Following its merger with the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), UpSurge is focusing on data-driven strategies to support high-growth startups and strengthen the region’s innovation economy. The organizations aim to balance targeted investment with community-building efforts to create a more dynamic and resilient startup ecosystem.
Author Archives: Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer
Megan Sayles is a business reporter for The Baltimore Afro-American paper. Before this, Sayles interned with Baltimore Magazine, where she wrote feature stories about the city’s residents, nonprofits and initiatives. Her love of music inspired her to be a writer. At a young age she realized it was not the melody that she was so infatuated with, but the lyrics that made up the song and connected with listeners. Sayles grew up in Pasadena, Maryland, and is a 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland, where for her senior capstone project she reported on how the coronavirus and inequality intersected in Baltimore. She also worked as a staff writer and copy editor for campus publications, including Stories Beneath the Shell and The Black Explosion. Sayles teamed up with a partner to report on how the pandemic had put many more responsibilities on the oldest child in families. The Associated Press and other news organizations picked up her story.
Posted inHealth
Thousands of patients insured by UnitedHealthcare cut off from in-network care at Johns Hopkins Medicine
Following eight months of failed negotiations, Johns Hopkins Medicine will no longer be covered as “in-network” for patients with insurance through UnitedHealthcare. This leaves thousands of patients in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia potentially facing higher costs or reduced coverage.
Posted inBaltimore News
Pilot of ‘3 Blind Mice’ shines spotlight on Baltimore while exploring Black identity
Inspired by the spirit of 90s classics, “3 Blind Mice” follows a young Black woman’s search for identity and belonging after transferring to a historically Black college in Baltimore. The pilot, filmed entirely in the city, weaves themes of culture, community and self-discovery while showcasing Baltimore as a character in its own right.
Posted inArts & Culture
More than a theater: Arena Players is a home for diverse artists and stories
Arena Players, the oldest African-American community theater in the US, is undergoing renovations. Artistic director Donald Owens discusses the theater’s legacy and future.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Georgia officer David Rose killed in shooting at CDC campus in Atlanta
DeKalb County police officer David Rose, 33, was killed in the line of duty after confronting a gunman who fired more than 500 rounds near the CDC campus in Atlanta. The gunman had previously expressed anger over the COVID-19 vaccine.
Posted inUncategorized
Sen. Cory McCray defends East Baltimore housing deal amid criticism
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com Sen. Cory McCray (District 45) is defending his involvement in a proposed apartment development in East Baltimore, pushing back on criticism over his ties to developer Ronald Lipscomb and his efforts to secure state funding for the project. The Baltimore Democrat, who sits on the board of East […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Local officials respond to 47th president’s federal takeover of D.C. police department
The 47th president has declared a national crime emergency in Washington, D.C., placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control amid concerns over rising violent crime. However, local leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, argue that crime is actually declining and criticize the move as an unprecedented overreach of federal authority.
Posted inBaltimore County Government
Baltimore County Council introduces new redistricting plan featuring two majority-Black districts
The Baltimore County Council introduced a new redistricting plan that includes two majority-Black districts and consolidates eastern waterfront communities into a single district. The proposal, which diverges from the redistricting commission’s “2-2-5” map, has sparked debate over how best to represent the county’s growing diversity while preserving established communities.
Posted inBaltimore News
Robyn Murphy named permanent head of BOPA
Robyn Murphy has been named the permanent CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, following nearly eight months in the interim role. A native of Edmondson Village, Murphy sees the appointment as both a personal milestone and a chance to lead BOPA into a new era of creativity, equity and partnership.
Posted inPrince George's County News
Cheltenham’s lost graves spark push for juvenile justice reform
An overgrown burial ground near the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center holds the remains of Black boys who died there more than a century ago—children once confined under Maryland’s segregated juvenile justice system. Now, a state senator is pushing to reform how the state prosecutes youth, linking today’s policies to the system’s unequal and often forgotten past.
Posted inHealth
Dads to Doulas: Empowering fathers to advocate amid maternal health crisis
Dads to Doulas is a new program empowering Black men to advocate for their families’ maternal health, addressing disparities in outcomes.
Posted inBaltimore News
A housing voucher helped Labrenia Parker survive—now she owns a home in the ZIP code she grew up in
Labrenia Parker spent nights sleeping on friends’ floors before a housing voucher gave her and her children a stable place to live. This year, with the help of a lender who guided her through grants and savings, she became a first-time homeowner in the same ZIP code where she grew up.