Author Archives: Shernay Williams

Barbershops have long been cornerstones of the Black community. In 2001, Robert Cradle, a Baltimore-born barber, decided to open up his hub to people even if they couldn’t afford his services. He reached out to a homeless shelter near his barbershop in Fort Meade. “I realized that the residents mostly women and children, couldn’t afford […]

Two women in hoodies and boots stood on the corner of Broadway and Eager Street in East Baltimore. One stuck out a hand and feverishly waved an extended index finger at cars driving down the road. A burgundy Honda came to a stop in front of her and she and her friend hopped inside. “Hacking” […]

Community activist Michael Eugene Johnson, who lost a 9th district City Council bid last month, is preparing to mount a write-in campaign to unseat the winning nominee William “Pete” Welch. Welch, who won the Sep. 13th Primary with 1,721 votes, has represented Southwest Baltimore’s ninth district for nine months, following his mother’s resignation from the […]

A new congressional map proposed by the governor’s redistricting panel would seemingly not only cement Democratic domination but shore up Black voting strength in Maryland. The map — presented to the General Assembly this week — keeps Baltimore area districts intact with only slight changes. Most notably, the city would keep its three members of […]

City leaders say it will take voter mobilization and education, not just registration to boost voter turnout for Baltimore’s General Election. Interest in the city’s elected offices is at a record low. Many Baltimore area pundits and residents have reasoned why—minimal election coverage, few contested races, not enough captivating candidates, lack of confidence in government […]

One of the “baby bears” in the Baltimore City political dynasty known as the Conaways has fallen. During primary elections this week, Councilwoman Belinda K. Conaway of the seventh district was unseated in a tight race against Verizon network engineer Nick Mosby. Preliminary tallies show Mosby won by 648 votes. Conaway —a veteran Baltimore City […]

Although incumbent Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake topped her challengers with over 50 percent of the vote in Baltimore City’s mayoral primary, some say the win “doesn’t mean much” since less than 25 percent of registered voters showed up. Just 22 percent of eligible Baltimore residents took to the polls in what was presumably the worst voter […]

The chairman of the state’s video lottery commission says his panel chose to amend the minority and women-owned business participation goals for Baltimore City’s future slots parlor, not Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Despite media reports and public accusations to the contrary, the mayor and the City of Baltimore are not responsible for the decision,” Donald C. […]

Panelists from a local interfaith organization grilled Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and three of her leading Democratic challengers Aug. 25 about their commitment to youth opportunities and employment and their investment in uptown. Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), which represents a reported 150 city congregations, hosted the mayoral forum inside the nation’s first Black Catholic […]