By Ericka Alston Buck
Special to The AFRO
NBA legend and newly inducted Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony returned to his hometown of Baltimore on July 7 for a powerful, invitation-only fireside chat moderated by New York Times bestselling author D. Watkins. The event, held at the Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center in West Baltimore, brought together a handpicked group of community leaders, creatives and change agents for a candid and heartfelt conversation about legacy, resilience and the future of the city they all love.
This wasn’t just a nostalgic celebration of a hometown hero—it was the spark of something bigger. Guests mingled over catered bites, sipped from Anthony’s own Peace and Power wine collection, and leaned into a conversation that felt more like a family reunion than a formal event. What unfolded was a bold unveiling of Anthony’s upcoming cultural initiative: a citywide exhibition at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, designed not only to honor his journey but to empower a generation.
“First of all, thank you,” Anthony began, addressing the crowd with humility. “This building we’re sitting in, I used to run around right outside. The Robert C. Marshall Rec Center—just a few steps away—was my football field, my baseball field, my safety. That was my world.”
He reflected on his move to Baltimore in the summer of 1992, the challenges of growing up in Murphy Homes, and how those early experiences never left him—even as he played 19 seasons in the NBA.
“You talk about the top 75 players to ever touch a basketball—one of them came from West Baltimore,” he said, drawing loud applause. “But this isn’t just about what I did. It’s about what we can do now. It’s about claiming our city, telling our stories and investing in what comes next.”
That investment comes in the form of a groundbreaking exhibit launching Oct. 24 at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s central branch. The immersive installation will explore five storytelling themes—Home and Family, Community, High School Legacy, NBA, and Leaders—and extend its reach through satellite programming across all 22 library branches in the city.
The project’s creative director Kai Deveraux Lawson, who has worked alongside Anthony for over 17 years, offered a glimpse into the vision: “This isn’t just a tribute to ‘Melo. This is a celebration of Baltimore’s soul. It’s a call to action, a blueprint for what’s possible when we invest in legacy and community at the same time.”
That blueprint includes workshops led by local and national experts in media, tech, fashion, film and more—many of whom grew up just like Anthony, unsure how to break into professional spaces that often felt out of reach. Watkins underscored the urgency: “We’re not just giving kids something to look at—we’re giving them access, mentorship, skills [and] opportunities we never had.”
Throughout the evening, Anthony’s message was clear: everyone in the room had a part to play. “We all have roles,” he said. “Some of us are point guards. Some rebound. Some shoot. But we all have to be on the court if we want to win. If we can’t get this done—in this room, right here—it ain’t meant to be done.”
The impact of the exhibit is expected to ripple far beyond Baltimore. With projections of up to 750,000 visitors, the initiative could bring global attention—and revenue—to the city. But Anthony emphasized that the true success won’t be measured in ticket sales or headlines. It would be measured in mindset shifts.
“How do we make a library card cool again?” he asked. “How do we get a kid to feel proud for reading a chapter, writing a book report, or exploring a career they didn’t even know existed? That’s what this is about. This is about reaching our young people, inspiring them and showing them that their story matters.”
He spoke with passion about integrating financial literacy, mentorship and trade school exposure into the programming. “Not everybody’s going to the NBA. But you can be a writer, a politician, a teacher, a tech entrepreneur. You can be whatever you want to be—but first, you have to see it.”
The Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway, CEO of Beloved Community Services Corp., offered a prayer and a charge: “Greatness begins right here. We don’t need to import it—it’s already in this community.”
One audience member, Catonya Lester summed it up best: “This isn’t just about basketball. This is Carmelo Anthony redefining what it means to come home by pouring into the very streets that poured into him.”
In his final remarks, Anthony reminded the room of the stakes.
“This isn’t for me. This is for the next generation. For my kids. For your kids. For our city. We want people around the world talking about Baltimore—in Tokyo, in Germany, in places we’ve never even been. We want them to say, ‘They did something different there.’”