By Kendra Bryant
AFRO Intern
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) on Aug. 23 hosted the 2025 Annual Civil Rights Gala at the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Arundel Mills, with a theme of “Looking Ahead, No Turning Back: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities.”
The gala featured musical performances, an award ceremony honoring community leaders, and a fireside chat moderated by Cleveland L. Horton II, executive director of the MCCR. Panelists included cultural translator Jeff Johnson, award-winning social justice worker and author Tamika D. Mallory and Maryland State Del. Malcolm P. Ruff, D-District 41.
“What I love about tonight and what makes it so special is that humanity is lifted,” said Johnson. “Through the awards, the tears and hugs, honoring each other… . This is how we grow as a community.”
The panelists spoke about unity within the civil and justice rights advocacy community, how to keep the passion for activism alive, and what tasks Black Americans can do to make things better.
Mallory addressed the importance of staying true to the movement through action, even behind closed doors.
“Some people are saying they’re with our civil rights movement but yet they’re voting for Donald Trump. That is just not something that I can agree with,” said Mallory. “But no matter what has happened, we still need to go back for our people.”
Johnson challenged the role of political parties and urged attendees to look past the divides and focus on the issue–unfair treatment.
“Trump is a person of power who’s saying, ‘I’m with you’ to poor White people and hasn’t been,” said Johnson. “We have to stop believing that parties are designed for the people, but rather for power. We need to do a better job at removing the infrastructure and allowing all people to feel heard.”
Mallory also distributed copies of her book, “I Lived to Tell the Story” to VIP guests, offering attendees another way to stay engaged with her message.
Ruff emphasized the urgency of policy and leadership, encouraging Black people to work closely with legislators like himself.
“Working for the higher good of our people, it’s not only about playing offense but [also] defense. We have to stop bad policy from hurting our people,” said Ruff. “The power of the people is what we need. We can then ensure that we’re setting policy and making sure resources are provided to all Black people.”
The panel also called for investment in young leadership.
“We’re so busy trying to get young people to do what we’re doing. Stop diminishing young leadership,” Johnson said. “We should identify and invest in our young people. Just give it to the babies and get out of the way.”
As the night closed, Ruff left the audience with a reminder of resilience.
“What keeps me going is knowing that we have struggles ahead of us,” said Ruff. “There’s no way that we can coward out, but we must always face it head-on.”