By Chrissy M. Thornton Special to the AFRO
Let’s just start with the truth. One of the greatest threats to Black progress in Baltimore isn’t just systemic racism, chronic disinvestment or even misguided policies. It’s us. It’s the constant duplication of efforts, the need for control, the territorialism disguised as pride, and our willingness to step over one another that poisons our progress from within. It’s the belief that there isn’t enough room for more than one voice to be heard, one vision to lead, or one banner to wave.
Over the past week, I’ve listened as people who should be working together have spoken against one another, competed unnecessarily, discredited others, and offered more commentary about the organization I lead than they should ever dare to.
Who cares who has the best gala? Who cares who organized the community meeting? Who cares where it is being held? Who cares who is in the inner circle and who isn’t? Who cares who is leading the march? (I’d leverage who cares which high school you went to – but that might just cause mass pandemonium.) The only prize that matters to me is progress for our people.
For generations, our community has been navigating not only external forces of oppression but also internal fractures that continue to slow our collective climb. Competition over collaboration. Distrust instead of unity. And let’s be honest, sometimes outright disrespect cloaked in concern about who “really” belongs in this work. Whether it’s questioning someone’s authenticity, their title, or their strategy, we’ve allowed divisiveness to harden into tradition.
There are deeply historic reasons for this, of course. These are reasons we must understand but no longer excuse. When you’ve been shut out for so long, it makes sense to want to protect the door once you finally get through it. When leadership has meant survival, territory becomes personal. But we cannot keep clinging to trauma-based gatekeeping while our people continue to suffer. Not when the stakes are this high.
If you ask me, there is more than enough room to lead in Black Baltimore, but only if we’re willing to lead together. The time to lock arms, align our purpose, and move as one is not in the future – it’s right now.
There is space and need for both our anchor institutions and our grassroots warriors. For the OG’s of the movement and the new voices still finding their rhythm. For the homegrown leaders who’ve been holding it down for decades and the transplants who come with fresh eyes and different frameworks. We need our faith leaders and our business owners. Our elected officials and our community elders. Our community association presidents and the 25-year-old who just organized their first block cleanup.
This work – this fight for liberation, dignity, safety, education, equity, and economic opportunity — is too big for any one organization, one strategy, or one leader to carry alone. We are an ecosystem. And when ecosystems thrive, it’s because everything in them is working in harmony, not fighting for sunlight.
We have to stop hazing people for wanting to help the Black community. Wanting to lead should not come with a trial by fire, unjustified criticism, a gauntlet of gatekeepers, or a silent campaign to discredit. The only requirement for leadership should be love for our people and the willingness to do the work – with integrity, humility and accountability.
If someone is leading with ego, correct it in community. If efforts are duplicative, call folks in (not out) for collaboration. If someone is new to the city, help them learn the history, introduce them to the players, and help them get linked in. If we can all recognize the value in each other’s contributions, imagine the power we could unlock.
If we want to see transformational change in housing, in health, in safety, in education, in economic justice, in every corner of Black Baltimore, then we must make room for one another.
That doesn’t mean we all sing the same note. It means we commit to the same harmony. It means we put ego aside, stop measuring worth by proximity to power, and start aligning around the shared mission of Black thriving. We acknowledge one another. We affirm one another. We stay in our lanes. We speak to one another directly and assume positive intent.
We don’t need fewer leaders. We need more alignment among our leaders.
We don’t need to silence new voices. We need to make room for them.
We don’t need to fight over who gets the credit. We need to fight together for freedom.
And no matter where you start or how you show up, let love for Black people be the loudest part of your leadership.
There is absolutely room to lead in Black Baltimore. But only if we are all willing to lead together.
Oh, and ABC has the best gala. LOL!