016 on the campus of Georgetown University through the vision of Darius Baxter and two of his fellow classmates at Georgetown University. What started through their conversations and early community work has blossomed into an internationally recognized place-based nonprofit organization serving families in the largest public housing community in Washington, D.C. 

For Baxter, a native Washingtonian who experienced the violent death of his father to a murder-for-hire plot and periods of housing instability while being raised by a single mother, the work was deeply personal. While attending Georgetown, he began mentoring young people from a public housing community just minutes from his campus and discovered a calling to help children and families overcome the conditions he faced as a child that prevent so many from reaching their full potential. 

While he initially focused on creating opportunities for young people, as the organization’s relationships with residents deepened, GOODProjects recognized that lasting progress for children required sustained investment in the stability and economic mobility of their entire families. 

That realization shaped the organization’s long-term, place-based approach.

A MODEL BUILT AROUND FAMILIES 

As GOODProjects expanded, so did its understanding of what families needed to thrive. The organization learned that helping a student succeed in the classroom meant little if their family was struggling with housing instability, unemployment, food insecurity, or the effects of community violence. 

Instead of creating disconnected programs to address each challenge individually, GOODProjects built an integrated, place-based model that supports families at every stage of their journey. Today, the organization works alongside residents through family coaching, year-round youth development, community violence intervention, workforce development, and civic leadership initiatives—all designed to create long-term stability rather than short-term solutions. 

That approach has become the foundation of the organization’s work in the region. Rather than asking families to navigate multiple systems on their own, GOODProjects brings those supports together in one coordinated continuum, helping residents build safer neighborhoods, stronger families, and greater economic opportunity. 

“Our philosophy has always been simple,” Baxter said. “Communities don’t need more disconnected programs—they need partners willing to stay long enough to help families build lasting change.” 

TEN YEARS OF GROWTH AND IMPACT 

Over the past decade, GOODProjects has grown from a student-led initiative on a Georgetown University campus into an organization with an FY2026 operating budget of approximately $1.83 million. 

During that period, the organization has secured more than $6.9 million through 87 grants from 56 funding partners to support youth development, family stability, community safety, workforce development, leadership, and advocacy. 

Crime Data in their working area reports that violent crime declined by 45% within their “GOODZone” since 2022. That result has helped establish the organization’s community violence intervention strategy as an important part of its broader neighborhood-based model and opened opportunities to partner with local governments. 

“Family Success Planning” now supports more than 300 families annually across areas that include housing, economic mobility, health and wellness, education, and family well-being. 

GOODProjects has also expanded educational and developmental opportunities for young people through its afterschool, summer, tutoring, athletics, workforce, and leadership programs. 

Complementary initiatives—including GOODSports, GOODCamp, the Black Justice Fellowship, and the youth-led Period Equity Action campaign—have extended the organization’s impact into athletics, summer enrichment, racial justice leadership, civic engagement, and health equity advocacy. 

The organization remains focused on its long-term goal of working with the Southwest public housing community and its partners to help 500 families achieve self-sufficiency by 2030.

Black Justice Fellowship Award 

FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. TO NAIROBI 

In addition to deepening its work in Washington, D.C., in 2019 GOODProjects began adapting its place-based approach internationally. 

The organization launched the Baxter Family Kids Center in Kawangware, Nairobi, to expand access to quality education for children in the community. The initiative has since grown into a full-time school serving more than 200 young people daily. 

The Nairobi expansion represented an extension of the principles that have guided GOODProjects in Washington: listen to the community, understand the barriers families face, and build solutions around local strengths, priorities, and leadership. 

Rather than applying an identical program in every location, GOODProjects uses its place-based framework to help communities develop strategies responsive to their own circumstances. 

GOODProjects visit to Naiorbi in 2019.

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT DECADE 

As GOODProjects enters its second decade, the organization is focused on strengthening the systems required to sustain and expand its work. 

In Washington, D.C., that means continuing to build a coordinated network of programs and partnerships capable of helping families move toward lasting economic stability while ensuring that young people grow up safe, supported, and prepared for adulthood. 

Internationally, it means continuing to invest in the Kenyan school and determining how the lessons developed through the GOODZone model can support other communities without losing the resident-driven approach at the center of the organization’s work. 

“GOODProjects began on Georgetown’s campus with three teammates who believed we had a responsibility to use our education, relationships, and experiences to serve communities like the ones that shaped us,” said Darius Baxter, President and CEO of GOODProjects. 

“Over the last ten years, residents have trusted us to walk alongside their families, learn from them, and build something that responds to the full reality of their lives. This anniversary belongs to our community, our team, and every partner who believed that families should not have to navigate poverty alone.” 

Baxter added that the organization’s next chapter will remain grounded in the principles that shaped its beginning. 

“Our goal is not simply to operate more programs. It is to build a model that helps families achieve lasting stability and gives communities the resources and power to create their own futures. We have learned a tremendous amount in our first ten years. Now we are preparing to deepen that impact in Washington and thoughtfully carry those lessons into other communities.” 

GOODProjects invites residents, alumni, funders, government agencies, businesses, and community partners to join the organization as it celebrates its first decade and prepares for the work ahead.

ABOUT GOODPROJECTS, INC. 

GOODProjects, Inc. is a place-based nonprofit organization headquartered in Southwest Washington, D.C. Founded in 2016 by Georgetown University football teammates Darius Baxter, Troye Bullock, and Danny Wright, the organization works alongside youth and families in the James Creek, Syphax Gardens, and Greenleaf public housing communities. 

GOODProjects provides an integrated continuum of support focused on family stability, youth development, education, community safety, workforce development, leadership, and economic mobility. The organization is working with the Southwest public housing community and its partners toward a goal of helping 500 families reach self-sufficiency by 2030. 

In 2026, GOODProjects’ work includes its Washington, D.C. GOODZone and a growing international education initiative serving more than 200 young people in Kawangware, Nairobi, Kenya. 

Learn more at goodprojects.org. 

Standing under the lights during "Baltimore Unfiltered: Let's Talk About Sex," a show The Short Kuts Show curated last year for RnD Associates to open a community conversation around sexual health, I understood something no audience seat could have taught me. I was not performing. I was handing a piece of myself to a room full of strangers and trusting them to hold it gently. That night, I became part of a small, fiercely loyal family, The Short Kuts Show calls "story sharers." On Saturday, July 25, that family — and ten years of the stories it has carried — will fill Baltimore’s Reginald F. Lewis Museum to celebrate a decade of turning lived experience into collective healing.

A Barbershop Built the Blueprint

Long before Short Kuts had a name, it had an observation. "Barbers spend their days listening to everyone else’s stories, but very few people ask about theirs," said Dr. LaMarr D. Shields, co-creator, curator and producer of the show. That insight became Faith and Fellowship, a project born a year before Short Kuts, when Shields met 92-year-old Nelson Mauldin, the barber who cut Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s hair, during a trip to Alabama. "I want to help bring his story to life," Shields recalled thinking, "but I want to include other barbers in Baltimore City." Alongside co-founder Darius Wilmore, he gathered 20 to 25 Baltimore barbers — business owners with no acting training — and rebuilt an entire barbershop set on stage so real that audiences felt they were waiting for a haircut. That production launched at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, which Shields calls "the home of Black stories," and it’s why the anniversary returns there.

The first Short Kuts Show Cast Members.

From Storyteller to Story Sharer

Marc LaVeau, Short Kuts’ live performance director, joined not long after, bringing a theater background Shields hadn’t expected. "I just asked his brother to come on board," Shields said, "and then when he pulled out his credentials, I was like — he was a poet like me." Over ten years and roughly 25 productions, the team has insisted on one crucial distinction: their participants are not storytellers; they are story sharers. "These folks are sharing stories about themselves," LaVeau said. "They are not telling stories about some arbitrary object or person outside of their own lived experience... You are the frame, the bone, the skeleton in that story, and then you lay the flesh of the lived experience upon that frame." Every participant moves through what the team calls the three E’s — excavation, exploration and expression — a process of narrative coaching, not performance coaching, that shapes a life event into something that can be shared and witnessed.

Short Kuts session with Sheila Dixon.

The Healing Behind the Curtain

What the team has termed their "narrative therapeutic process" now includes a mental health therapist, a mindfulness therapist, and a music therapist, who are brought in at various points throughout rehearsal. "Healing takes place on all levels," LaVeau said. "Even through this process of excavation and exploration... It’s sometimes eye-opening for me to hear different perspectives." Shields connects the work to a line from Dr. King’s Strength to Love: "The heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong." Storytelling, he said, "helps us process trauma. It reminds us that we are more than our pain." That’s why audiences don’t just watch — they stand, wave a hand the way one might in a Black church, and say, afterward, "I thought I was the only one." "That’s where the connection begins," Shields said, "and the connection is where healing begins."

"Our goal isn’t applause. It is transformation." — Dr. LaMarr D. Shields

The Vision You Don’t Always See

Much of what audiences feel on stage begins with someone who won’t be seen there: Kendra Rochambeau Banks, the show’s founding set and scenic designer and, LaVeau noted, the person who first connected him to the project. A former executive director of a cultural arts organization and museum educator now working as a school administrator, Banks has spent a decade turning Short Kuts’ emotional core into something audiences can physically walk into. "Kendra plays a major role in taking what’s in my head, what’s in Mark’s heart, and putting it in — making it visual," Shields said. For the anniversary, Banks and her team are building a photo and video exhibit tracing all ten years of the show, pulling back the curtain on the process before the audience ever takes their seats.

Beyond the Stage

Short Kuts also curates shows for organizations — including Kaiser and RnD Associates — helping them tell stories that statistics alone cannot. "A lot of us forget we have these numbers and these stats, but people want to know the stories behind these individuals," Shields said. "It’s kind of hard not to be connected with someone when you know their story." It’s the same instinct that shaped the RnD Associates show I was part of — proof that this work extends its healing reach well past the Short Kuts family itself.

The Anniversary — and What’s Next

The 10th anniversary show, "Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now," runs Saturday, July 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, with stories drawn from a decade of themes including You Don’t Own Me, the Million Man March, the Black Woman Genius Show and Dance With My Father. Looking ahead, both men see the model expanding nationally into schools, health care organizations, congregations, and corporations. But the mission, Shields said, will stay the same: "Our goal isn’t applause. It is transformation."

New Undergraduate Program and Interdisciplinary Risk Management Course Expand Career-Ready Offerings Aligned With the Future of Work and the Demands of an AI-Driven Economy

BALTIMORE — Recognizing that artificial intelligence is rapidly redefining industries, occupations and the skills employers demand, Morgan State University is transforming its academic offerings to prepare graduates for the next generation of innovation. This fall, the University launches its new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence. Offered by the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, the undergraduate program reflects the accelerating influence of AI across every sector of the global economy. Coinciding with the offer of a new degree, Morgan’s Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management (Graves School) is also introducing a new interdisciplinary course in risk management, equipping students with another critical competency increasingly sought in today’s technology-driven workforce.

Approved by both the Morgan State University Board of Regents and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), the new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence represents the strategic reimagining of Morgan’s former Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing. As advances in artificial intelligence continue to reshape the technology landscape, the University adapted the program to place AI at its center, creating a curriculum that prepares students to design, develop and responsibly deploy intelligent systems across a wide range of industries. The transformed program reflects Morgan’s commitment to continually aligning its academic offerings with emerging technologies and evolving workforce demands.

The new degree program arrives as employers across virtually every sector seek professionals capable of designing, deploying and responsibly managing AI technologies. Students enrolled in the program will study AI models and intelligent agents, AI-driven cybersecurity, AI applications in cloud computing, and quantum machine learning, while building strong foundations in programming, mathematics, data science and computational theory. The curriculum combines rigorous technical instruction with project-based learning, undergraduate research and real-world AI applications that prepare graduates for careers in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, robotics, cloud computing, data science and related fields.

Unlike traditional lecture-based instruction, every AI and machine learning course offered by Morgan incorporates hands-on projects developed by the University’s faculty and students, giving learners practical experience solving real-world challenges, while they build competitive portfolios for internships, graduate study and careers with leading technology organizations. The program also emphasizes the ethical development of AI, addressing issues such as fairness, bias, privacy, transparency, security and the creation of trustworthy intelligent systems. Students will receive personalized support from faculty mentors, graduate students and an AI-powered advising platform developed within the Department of Computer Science.

Dr. Paul Wang

“Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the direction of computing,” said Shuangbao Wang, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “Rather than simply updating an existing curriculum, we reinvented the entire program to ensure students graduate with the knowledge and experience required to lead in an AI-first world. Our emphasis on project-based learning, undergraduate research and ethical AI development prepares graduates not only to use intelligent technologies but to create them responsibly.”

Building upon the Department of Computer Science’s existing portfolio of 18 artificial intelligence courses, the newly transformed degree program integrates those strengths into a cohesive undergraduate curriculum focused exclusively on artificial intelligence and its rapidly expanding applications. The curriculum introduces advanced topics including reinforcement learning, agentic AI for cyber threat detection and analysis, natural language processing and quantum machine learning, reflecting the rapidly evolving needs of both industry and research.

“The launch of this new degree program underscores Morgan’s commitment to aligning academic excellence with the technologies and industries shaping tomorrow’s workforce,” said Paul B. Tchounwou, Ph.D., university distinguished professor and dean of the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. “As artificial intelligence continues to transform scientific discovery, healthcare, business, government and virtually every other aspect of society, our students must graduate with the technical expertise, critical thinking skills and ethical foundation needed to become innovators, researchers, and leaders in this transformative era.”

Complementing the University’s expanding technology offerings, the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management will also introduce Holistically Assessing Risks (MGBU 363) this fall. Although not a degree program, the course marks the first step toward a distinctive, interdisciplinary Risk Management certificate that will prepare students to earn the nationally recognized Associate in Risk Management (ARM^TM) credential through The Institutes Knowledge Group.

Designed for students across multiple disciplines — not solely business majors — the course explores how organizations identify, analyze and mitigate risks ranging from cybersecurity threats and data privacy concerns to financial uncertainty, operational disruptions and reputational challenges. Students studying artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, analytics, communications, public policy, information systems and other fields will gain practical analytical and strategic decision-making skills that are increasingly valued by employers.

The introduction of both offerings underscores Morgan’s broader commitment to designing academic programs that anticipate workforce trends while responding to the evolving needs of employers and society. As two of the University’s fastest-growing academic units, the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences and the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management continue expanding opportunities that position Morgan graduates to compete — and lead — in the innovation economy.

With the Graves School now the University’s largest academic school by enrollment, and with Morgan’s investments in artificial intelligence accelerating across research, teaching and infrastructure, the new academic offerings represent another significant advancement of the University’s vision as a leading public urban research institution — an institution that prepares students for careers that increasingly demand technological fluency, interdisciplinary thinking and adaptable leadership.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

The well being of a typical city are often measured by infrastructure, budgets, and statistics. A more tried and truer to scale measurement would be the opportunities that are provided to the everyday resident of said cities.

That idea lives inside Baltimore's Mayor's Office of African American Male Engagement, better known as MOAAME. The program is built on a simple but ambitious belief: when young Black men are surrounded by mentorship, opportunity and expectation, they can outlive the generational stigma of the old generation.

MOAAME does not promise shortcuts. Instead, it offers something tangible, a foundation. Through mentoring relationships, workforce preparation, educational support, and leadership development, participating youth are introduced to skills that outlast a single seminar or event. They learn how to perform in professional and controlled spaces, cultivate discipline, and recognize that success is often constructed one deliberate decision at a time.

The program also functions as a bridge. It closes the distance between ambition and access by connecting participants with employers, educators, community leaders, and mentors whose experiences become road mapsinstead of distant success stories. What can seem unreachable begins tolook attainable when someone has already walked the path and is willing to point the way.

MOAAME's greatest contribution cannot be listed on a résumé. Confidence is difficult to quantify, yet it often decides whether someone applies for the opportunity, asks the subjective question, or believes they belong in rooms they once viewed from the outside.

My experience and a mentee in this program have taught me various skills I would never have been exposed to previously. An example of this is golf, however small that may seem, a lot of my peers found themselves enjoying and seeing how they could build a career through the sport. The exposure to public speaking, event organization, media training, etc, have always opened new gateways for networking. The staff are always listening and finding new ways to help, teaching accountability and responsibility through countless ways. They get to know the people in their space and bring us all together and let us congregate with little intervention at times. Without something like this, and I state this wholeheartedly, I would not have what I have or be where I am today.

The success of MOAAME is not measured only by the number of participants it serves, but by the ripple effects those participants create long after the program ends. Every new leader, mentor, entrepreneur, or college graduate carries forward a lesson that cannot be captured in a statistic alone: people often rise highest when someone first believes they can.

- A workforce prep session hosted by MOAAME.

“No Handouts, No excuses, Just Moves” - The Official MOAAME Motto

Q&A Interview Section

Ms. Estep, COO of the Mayor's Office Of African American Male Engagement

What inspired you to become who you are today?

“My journey started on the football field long before I ever held a leadership title. In 1989, I became involved with youth football through the Northwood Football League then AAU sports. What began as helping with paperwork and serving as a team mom quickly became something much bigger. I saw firsthand how sports could change a young person’s life. Football wasn’t just about winning games. It was about teaching discipline, accountability, respect, and giving young people another family that believed in them. As the years passed, my purpose became even more personal. My son was stabbed, and our lives changed forever. Sitting in hospital rooms, praying, advocating, and fighting for my child opened my eyes to the reality that far too many families experience violence and trauma with little support.”

Where are you headed now?

“Today, I believe my work is just beginning. Earning my Doctor of Human Services strengthened my knowledge, but more importantly, it reinforced my responsibility to lead with both research and lived experience. My goal is to continue building programs that create lasting opportunities for young people, influence public policy, strengthen communities, and help organizations develop approaches that truly meet people where they are. I want to leave behind systems that continue serving youth long after I’m gone. My legacy isn’t about titles. It’s about changing lives and creating leaders who will continue the work.”

How successful do you feel you’ve reached the youth?

“Success isn’t measured only by numbers. It’s measured by relationships, and youth and young adults understanding their Why. When a young man or young lady who once refused to answer my calls now checks in just to tell me I got a job, that’s success. When someone returns to school, reconnects with family, earns a diploma, chooses a different path, or comes back to mentor someone else, that’s success. Not every story ends the way we hope, but I never stop believing in the potential of every young person I meet. If we can help one young person see their value and make a different decision, we’ve made an impact. I believe we’ve reached many youth because they know we genuinely care. Not just while they’re in the program, but long afterward."

Five years ago, when I published Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict, I thought I was writing about food addiction, obesity, and how I finally kept the weight off after more than forty years of struggle. 

I was wrong.

The deeper story was about hope. About transformation. About finding my voice, telling the truth, and reclaiming my power.

Those themes don’t belong to any single audience. They resonate with executives, educators, healthcare workers, faith leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, caregivers — and, perhaps most vividly, with artists.

That’s why I’m honored to return to Winston-Salem this summer for the International Black Theatre Festival , where I’ll present my workshop, Stage Ready: Essential Self-Care for Artists and Creatives. Two years ago, I led these sessions for the first time, and the response confirmed something I’d been discovering for years: our greatest performance challenges are rarely about talent. They are about what’s happening beneath the surface.

Michelle Petties having after the workshop fun at the Western Arts Alliance Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

Nourishing More Than the Craft

Artists spend their lives expressing emotional truth. But who helps the artist process their own? Whether you’re an actor, dancer, musician, playwright, director, spoken word artist, or creative entrepreneur, your body and mind are your instruments. If your emotions are overloaded, your nutrition is inconsistent, your energy is depleted, or your inner dialogue is filled with self-criticism, those struggles eventually find their way onto the stage, into the rehearsal room, and into the work.

The audience may never know why a performance feels flat. You will. But here’s what I want every reader — not just the performers among you — to hear: this isn’t only about the stage. It’s about how we show up, period.

Showing Up for Ourselves First

We show up for our families. We show up for our jobs. We show up for our communities. We rarely ask what it costs to keep showing up empty.Over the years, I’ve brought this message to the Western Arts Alliance, the Baltimore Jazz Alliance, and the National Organization for Arts in Health. No matter the audience, one truth keeps surfacing: when we heal our emotions and improve our nutrition habits, we perform at a higher level. We become more productive. More proficient. More present.

That isn’t just true on stage. It’s true at the kitchen table, in the classroom, in the boardroom, and in every relationship we’re trying to hold together. 

Many people still assume my work is about losing weight. More accurately, it’s about rewriting the stories we tell ourselves. Food is simply one of the places where those stories reveal themselves. For years, I believed food was my problem. Eventually I realized food was merely the symptom — the real challenge was a story rooted in fear, shame, perfectionism, and emotional survival. Once I changed the story, everything else began to change.

Wellness That Can’t Be Faked

That’s the work I’ll be sharing during my Stage Ready workshops at this year’s International Black Theatre Festival — how the stories we carry shape our confidence, creativity, resilience, relationships, and performance. We’ll look at how emotional wellness and physical wellness work together, not separately, to create sustainable success. 

Because the healthiest performer isn’t necessarily the most talented one. The healthiest performer — and the healthiest parent, employee, and neighbor — is the one who is emotionally available, mentally focused, physically energized, and spiritually grounded. That kind of wellness cannot be faked under the spotlight, in a Monday morning meeting, or at a family dinner table. It must be cultivated behind the scenes, long before anyone is watching.

To support that work beyond the workshop, I created a companion resource, Stage Ready: The Performer's Wellness Kit, designed to help creatives — and honestly, anyone carrying a full life — uncover limiting beliefs, strengthen emotional resilience, build healthier daily habits, and reconnect with the authentic voice underneath it all.

Whether your stage is a Baltimore arena, a Broadway theater, a classroom, a boardroom, or simply your everyday life, the principle is the same: every great performance, in any arena, begins within.

I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new artists at this year’s International Black Theatre Festival. If you’re there, join me for one of the Stage Ready workshops. Come prepared to do more than sharpen your craft. Come prepared to transform from the inside out — so you can keep showing up fully for the people and work that matter most.

Download your copy of Stage Ready: The Performer's Wellness Kit and learn more about my upcoming workshops at the International Black Theatre Festival. And if you need help with travel arrangements to the festival, you can reach out to the travel pros at The Watts Line, wandawatts@thewattsline.net, or call them at 443-540-7193.

Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, Food Story coach, and the award-winning author of the memoir Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict. After gaining and losing 700 pounds, Michelle discovered the secret to overcoming stress and emotional overeating. Her free workbook, Mind Over Meals, reveals her core principles for losing weight and keeping it off.

For nearly half a century, renowned artist Larry Poncho Brown has traveled the world as a practicing artist representing his hometown of Baltimore, contributing to countless art projects and cultural exchange initiatives. Yet no matter where Poncho's journeys took him, one question consistently surfaced: "What's the art scene like in Baltimore?"

For years, Poncho felt a quiet embarrassment when answering. Baltimore certainly had a tight-knit community, but it was also a city marked by divisions-commercial art realm versus fine art realm, and the persistent struggle of BIPOC artists fighting for visibility and equitable representation. The truth was simple: Baltimore lacked enough walls, venues, and institutional support to make its artists feel like a unified family.

In 2016—during the same year Poncho was diagnosed with cancer and still mourning the loss of his father, he decided to take action. He envisioned a project that would bring artists together, affirm their presence, and celebrate their contributions. That vision became B'more ArtScene 2016, a grassroots effort built entirely through word of mouth.

To Brown's amazement, nearly 80 artists gathered for the first photograph. The image quickly earned the title "A Great Day in Baltimore", inspired by the iconic Harlem Renaissance portrait. Other cities-Oakland, CA, and Peoria, IL-had organized similar regional photographs, but Baltimore had never claimed its own moment. Since Baltimore wasn't distinctly part of the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia), Poncho opened the call to anyone who lived, worked, or exhibited in Baltimore City. The list grew from 80 to nearly 160 registrants.

This project was more than a photo. It was a form of resistance—a declaration that Baltimore artists deserved voice, visibility, and space. It responded to the erasure many felt, despite the rise of online platforms and pop-up galleries. It reminded the community that Baltimore's creative ecosystem is alive, evolving, and worthy of recognition.

Thankfully, several institutions and individuals have stepped up over the years. Kibibi Ajanku, curator at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum has spent decades ensuring artists of color have dignified, open walls. Derek Price, Executive director at the Eubie Blake Cultural Arts Center has done the same, offering consistent representation and exhibition opportunities. Joy Bramble and Paris Brown of The Baltimore Times have also championed artists, expanding access to wall space and visibility. Artist advocacy organizations like the Black Art Today Foundation have also raised the bar by 

providing exhibition opportunities and artist professional training in line with these efforts.

They build the foundation for a healthier, more inclusive art scene.

The 2026 B'more ArtScene photograph (shot by Raymond Lucas) captures a cross-section of the people who shape Baltimore's creative fabric-visual artists, curators, emerging talents, and seasoned veterans. In the 2016 photograph (shot by L.A. Randall), at least eight of those artists have since become ancestors. Poncho began this year's gathering with a moment of silence in their honor, acknowledging their contributions and the legacy they left behind.

But this year's photo also celebrates the new faces joining Baltimore's creative family.

What began as a two-generation gathering in 2016 has now expanded to four generations, with artists ranging from 14 to 91 years old. Commercial artists stood beside fine artists, all united in front of the Baltimore Museum of Art—a museum that, over the past decade, has amplified the voices of women of color and elevated talents like Valerie Maynard, Amy Sherald, Joyce Scott, and other notable artists with Baltimore ties.

Baltimore has produced an extraordinary roster of artists whose careers were forged on its streets, in its studios, and within its communities. This photograph is both a tribute and a promise: a reminder that Baltimore's artists are a family, that their work will not be forgotten, and that they will continue to be represented for decades to come.

Back in 2016, Poncho charged a modest $20 participation fee with the intention of publishing posters for every artist. Without following the proper protocols, the image circulated online, prompting the Baltimore Museum of Art to intervene-questioning the project's motives and imposing a $500 fee to use their steps. They may have assumed Poncho was profiting, when his only goal was ensuring artists had a copy of their own history. In 2026, Poncho followed every protocol. The BMA graciously offered space, and for that, the community is deeply appreciative. As the Joshua Johnson Council celebrates its 40th anniversary at the museum, this photograph stands as a testament to their commitment to preserving Black presence in the arts.

July 2026 was a day many will never forget—a reunion, a celebration, a moment of pride.

And if fortune allows, perhaps Baltimore's artists will gather again in 2036, continuing the tradition of honoring the city's creative heartbeat.

Today, when Larry Poncho Brown travels the world, he no longer hesitates. He proudly declares: "Yes, Baltimore has a vibrant, powerful, and beautifully united art scene."

In Baltimore, a lot of teen girls get swept under the rug and left to their own devices when it comes to academics and mental health. It's shown that “Girls in middle (45%) and high school (49%) were more likely than boys in middle (23%) and high school (24%) to feel sad or hopeless.” (Maryland department of health) In the rise of this reoccurring problem, Coach G Academy was founded. Inspired by the young ladies she mentored, Geri McCarter created a nonprofit mentorship utilizing the art form of step for girls ages 11-19 in the Baltimore area. Step is a traditional art form in the African American Community that comes from African gumboot dancing used to communicate in mines. It was brought over from the Trans-Alantic-Slave trade and adopted through D9 organizations.

Post pandemic, McCarter worked at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women where she taught the girls there how to step in the gym 3-4 times a week. During her time at BLSYW she was featured in the acclaimed film “STEP” which brought youth to the school at a mass. With popularity it wasn't accessible to young girls who had always asked if they could join the team, for step was only inside the school.

It only got more inaccessible during the 2020 Covid-19 epidemic, which inspired her to start her nonprofit, Coach G Academic Inc. With only a handful of founding members Coach G Academy went and won a national title at Youth Step USA under a citywide step team called “Fatal Attraction Step”. Over the course of 6 years the program continues to grow. McCarter states, "The fact that I’ve made such a difference in a person’s life makes a big difference. If we are talking numbers, I would say I’ve reached over 200 girls.”

“In my experience in this mentorship, I made lifelong connections with several people. From the girls I had met to the coaches I’d ask for assistance from. I’ve gotten well acquainted with those I’m surrounded by. Often, I’d help where I can, especially during the competition season. Helping with fundraising, prop setting, documentation had been the main tasks I’d partake in. Such tasks kept me busy and helped gain community service hours and help networking skills. I watched Step enrich and change the girls around me for success. Step is an intense sport; girls need water immediately after performances, and I took my job quite seriously. Especially during showcasing events like “Baltimore’s Finest Step show" or “Homecoming”.

The Homecoming event takes place every june to celebrate the founding of CGA alongside the conclusion of their senior chapter and the beginning of a new cohort. Dressed in color coordination, they wear the founding colors as they celebrate.”

Later in the summer usually they’d have a few performances and start their summer camp “Step Is Life Summer Experience." Recently they received a big achievement. For the first time, a step team performed at the “ESSENCE Festival” in New Orleans. “The girls experienced a VIP-like experience like no other.” At the festival they performed at several pop-ups in the area and opened for returning RnB artists “Brandy & Monica" on the 4th of July. 

Stacy Richardson, Ta’Niyah Coles, Coach G (Geri McCarter) Seraiah Tavares, Arielle Taylor. “A Day in New Orleans"

No program is a straight path; Coach G Academy is no exception. Grant funding and temporary practice spaces are one of the biggest pestilences in programing for CGA. She states that “Some difficulties really were operations and funding, right now I’m focusing on strengthening the program and making sure it’s in the best shape to serve kids.” Thus, Coach G Academy keeps growing one year after another, guiding the girls of Baltimore City to success and beyond.

“Step Is Life.”

For many working mothers, balancing career ambitions, entrepreneurship, and family responsibilities can often feel like a full-time juggling act. The Working Mom Conference was created to remind women they don't have to navigate that journey alone.

Taking place on August 8 at Boordy Vineyards, this year's conference embraces the theme "Power Moves Only", inviting mothers to step confidently into their next season with community, purpose, and actionable strategies.

Founded by veteran, entrepreneur, and working mom Christa Bright, the conference was inspired by her own experience relocating to Maryland without a support system. While building a career and raising her son, Bright quickly realized that many mothers were searching for more than networking—they were searching for a village.

"I wanted to create a space where women could walk into a room and immediately feel seen, supported, and reminded that their dreams still matter," Bright said.

Unlike traditional conferences, The Working Mom Conference is intentionally designed around the realities of motherhood. Sessions are scheduled with working moms in mind, and attendees leave with more than inspiration—they leave with connections and a plan.

"I've been to plenty of conferences where you leave motivated, but without a roadmap," Bright shared during a recent interview. "This year, I challenged every speaker to help attendees identify a power move they can begin immediately."

That emphasis on practical action is reflected throughout the day's programming, which includes keynote speakers, networking opportunities, interactive conversations, and the popular Mompreneur Marketplace, showcasing women-owned businesses from across the region.

Bright also hopes the conference sparks conversations about challenges many working mothers silently carry, including workplace culture, career advancement after maternity leave, and the mental load of balancing professional and personal responsibilities.

"We often have to work a little harder simply because we're mothers," she said. "Finding workplaces and communities that truly support working moms matters."

While attendees can expect professional development, they will also experience intentional moments of celebration and self-care, including a scenic vineyard setting, wine tasting, giveaways, and opportunities to build meaningful relationships with other women navigating similar journeys.

Above all, Bright wants every attendee to leave knowing they are exactly where they need to be.

"If you feel like you're falling behind, you're not," she said. "Stop comparing your journey to someone else's. Focus on your next step, build your community, and make your next power move."

The Working Mom Conference takes place Saturday, August 8, at Boordy Vineyards in Baltimore. Tickets and additional information are available at www.thewmconference.com.

July marks Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Herdyne Mercier, LCSW—a certified grief coach, speaker, author, and podcast host—offers insight into mental wellness through her work with L.I.V.E. (Living Intentionally Victoriously with Expectation), a nonprofit organization, Mercier Wellness & Consulting, and alongside her husband, Dr. Jameson Mercier, LCSW.

Good Mental Health is Essential 

“In my professional opinion, good mental health is essential because it enhances your overall quality of life. It influences how you think, feel, make decisions, build relationships, and respond to life's challenges,” Herdyne said.

Prepare for Life’s Storms

Herdyne noted that she reminds people that storms are inevitable. Every person with a heartbeat will experience loss, disappointment, change, trauma, or uncertainty at some point. 

“The mistake many of us make is waiting until we're in the middle of the storm to figure out how to cope. When I talk about good mental health practices, I'm not simply referring to self-care activities like getting your nails done. While those things may help you feel good in the moment, they are not the same as mental health coping skills,” she added. “I recommend that we, as individuals, build coping skills before we need them.”

Good mental health practices are the skills that anchor you when life becomes difficult. They include naming and expressing your emotions; prioritizing quality sleep; going for a walk or engaging in regular movement; practicing mindfulness or deep breathing; praying or engaging in spiritual practices that bring peace; setting healthy boundaries; staying connected with supportive people; and seeking professional help when needed. 

Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience entails developing the ability to recover after difficult experiences, according to Herdyne. She recommends strengthening resilience by learning emotional awareness by naming your feelings; building healthy relationships and community; practicing gratitude; prioritizing sleep, nutrition, and movement; creating healthy routines; setting boundaries; developing spiritual practices if they align with your beliefs; and seeking therapy before you experience a crisis. Resilience is a skill that can be developed throughout life.

Views About Therapy Are Changing

Herdyne believes that more people are seeking therapy than ever before.

“According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the demand for mental health treatment has remained consistently high since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many therapists across the country continue to report full caseloads, and some even have waiting lists because the need for services continues to exceed the number of available providers,” she said.

The pandemic changed the way many people view mental health. It normalized conversations about anxiety, grief, depression, burnout, and trauma, helping people realize that seeking therapy is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength and self-awareness. However, there are still barriers, including financial limitations, lack of access, cultural stigma, and the belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Herdyne hopes that therapy becomes viewed the same way we view preventative medical care—not just something we seek during a crisis, but an investment in our long-term well-being.

Understand Trauma

“Trauma isn't defined only by what happened to you. It's also about how your mind and body experienced what happened. Two people can experience the same event and respond very differently because trauma is personal,” said Herdyne.

Professional support provides a safe space to process painful experiences, understand how trauma affects the brain and body, develop healthier coping skills, and reduce symptoms such as anxiety, hypervigilance, depression, or emotional numbness.

“Healing doesn't erase what happened, but it changes how much power the experience has over your present life,” Herdyne added.

Resources

If someone is experiencing an emergency or is in immediate danger of harming themselves or someone else, they should call 911 or immediately go to the nearest emergency room. Herdyne provides noteworthy mental health resources below:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 anytime for immediate emotional support.

• SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-HELP) – Free, confidential referrals for mental health and substance use treatment.

• Open Path Collective (https://openpathcollective.org)  – Affordable therapy with reduced-fee clinicians.

• Mental Health America (https://mhanational.org/about-mha) Mental health screenings, education, and local resources.

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness https://www.nami.org ) – Education, support groups, advocacy, and community resources.

• Redefining Grief Podcast (https://herdyne.com/the-redefining-grief-podcast) –  Herdyne hosts the Redefining Grief Podcast. She holds authentic conversations about grief, healing, resilience, and mental wellness with experts, survivors, and everyday people. New episodes are released weekly.

Learn more about Herdyne and her books by visiting www.herdyne.com. 

Practical strategies every family can use to help young people stay safe, connected, and prepared.

The disturbing, developing story about Nolan Xavier Wells (https://apnews.com/hub/ben-crump ), a talented 18-year-old college football player from Mississippi who was found dead on July 6, 2026, sparks a reminder to have conversations at home to address friendships and safety for young people to help avoid additional potential tragedies. Tips provided below can help parents and guardians to initiate an upcoming conversation.

Family Sharing Devices

Life360, a comprehensive location-sharing app (https://www.life360.com/location-sharing) creates a virtual safety net. It is designed to keep everyone in the loop about each other’s whereabouts and safety. 

Find My

Set up the Find My application to share your location with friends and family, locate lost Apple devices, and find missing AirTags or third-party items.

“With iPhone, you can share your location with family and friends to keep in touch, coordinate around an event, or know when a family member has arrived home. You can share in different apps — and you can choose what location information to share,” according to Apple support.

A live location can be shared for specific periods of time or on an ongoing basis. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/105104  to learn more about the iPhone feature. 

Gizmo and Other Cellular Smartwatches for Children

Verizon offers the Gizmo Watch 4, an ideal first device without Internet access and social media capabilities. This device uses its own cellular phone number and is equipped with GPS location tracking. The Gizmo Watch allows parents to program managed, approved contacts. A monthly service plan is required. Young users can call, text, or video chat while keeping parents in the know. Similar smart watches are available through other cellular carriers.

Child Shoe Trackers

Although Apple’s AirTags can be used to track personal items, they can also be used to track children’s locations through insoles in hidden shoe holders. Search for hidden insoles AirTag holders online.

Establish Communication Rules

Teenagers and young adults should remain aware of household rules and expectations to communicate with their parents or guardians when they are away from home. Check in times, curfews, returning from visits with friends, adhering to established communication rules before trips are taken, and discussing habits that support safety help to safeguard their wellbeing. Even young adults who no longer live at home can benefit from an agreed communication method that strikes a balance between privacy, independence, and safety. Parents can participate in family rules themselves to reinforce the value of communication rules.

Consider adding a family safety code word to a family safety plan. Parents or trusted adults can act immediately if the discreet word or phrase is sent to them because a young person feels that a situation is dangerous. Young children can also benefit from knowing and using a family code word. 

Establish Protocol Regarding New Contacts

Will you allow your children and teens to share their private information with new associates? Some parents may not want them to exchange cell phone numbers immediately. Communicate how you would like young people in your household to communicate with people they do not know well. Although teens may want to feel independent, incidents of stalking, or receiving unwanted calls or messages can become unintended consequences if information is provided too freely.

Meet New Contacts and Parents

True friendships are not built overnight. Require children and teens in your family to introduce potential new friends and their parents to you. Establish a way to meet with fellow parents and their children to assess if similar values and interests are shared. Set the tone for mutual respect by allowing time for everyone to get acquainted when the time is right.

Remind Your Child or Young Person About the Buddy System

Age does not matter when it comes to staying safe. A buddy system can improve safety when children, teens, and young adults are in social situations. Establish expectations about staying in pairs, groups, or instruct your loved ones how to handle group activities. If a young person becomes isolated during an outing, unfortunate outcomes can increase. Sometimes other young people can begin to engage in questionable activities that cause some group members to become isolated. Remind children, teens, and young adults to stay with their group or at least with a trusted buddy if something causes the group to disband. Prepare for unexpected situations. Role play or have serious discussions about how to handle uncomfortable situations that could arise in adolescence. Remind young people that they should call you for help regardless of the situation.

BALTIMORE — More than 600 CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield employees stepped away from their regular work responsibilities on July 15 to support nonprofit organizations and community partners throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

The service initiative was part of CareFirst’s annual Week of Equity and Action, an employee engagement program focused on learning, reflection and community service. This year’s activities encouraged employees to put the organization’s values into practice by supporting projects connected to health, education, food access, housing, youth development, environmental stewardship and neighborhood revitalization.

“Our CareFirst Difference Makers are stepping out of the office and into communities across the region to take action where it matters most,” said Angela Celestin, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

“We do this often, but this is a special time for us to join collectively and work side by side with local partners during the Week of Equity & Action to support children, families and organizations advancing health and well-being.”

Volunteer Day served as the community impact component of the weeklong initiative, giving CareFirst employees an opportunity to turn conversations about equity, belonging and organizational values into hands-on service.

Across the region, employees participated in 19 volunteer opportunities benefiting 18 community partners. Projects included packing and distributing food, supporting local food banks and community pantries, preparing meals, assembling school and community supply kits, beautifying parks and assisting organizations serving children, older adults, veterans and families.

In Baltimore, 125 volunteers gathered at Pack Shack, located at 1501 S. Clinton Street, for a large-scale food-packing event from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Employees worked together to prepare meals that were scheduled to be distributed to community partners serving individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

The activity reflected one of the initiative’s major areas of focus: improving access to basic resources that can affect a person’s overall health and quality of life.

Another 70 CareFirst volunteers served at Kennedy Krieger Institute, located at 1741 Ashland Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers assisted with activities designed to support patients and their families and also participated in empathy training.

Kennedy Krieger provides specialized services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, injuries and disorders that affect the nervous system. The volunteer activities offered CareFirst employees an opportunity to better understand the experiences of patients and caregivers while supporting the institute’s programs.

Celestin said the range of projects demonstrated how collective service can create a meaningful impact.

“From assembling school supplies and preparing comfort items for young patients to creating meal kits for families facing food insecurity, the work our team is doing shows how meaningful change happens when we come together in service of something bigger than ourselves,” she said.

CareFirst describes the Week of Equity and Action as an opportunity for associates from across the organization to examine how shared values can strengthen belonging, improve decision-making and produce better outcomes for members and communities.

This year’s theme emphasized putting those values into action both inside and outside the workplace. Through volunteer service, employees were able to engage directly with nonprofit organizations addressing immediate community needs.

The July 15 projects also highlighted the connection between community conditions and overall health. Reliable access to food, safe housing, educational opportunities, supportive youth programs and healthy neighborhood spaces can influence the well-being of individuals and families.

By working alongside local partners, CareFirst employees contributed volunteer labor while learning more about the organizations serving communities throughout the region.

The Week of Equity and Action is intended to reinforce that equity is not limited to internal workplace discussions. It also requires collaboration, reflection and sustained community involvement.

For the hundreds of employees who participated, Volunteer Day provided a chance to translate those principles into service while helping nonprofit partners expand their capacity and reach.

Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia has named Dalton-based pediatric practice Peds Care, P.C. as one of the nation's top-performing primary care clinics in its second annual Care Provider Recognition Program. Out of more than 7,200 clinics evaluated across the United States, Peds Care was one of only 44 nationwide—and one of just two in Georgia—to earn this highly selective distinction for outstanding preventative, pediatric, and chronic disease patient outcomes.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia has recognized Peds Care, P.C. of Dalton as one of the nation's top-performing primary care practices through its second annual Care Provider Recognition Program.

Out of more than 7,200 clinics nationwide, Georgia-based pediatric provider Peds Care is one of only 44 practices selected by Amerigroup to receive this national recognition for outstanding care. The practice is one of just two chosen in the state.

Of more than 7,200 primary care practices across the country, Peds Care was among only 44 recognized through the program and one of just two practices recognized in Georgia. Honorees were selected based on several key health measures, including preventive care screenings, immunization rates, chronic disease management, medication adherence, and other health outcomes indicators.

“The Care Provider Recognition Program reflects Amerigroup Georgia's commitment to recognizing provider partners like Peds Care who are helping improve the health of our members and the communities we serve,” said Mel Lindsey, President of Amerigroup Georgia. “Their achievement highlights the strength of the provider network our members rely on every day.”

Founded in 1989, Peds Care provides comprehensive pediatric care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults throughout Dalton and surrounding communities. The practice is committed to supporting the health and development of children through compassionate care, ongoing education, and strong partnerships with families.

"At Peds Care, our focus has always been on providing quality healthcare in a compassionate and caring environment for every child and family we serve," said Milca Hernandez-Aviles. "We are honored to receive this recognition, which reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and staff and the relationships we have built with families across our community."

Discover more about Amerigroup Georgia's Care Provider Recognition Program and explore the complete list of this year's honorees here: Care Provider Recognition Program.

ABOUT AMERIGROUP COMMUNITY CARE OF GEORGIA

Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia helps improve healthcare access and quality for thousands of Georgians by developing innovative care management programs and services. Members are assured care that is not only accessible but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated, and patient centered. Amerigroup Georgia provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in their health care. Through health education programs, members are empowered to choose and sustain a healthy lifestyle. For more information about Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia, visit www.myamerigroup.com/ga.

ABOUT PEDS CARE, P.C.

Peds Care, P.C. has served children and families in Dalton and surrounding Georgia communities since 1989. The practice provides comprehensive pediatric healthcare services for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults and is committed to delivering quality healthcare in a compassionate and caring environment. For more information, visit www.pedscare.com.

#PediatricCare #GeorgiaHealthcare #DaltonGA

Annual fall show brings home inspiration, local makers, family-friendly experiences and stars of Maine Cabin Masters to the Maryland State Fairgrounds

(Timonium, MD) – The Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will return to the Maryland State Fairgrounds this October, bringing together hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests for a three-day celebration of home, garden and seasonal inspiration.

Taking place Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, the annual show offers homeowners, gardeners, interior design enthusiasts, DIYers and families the chance to explore the latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, alongside the opportunity to do some holiday shopping and take part in hands-on experiences all under one roof.

Attendees participate in a Wreath Making Workshop.

This year’s show will feature more than 300 exhibitors, including over 100 crafters from around the state in the Makers Market, along with unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series Maine Cabin Masters.

“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”

Meet the Stars of Maine Cabin Masters!

Headlining this year’s show are Chase Morrill, his sister Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and her husband Ryan Eldridge, three of the stars behind Magnolia Network’s hit show, Maine Cabin Masters. The renovation team is known for transforming aging lakeside cabins across Maine while sharing practical renovation ideas, creative design solutions and behind-the-scenes stories with viewers.

Ashley and Ryan, who drew excited fans to the home show with their appearance in 2024, will return this year with Chase for two Main Stage appearances on Friday, October 16 at 4 p.m. and Saturday, October 17 at noon.

Highlights of This Year’s Show

In addition to the Maine Cabin Masters appearances, highlights of this year’s Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show include:

• Outdoor Oasis: Five seasonal, outdoor displays designed by top local landscapers, offering inspiration for turning yards, patios and outdoor spaces into extensions of the home.
• Makers Market: Hundreds of artisan makers, artists and small local retailers featuring jewelry, clothing, candles, food items, pet products, gifts and more, giving attendees an opportunity to get a head start on holiday shopping.
• Petting Zoo: Family-friendly animal encounters from The Enchanted Garden, featuring kid-friendly animals including goats, sheep, rabbits, tortoises, mini donkeys, mini cows, chickens and more.
• Tiny Living Square: A collection of small living and economical structures, each with its own style and purpose, made from refurbished sea containers and presented by Dale’s Cans.
• Kids Market: A brand-new show feature debuting Saturday and Sunday, giving attendees the opportunity to shop from local children - the next generation of entrepreneurs. 
• Save Your Fave’s: A new digital feature that allows attendees to scan QR codes at exhibitor booths and save business information, links and show specials directly to their phones. Attendees who scan three or more QR codes and provide their email address will receive two free tickets to the next show.

Admission Information

Tickets are available at the door and online.

Online:

Adults: $8

Senior Citizens (60+): $6

Children (ages 6-12): $4

4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only

At the door:

Adults: $10

Senior Citizens (60+): $8

Children (ages 6-12): $4

Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only

Special Offers:

Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.

Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.mdfallhomeandgarden.com/

DMV Girls Hockey Weekend marks an annual joint effort between the Washington Capitals, MSE Foundation, PVAHA and several area youth hockey organizations to introduce girls ages 4-9 to hockey at no cost

ARLINGTON, Va. – Registration is now open for the first-ever DMV Girls Hockey Weekend (previously DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day), taking place at 18 rinks across Maryland and Virginia on Sept. 12-13.

DMV Girls Hockey Weekend is a joint effort between the Washington Capitals, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) Foundation, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association (PVAHA) and various youth hockey organizations throughout the region to introduce girls ages 4-9 to hockey at no cost. With a $32,991 grant from MSE Foundation supporting the weekend’s funding, hockey equipment is loaned to participants for a one-to-two-hour ice session.

Click here to register for the weekend. Please note that the participating locations are subject to change, and new ones may be added throughout the summer. Provided equipment and equipment requirements will also vary by rink. Registrants are advised to refer to an email from their host rink prior to the weekend. To further showcase girls hockey, some of the rinks will also host a girls hockey game either before or after the free event.

Participating clubs in Virginia include: Ashburn Ice House (Ashburn, VA), Caps Academy at MedStar Capitals Iceplex (Arlington, VA), Hampton Roads Warriors/Hampton Roads Youth Hockey Association at Iceland of Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, VA), NoVA Ice Dogs at Mount Vernon RECenter (Alexandria, VA), Potomac Lady Patriots at Prince William Ice Center (Woodbridge, VA), Reston Raiders at SkateQuest (Reston, VA), Richmond Generals at Richmond Ice Zone (Chesterfield, VA), Roanoke Lady Dawgs at Lancerlot Sports Complex (Vinton, VA) and STJ Hockey Club at The St. James (Springfield, VA).

Participating clubs in Maryland include: Baltimore Youth Hockey Club at Reisterstown Sportsplex (Reisterstown, MD), Bowie Hockey Club at Bowie Ice Arena (Bowie, MD), Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex (Hagerstown, MD), Howard Huskies at Columbia Ice Rink (Columbia, MD), Montgomery Ice Devils at Rockville Ice Arena (Rockville, MD), Navy Youth Hockey at Brigade Sports Center (Annapolis, MD), Southern Maryland Sabres at Capital Clubhouse (Waldorf, MD), Tri-City Eagles at The Gardens Ice House (Laurel, MD) and Tucker Road Ducks at Tucker Road Ice Rink (Fort Washington, MD).

DMV Girls Hockey Weekend aligns with USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free program, which provides local youth with the chance to try hockey during a one-to-two-hour ice session at no cost. Required equipment is loaned to participants through the local youth hockey organization. The program provides these organizations with a platform and opportunity to acquire new players locally and engage interested families into youth hockey programs across the region. 

The Capitals partnered with the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association to host a DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day at 16 local rinks/clubs for the first time in 2023. Last year, 18 local rinks/clubs participated in the event, as more than 630 girls ages 4-9 tried hockey for the first time. Additionally, girls participation in the Future Caps Learn to Play program increased by more than 8% in a span of less than seven days following the event.

According to USA Hockey, there has also been significant growth in hockey participation in the Washington, D.C., area since Alex Ovechkin was drafted. The total number of USA Hockey-registered youth and adult players in D.C. has climbed by more than 220 percent from 2005-06 through 2025-26. The total number of USA Hockey-registered girls and women players across D.C., Maryland and Virginia has also increased by 225 percent over that period. Additionally, the Southeastern District (comprised of D.C., Maryland and Virginia, as well as nine other states) ranked No. 1 in registration for the 2025-26 season.

The Capitals Youth Hockey Development team offers a robust lineup of hockey programming and is committed to growing the game throughout the region. For more information on the programming, visit capsyouthhockey.com.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are an ascending force in the Democratic Party. They have claimed victories not only in the New York City mayoral race with Zohran Manadi, but also in recent Democratic congressional primaries in New York and Denver.

This raises a historical question around how socialists have engaged with the Black left. Though many of their candidates are people of color, recent actions by the DSA-aligned left show that current socialist left has much to learn from the history of socialists' failure to effectively engage the Black community.

While Black folks have always been the most impacted by the poverty and joblessness produced by capitalism, they have consistently had to contend with class-first socialists arguing their desire to center race along with class are “splitting the left”.

Hubert Henry Harrison worked for the socialist party in the 1910s, but eventually left to become a pan-African “race first” socialist.  He argued that socialists have a paternalistic attitude toward Black communities and that they take credit for political results tied more to Black desires for self-determination than their socialist “propaganda”.  He wrote in 1919:

“The Socialist party thinks that the “unrest” now apparent in the Negro masses is due to the propaganda which its adherents support … Negroes in America are now reacting is not the exploitation of laborers by capitalists…It is not the Class Line, but the Color Line…we are seeking racial independence in business and reaching out into new fields of endeavor…Where Negro “radicals” of the type known to white radicals can scarce get a handful of people, Garvey fills the largest halls… racial solidarity…That is the secret of his success so far…”

Nearly 100 years later, something similar is happening, with class-first leftist ignoring the role of race in politics. Krystal Ball, a progressive journalist, explained on her show Breaking Points that Maryland’s primary election results, with a “progressive challenger” defeating a “more conservative incumbent state senator,” were a result of the larger progressive, class-centric wave. She was almost certainly talking about Malcolm Ruff’s victory over Dalia Attar, a race defined by grassroots Black civil society mobilizing for Black power in a majority Black district. Advocates worked for months uniting Black civil society around Malcolm, whose platform included advocating for measures that would support grassroots violence prevention, support juvenile justice reforms, and sponsor a bill that would tax endowments of large non-profits to fund reparations. Ball reading this race through the lens of a class-first movement shows she, like Harrison notes, continued to mistake Black political agitation as a result of their “propaganda” rather than grassroots desire for self-determination.

A more stunning example of this issue comes from a recent interview between podcaster Danial Denvir and journalist Briana Joy Gray. Gray is not a proponent of Black nationalism, but she is a critic of the racial blind spots of the socialist movement, including many leftist jettisoning the call to “defund police”.

In an interview with Denvir, Gray mentions the limitations of the DSA’s “entrying” approach of running Democrats, presenting the alternative approach of combining this tactic with 3rd party activism. Denvir says she is rehashing her “6-year-old debate about DSA’s approach”, and claims that the conversation is “not enjoyable” and “melting his brain”. When Gray mentions leftist efforts in 2021 to “force the vote”, demanding the Democratic caucus use the leverage of the appointment of House leadership to force votes on key issues like Medicare for All, Denvir stunningly logs off the interview. This is an incredible show of disrespect not only for a Black woman leftist fellow traveler, but for the idea that the DSA progressive approach could ever legitimately be questioned. Professor Alex Vitale reported on Briana Joy Gray’s show a week before this interview that arrests for low-level offenses have actually increased under Mandani. If Denvir respected critiques of DSA’s approach, he could hear Gray’s question as stemming from this sort of concern.  

Danial Denvir represents the kind of class-first socialist who does not respect Black criticism. He works for Jacobin magazine, which recently published a justification of the Young Patriots, a group of poor white populists Chicago Black Panther Fred Hampton formed an alliance with, using the Confederate flag. This example is framed through the lens of Black folks getting over their “woke” objections to the flag to see their mutual class interests with the Young Patriots. In reality, Hampton’s connection with the Young Patriots was a coalition where Black folks were willing to trade resources controlled by working-class whites for resources controlled by working-class Blacks. This can be seen in Hampton's famous chant “yellow power for yellow people, white power for white people, Black power for Black people”. This was an explicit attempt to combine class politics with Black self-determination that Jacobin, as Harrison notes, reads through the lens of socialist “propaganda” as a call for Black people not to be so mean to working-class white people, even though they fly a flag used to bring racial terror and violence to their ancestors.

Denvir should apologize to Briana Joy Gray. Moreover, the DSA left, if they hope to win Black votes, should humble itself and respect Black community desires for self-determination. Outside of places like New York City and Denver, full of college-educated progressives, DSA’s current style of politics will not work as well without winning the working-class Black voters Malcolm Ruff won in Maryland’s 41st district. In Maryland, the left was not as successful as they were in New York, with an attempt to oust Senate President Bill Ferguson from a left insurgent sputtering out and a pro-AIPAC-backed Democrat winning in a mostly Black southern Maryland congressional district. Without an intentional effort to respect Black voters' desire for self-determination, progressive efforts to win with working-class Black voters will continue to fall short.

Lawrence Grandpre is a political commentator for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.

Program relaunches July 15 with expanded eligibility map

Baltimore, MD — Live Baltimore today announced the relaunch of its nationally award-winning Buy Back the Block program, a groundbreaking initiative that helps Baltimore City residents become homeowners and build wealth in the very neighborhoods they already call home. First introduced as a pilot in 2023, the program has delivered strong early results and will reopen to applicants beginning July 15, 2026, with its largest eligibility area to date.

“We are incredibly excited to relaunch Buy Back the Block with record-level funding and the broadest eligibility map this program has ever seen,” said Live Baltimore Executive Director Meghan McCorkell. “By growing both our resources and our reach, we can help many more Baltimore renters become Baltimore homeowners. We’re profoundly grateful to the Mayor, City Council, and the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs for standing with us to make this kind of transformative opportunity a reality for our residents.”

“I’m so proud of the way we used the American Rescue Plan Act and City dollars to help over 200 Baltimoreans buy a home,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Restarting Buy Back the Block means more folks will be able to create and build wealth for themselves and their families here in Charm City. That’s life-changing for the residents who will directly benefit from this program and all those who will indirectly benefit from the historic growth of our city."

Buy Back the Block provides financial assistance to income-eligible Baltimore City residents who wish to purchase homes in designated areas with the goal of preventing displacement, stabilizing communities, and increasing Black homeownership and generational wealth. The new eligibility map for the July 2026 relaunch is now defined by Baltimore City’s Housing Market Typology, categories D through J, rather than the previously federally mandated Qualified Census Tracts, increasing the number of potentially eligible applicants across the City.

Evidence of Impact

Since its pilot phase began in 2023 through June 2026, Buy Back the Block has:

• Awarded 218 homeownership grants to Baltimore City residents.
• Provided more than $3.12 million in direct financial assistance toward home purchases.
• Supported home sales totaling $46.0 million across 88 Baltimore neighborhoods.
• Generated an estimated $2.03 million in single-year City property tax revenue from participating home purchases.

 In the most recent run of the program from October 2025 to June 2026, 99% of grant recipients were first-time homebuyers. These results highlight the program’s ability to boost neighborhoods, assist long-term residents, and enhance Baltimore’s tax revenue, all while increasing homeownership opportunities. The Buy Back the Block FY26 Impact Report offers a comprehensive overview of the program, including customer demographics.

Funding for Buy Back the Block is made possible through an award from the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, as well as a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs.

Grant Options

Through Buy Back the Block, eligible homebuyers may qualify for one of two grant options:

1. $15,000 grant towards the purchase of a home; or
2. $20,000 grant toward the purchase and renovation of a home.

These funds are structured as grants that do not need to be repaid. Eligible applicants must currently live in a grant-eligible address and have lived there for at least 12 consecutive months, complete homeownership counseling through a city-approved agency, work with a Live Baltimore-approved lender, and meet other income and eligibility requirements. 

"Building a competitive economy for working families in Maryland must include homeownership, which still remains one of the quickest paths to economic growth and stability for Marylanders," said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. "In Baltimore, we're removing barriers to bring more families closer to homeownership. By layering the new Reinvest Baltimore Rate Savings and Reinvest Baltimore Down Payment Assistance incentives with Buy Back the Block, residents can unlock greater purchasing power and put down stronger roots in the neighborhoods they love."

Relaunch Details & Call for Applications

Relaunch Date: Wednesday, July 15

How to Apply: Baltimore City residents who do not currently own any real estate and are interested in Buy Back the Block should visit LiveBaltimore.com/bbb to verify their address, take the eligibility quiz, and view additional resources. Grant funding is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

To learn more: Download the full Buy Back the Block FY26 Impact Report, visit LiveBaltimore.com/bbb for application details, and hear program recipient testimonials.

About Live Baltimore

Live Baltimore is a nationally recognized, independent nonprofit organization committed to promoting the benefits of Baltimore City living. Each year, Live Baltimore provides thousands of individuals with information on the city’s 250+ neighborhoods, rental living options, homebuying incentive programs, historic tax credits, and more. For more information, visit LiveBaltimore.com. PRONUNCIATION NOTE: Live Baltimore’s name is pronounced with a short “I” sound, as in “I live in Baltimore City.”

Ahead of 200^th anniversary of American railroading and campus expansion, 
museum looks to the “Past. Present. The Possible.”

BALTIMORE, Md. — As the nation prepares to commemorate the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027, the B&O Railroad Museum, birthplace of American railroading, today announced it will become the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, reflecting its expanded national mission to preserve and interpret America's railroad heritage while exploring the innovations shaping the future of rail transportation.

Rooted in the place where American railroading began, the museum's new name reflects a broader vision that honors the extraordinary legacy of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad while embracing rail's continuing role in shaping America's future.

"Nearly 200 years ago, a bold vision launched from this very place transformed our nation," said Kris Hoellen, executive director of the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation. "As we prepare to commemorate the bicentennial of American railroading, we are embracing a name that reflects both our responsibility to preserve one of America's greatest transportation stories and our commitment to exploring where rail transportation is headed next."

Located on the 40-acre campus where the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad—the nation's first common carrier railroad—was founded, the museum occupies one of the most significant railroad sites in the United States. The campus is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a Smithsonian Affiliate and a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, preserving nationally significant collections and the historic B&O buildings and grounds where American railroading began.

While the institution's name is changing, its commitment to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad remains unwavering. The story of the nation's first common carrier railroad will continue to be central to the museum's exhibitions, collections, educational programs and historic campus. 

“The B&O is not being left behind—it is the foundation upon which the museum's expanded role as a nationally significant institution is built,” added Hoellen. “With today’s announcement, we celebrate the past, the present and the possibilities of American railroading.”

The announcement comes as the museum continues its transformative $38 million campus expansion, one of the most significant investments in its history. The project includes new visitor experiences, expanded gathering spaces and an outdoor amphitheater. As part of the expansion, the museum will also provide public access to its nationally significant railroad archives for the first time in its history. Comprising more than 30 million documents, the archives represent one of the nation's most important collections chronicling the history, development and impact of American railroading. The expansion will culminate in the opening of Innovation Hall in 2027.

Opening in 2027 as part of the nation's commemoration of the 200th anniversary of American railroading, the Innovation Hall will introduce a first-of-its-kind museum experience showcasing the present and future of railroading technologies. Through immersive exhibits and interactive experiences, visitors will explore engineering, automation, sustainability, freight systems, passenger mobility and emerging innovations shaping the next generation of rail transportation. Together, the museum's historic campus and Innovation Hall will connect the place where American railroading began with the technologies shaping its future.

"This announcement represents a defining moment for one of our nation's most significant cultural institutions," said Governor Wes Moore. "The birthplace of American railroading has long preserved a story that began in Maryland and transformed America.

As the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, it will continue to honor that extraordinary legacy while helping future generations understand rail's continuing importance to our economy, our communities and our future."

“As the direct corporate descendant of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, CSX is especially proud to celebrate this historic milestone," said Steve Angel, president and CEO of CSX. "The B&O lives on today through the railroad industry it helped create. We are proud to support an institution that honors this extraordinary legacy while embracing the innovation that continues to shape rail transportation."

The announcement also introduces a new visual identity and logo that reflect the museum's broader vision while honoring its historic roots.

"Our story began here," Hoellen said. "As the birthplace of American railroading, we have a responsibility to preserve that extraordinary legacy, explore how rail continues to shape our lives today, and inspire what is possible for the future. That is the vision behind the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation."

About the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation

The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation is the birthplace of American railroading, located on the historic grounds of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the nation's first common carrier railroad. Situated on a 40-acre National Historic Landmark campus in Baltimore and recognized as a Smithsonian Affiliate and a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, the museum preserves one of the nation's most significant collections of railroad history while exploring the innovation and technologies shaping the future of rail transportation.

As the birthplace of American railroading, the museum is uniquely positioned to help the nation commemorate the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027 while preserving the legacy of the industry's first two centuries and exploring the possibilities that will shape its next century.

For more information on the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, visit www.nationalrailroad.org.

ssive grant-hunting and financial optimization strategies. Completing the immediate community resource survey is the vital operational step required to generate the localized data that unlocks the next massive wave of dedicated business grants.

 

 

100% Free and Confidential: The Ultimate Growth Strategy for Your Next Big Chicago Business Idea

Local founders can now access 100% free, confidential business advising and grant strategy pipelines through CMAA’s Economic Development Center. Despite common misconceptions, our team does not restrict these elite economic resources to specific immigrant groups. Instead, we open them completely to all local entrepreneurs and industries across the Chicagoland area. Therefore, taking the community resource survey today stands as the single most critical step for local founders. By completing it, you can instantly put your business on the radar for upcoming institutional funding and localized grants.

Community Impact Spotlight: Shape the Future of Chicago Resources

 

 

Are you tired of business programs and neighborhood initiatives that don’t quite fit your day-to-day realities? For over 40 years, the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) has been a cornerstone for Chicago-area families and entrepreneurs, serving over 1.3 million people across Uptown, West Ridge, and Elgin. Now, heading into the second half of 2026, CMAA is launching a brief community assessment to find out exactly what kind of financial assistance, workforce training, and local grants your neighborhood needs most right now.

100% Free and Confidential: The Ultimate Growth Strategy for Your Next Big Chicago Business Idea

Every giant company started the exact same way. Specifically, someone wrote a wild idea down on a napkin late at night. However, turning that bright spark into a legal, highly profitable business can feel like trying to read a textbook in a foreign language.

Consequently, you might be asking, “Can I get help if I haven’t even opened my doors yet?” The answer is a huge YES. CMAA does not just serve big, established corporations. On the contrary, we specialize in helping early-stage founders launch safely. Our bilingual advisors guide you through city licensing and structural registration. Furthermore, we help you set up clean accounting systems from day one.

Because we protect your personal liability early, you can build your commercial empire on a rock-solid legal foundation. Meanwhile, our consultants maintain absolute, 100% confidentiality. Thus, your proprietary ideas, recipes, and tech concepts stay completely safe with us.

Simple Steps to Claim Your Launch Resources

To make this process easy, you can kickstart your business strategy right now by following these simple actions:

1. Take the Resource Survey: Submit your basic industry goals through our quick community resource survey.
2. Book a Free Advising Session: Match with a dedicated economic strategist for a private one-on-one deep dive.
3. Unlock Grant Pipelines: Map out available local, state, and private capital opportunities tailored to your trade.

The Professional Bottom Line: You do not need to figure out complex corporate structures or funding frameworks on your own. Instead, let our expert advisors handle the red tape for free while you focus entirely on scaling your vision.

Take the survey now:

surveymonkey.com/r/CMAA

Middle States Reaffirms University's Academic Excellence, Building Upon Eight Years of Historic Growth, Expanded Research, Record Enrollment and National Ascendancy

BALTIMORE — Following a comprehensive, institution-wide evaluation, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has reaffirmed Morgan State University’s accreditation, confirming that Maryland’s largest Historically Black College or University (HBCU) continues to meet the rigorous standards required of leading institutions of higher education. The reaffirmation, which extends the University’s accreditation through 2033, comes at a defining moment in Morgan’s evolution, reinforcing the strength of an institution that has simultaneously expanded its academic offerings, increased enrollment to record levels and strengthened its position as one of the nation’s fastest-rising research universities.

Accreditation serves as one of the highest forms of institutional quality assurance in higher education, verifying that a university meets established standards for governance, academic excellence, student success and continuous institutional improvement. Morgan has maintained continuous membership with MSCHE since 1925.

The Commission’s action follows a comprehensive self-study process that began in 2024 and concluded with MSCHE’s accreditation decision on June 25, 2026, which is now reflected in the University’s official Statement of Accreditation Status. Throughout the review, Morgan demonstrated compliance with the Commission’s core standards of mission and governance; ethics and integrity; design, delivery and assessment of the student learning experience; support of the student experience; and planning, resources and institutional improvement.

Morgan President David K. Wilson congratulates a student graduating.

“Reaffirmation of Morgan’s accreditation confirms our University's continued attainment of the highest standards of academic quality, institutional integrity and student success,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “For every student, alumnus and employer, this reaccreditation reinforces the enduring value of a Morgan degree. As we continue to elevate our research enterprise, expand academic opportunities and invest in transformative student experiences, this outcome validates that our growth has remained firmly grounded in educational excellence and sustained public trust.”

The accreditation self-study serves as a comprehensive institutional assessment, enabling universities to evaluate their effectiveness, identify opportunities for improvement and align future priorities with strategic goals. At Morgan, the process engaged leadership and stakeholders from across the institution in examining every aspect of University operations, while documenting the effectiveness of policies, academic programs and student support systems.

Morgan’s accreditation effort was led by Solomon Alao, Ph.D., assistant vice president of Assessment and Operations and the University's accreditation liaison officer, who chaired the MSCHE Self-Study Steering Committee alongside Kara Turner, Ph.D., senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success, who served as co-chair.

The reaffirmation also reflects the remarkable trajectory Morgan has sustained since its previous accreditation review in 2018. In the years that followed, the University experienced one of the most transformative chapters in its history, including:

• Introducing more than 40 new academic degree programs since 2020
• Achieving Carnegie Classification as an R2 “High Research” institution
• Launching seven new research centers
• Receiving two historic philanthropic gifts totaling $103 million from MacKenzie Scott
• Surpassing $100 million in sponsored research commitments in a single fiscal year for the first time ever, reaching $104.4 million in FY25
• Growing its annual economic impact on the State of Maryland to $1.5 billion
• Enrolling nearly 12,000 students for Fall 2025, marking five consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment
• Expanding and modernizing campus infrastructure with new student housing, the new Health and Human Services Center, Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall and a new Science Center now under construction
• Establishing the College of Interdisciplinary and Continuing Studies to advance the University’s “Morgan Completes You” initiative
• Conferring nearly 1,900 degrees during the 2025–2026 academic year — the largest graduating class in University history

Morgan graduates process to walk across the stage at Spring Commencement.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a voluntary, nongovernmental membership association recognized by the U.S. secretary of education as an accreditor of degree-granting institutions across Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through its independent, third-party accreditation process, the Commission evaluates institutions as a whole, to ensure they demonstrate educational quality, institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement while maintaining public confidence in higher education.

For Morgan, the Commission’s reaffirmation represents more than continued accreditation; it validates an institution whose rapid ascent has been matched by an unwavering commitment to academic quality, accountability and student success, as it continues its advancement toward even greater national prominence.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

JetBlue Starts Fort Lauderdale Flights; Puerto Rico Service to Begin in November 

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport today celebrated the arrival of JetBlue Airways with the launch of its inaugural flight, providing travelers with new nonstop  access to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Airport officials and airline representatives marked the  milestone with a gate celebration before passengers boarded the first departure. 

“We are excited to welcome JetBlue back as a returning airline partner,” said Shannetta Griffin,  Executive Director/CEO of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. “This air service offers new travel  opportunities for our passengers and showcases the strength of our market. We look forward to  working with JetBlue as it grows its service and provides customers with more travel choices.” 

The new service from JetBlue further strengthens BWI Marshall Airport’s role as a key  transportation gateway and economic development engine for the State of Maryland and the  National Capital region. With three flights per day between BWI Marshall and Fort Lauderdale,  the new route will also provide passengers with convenient connections throughout the JetBlue  network. The airline will add service between BWI Marshall and San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning  November 2, 2026. JetBlue will utilize A320 aircraft on its new BWI Marshall routes. 

BWI Marshall Airport serves as a vital travel hub, connecting travelers to destinations around the  globe. The airport offers approximately 300 daily nonstop departures to about 90 domestic and  international destinations. BWI Marshall Airport generates a total economic impact of $11.3  billion annually. The airport and visitors produce and support more than 107,000 jobs throughout  Maryland and the region. 

How Chicago-area businesses can shape the next wave of community resources comes down to a crucial five-minute choice. For more than 40 years, neighborhood initiatives have worked hard to support local growth, but programs only succeed when they mirror your day-to-day realities. Heading into the second half of 2026, the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) is launching a major community assessment to ensure future funding lands precisely where local entrepreneurs and families need it most.

• The Opportunity: The Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) is seeking direct feedback from Chicago-area residents and small business owners to guide upcoming economic and community initiatives.
• The Benefit: Survey responses will be used to identify resource gaps, directly shaping how future local funding, workforce training, and small business support programs are designed.
• The Action: Community members are encouraged to take a 5-minute survey at surveymonkey.com/r/CMAA to ensure their specific neighborhood needs are prioritized.

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Don't Miss Out: How Neighborhood Business Programs Chicago Are Changing

Bridging the Gap Between Local Needs and Meaningful Support

Are you tired of neighborhood programs that do not quite fit your daily operations? CMAA has historically served over 1.3 million people across Uptown, West Ridge, and Elgin. Consequently, the organization understands that top-down solutions rarely work for independent owners. Therefore, this new assessment explicitly asks local stakeholders to identify their most urgent needs regarding financial assistance, workforce training, and local grants.

Directing Funding to Chicago Community Resources

Your feedback will directly guide future funding allocations. This means you can prevent local support from missed opportunities or misaligned goals. Furthermore, by participating in this brief five-minute survey, you ensure that future city and neighborhood investments actively support your bottom line.

Ultimately, community resources belong to the people who build these neighborhoods every single day. Do not leave these vital tools on the table. Instead, take action to secure your community's future and make your voice count today by visiting surveymonkey.com/r/CMAA.

Five years ago, when I published Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict, I thought I was writing about food addiction, obesity, and how I finally kept the weight off after more than forty years of struggle.

I was wrong.

The deeper story was about hope. About transformation. About finding my voice, telling the truth, and reclaiming my power.

Those themes don’t belong to any single audience. They resonate with executives, educators, healthcare workers, faith leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, caregivers — and, perhaps most vividly, with artists.

That’s why I’m honored to return to Winston-Salem this summer for the International Black Theatre Festival, where I’ll present my workshop, Stage Ready: Essential Self-Care for Artists and Creatives. Two years ago, I led these sessions for the first time, and the response confirmed something I’d been discovering for years: our greatest performance challenges are rarely about talent. They are about what’s happening beneath the surface.

After the workshop fun at the Western Arts Alliance Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

Nourishing More Than the Craft

Artists spend their lives expressing emotional truth. But who helps the artist process their own?

Whether you’re an actor, dancer, musician, playwright, director, spoken word artist, or creative entrepreneur, your body and mind are your instruments. If your emotions are overloaded, your nutrition is inconsistent, your energy is depleted, or your inner dialogue is filled with self-criticism, those struggles eventually find their way onto the stage, into the rehearsal room, and into the work.

The audience may never know why a performance feels flat. You will.

But here’s what I want every reader — not just the performers among you — to hear: this isn’t only about the stage. It’s about how we show up, period.

Showing Up for Ourselves First

We show up for our families. We show up for our jobs. We show up for our communities. We rarely ask what it costs to keep showing up empty.

Over the years, I’ve brought this message to the Western Arts Alliance, the Baltimore Jazz Alliance, and the National Organization for Arts in Health. No matter the audience, one truth keeps surfacing: when we heal our emotions and improve our nutrition habits, we perform at a higher level. We become more productive. More proficient. More present.

That isn’t just true on stage. It’s true at the kitchen table, in the classroom, in the boardroom, and in every relationship we’re trying to hold together.

Many people still assume my work is about losing weight. More accurately, it’s about rewriting the stories we tell ourselves. Food is simply one of the places where those stories reveal themselves. For years, I believed food was my problem. Eventually I realized food was merely the symptom — the real challenge was a story rooted in fear, shame, perfectionism, and emotional survival. Once I changed the story, everything else began to change.

Mingling with Western Arts Alliance Conference attendees in Los Angeles.

Wellness That Can’t Be Faked

That’s the work I’ll be sharing during my Stage Ready workshops at this year’s International Black Theatre Festival — how the stories we carry shape our confidence, creativity, resilience, relationships, and performance. We’ll look at how emotional wellness and physical wellness work together, not separately, to create sustainable success.

Because the healthiest performer isn’t necessarily the most talented one. The healthiest performer — and the healthiest parent, employee, and neighbor — is the one who is emotionally available, mentally focused, physically energized, and spiritually grounded. That kind of wellness cannot be faked under the spotlight, in a Monday morning meeting, or at a family dinner table. It must be cultivated behind the scenes, long before anyone is watching.

To support that work beyond the workshop, I created a companion resource, Stage Ready: The Performer's Wellness Kit, designed to help creatives — and honestly, anyone carrying a full life — uncover limiting beliefs, strengthen emotional resilience, build healthier daily habits, and reconnect with the authentic voice underneath it all.

Whether your stage is a Baltimore arena, a Broadway theater, a classroom, a boardroom, or simply your everyday life, the principle is the same: every great performance, in any arena, begins within.

I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new artists at this year’s International Black Theatre Festival. If you’re there, join me for one of the Stage Ready workshops. Come prepared to do more than sharpen your craft. Come prepared to transform from the inside out — so you can keep showing up fully for the people and work that matter most.

Download your copy of Stage Ready: The Performer's Wellness Kit and learn more about my upcoming workshops at the International Black Theatre Festival.

And if you need help with travel arrangements to the festival, you can reach out to the travel pros at The Watts Line, wandawatts@thewattsline.net, or call them at 443-540-7193.

https://go.michellepetties.com/performerswellnesskit