Black Restaurant Week returns to Baltimore, spotlighting Black-owned culinary businesses and driving visibility, community ties, and growth. The Empanada Lady’s success reflects its power to amplify local talent.
Tag: Baltimore
Posted inBaltimore News
Carmelo Anthony comes home with a legacy-fueled vision for Baltimore
NBA legend Carmelo Anthony returned to Baltimore to announce a citywide cultural initiative that honors his legacy while empowering local youth through storytelling, mentorship and community programming. Centered on an upcoming exhibit at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the project aims to inspire the next generation by celebrating Baltimore’s resilience and potential.
Posted inBaltimore Events
Baltimore’s Happy Nappy Day celebrates culture and creativity
Happy Nappy Day + Poets in the Park returns July 13, transforming Gwynn Oak Park into a vibrant celebration of natural beauty, hip-hop and community.
Posted inBaltimore Events
Love Groove Festival returns with new energy, venue and vision
The Love Groove Festival returns to West Baltimore on Sept. 13 with a new location, national headliners, local talent and expanded activities like a skate park, community run and bike ride. Founded by Emmy-winning composer John Tyler, the free festival is now in its ninth year.
Posted inOpinion
A wake-up call written in tragedy: Baltimore’s drug crisis laid bare on Penn and North
A mass overdose at Baltimore’s Pennsylvania and North Avenues has laid bare the city’s chronic neglect of its most vulnerable communities. In this searing opinion piece, Michael Eugene Johnson calls for urgent, systemic investment in accessible healthcare and addiction services to prevent further tragedy and restore dignity to a historically overlooked neighborhood.
Posted inCommentary
Doulas can be a lifeline for Black moms–in Baltimore, cost doesn’t have to be a barrier
By Shiauna Ledbetter In January 2025, I signed up to join the Birth Companions—a program where nursing students at Johns Hopkins train as doulas and offer services free of cost to people having babies in the greater Baltimore area. But I had no idea what it would feel like to stand in the room as […]
Posted inArts & Culture
AFRAM 2025 offers star studded line up and fun for the whole family
The AFRAM Festival, a celebration of African-American culture, returned to Baltimore on June 21-22, featuring international artists such as Amerie, Patti LaBelle, Juvenile and Teedra Moses, and offering fun, food, and more for the whole family.
Posted inOpinion
Reconnecting Baltimore, rebuilding Haiti: Why H.R. 1114, Haitian American Enterprise Fund 2025 matters now
H.R. 1114, the Haitian American Enterprise Fund 2025, proposes a $5 billion investment to revitalize Haiti’s economy—an effort that would also benefit Baltimore through strengthened trade and historic cultural ties. With deep Haitian roots embedded in the city’s past and present, passing the bill would reconnect Baltimore to a shared legacy of resilience and mutual prosperity.
Posted inMusic
Black music: The soul of every sound
Black music is more than sound — it’s identity, soul and storytelling passed down through generations. Baltimore musicians John Thomas and Robert Vandervall explore how gospel, blues and rhythm express emotion, history and spiritual resilience. Their stories show that while styles evolve, the heart of Black music remains unchanged.
Posted inBaltimore News
State of the People tour set to stop in Baltimore on Juneteenth
By Elijah QuallsAFRO Intern The State of the People National Assembly is coming to Baltimore to provide the framework for Black policy advocacy, impactful intergenerational leadership, and community empowerment. This National Assembly on June 19 will be the final stop of their State of the People POWER Tour. It is no coincidence that this tour […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sowebo festival celebrates 42 years of art music and community
By Andrea Stevens AFRO Staff Writer astevens@afro.com Baltimore welcomed the Sowebo Arts and Music Festival in the historic Hollins Market neighborhood on May 25. Local vendors had the opportunity to showcase their fashion, food and art at the event, now in its 42nd year. Artists and attendees gathered during the Memorial Day weekend to enjoy […]
Posted inAFRO CHARITIES
Afro Charities set to host ‘Wildest Dreams’ fundraiser
Afro Charities will host its annual “Wildest Dreams” fundraiser on June 7 in Baltimore to support the preservation of the AFRO’s more than 130-year-old archival collection. The event reflects the organization’s ongoing work to honor Black legacy, expand public access to historical records and invest in community memory.