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February marks a pivotal moment in Black history, and one town in Maryland is celebrating with a record number of Black-owned businesses . Princess Anne, located in Somerset County, MD, and serving as its county seat, now boasts at least 25 Black-owned businesses in its town of fewer than 4,000 residents, according to WBOC-TV. “When I first moved to this area, I was told that the last known lynching was in Princess Anne, Maryland,” said business owner Leslie Coker, reflecting on the past. “That there is now 25 Black-owned businesses in a county that has less than 4,000 people, that’s phenomenal.” Coker runs the Dynamic Divas majorette dance company, one of the Black-owned businesses contributing to Princess Anne’s record-breaking milestone. Alongside Croker, business owner Dale Parker runs the Cropa Station restaurant with his partner, while Danae Ballard launched her salon, Alluring Looks by Danae, at just 21 years old. They all take pride in being part of a community representing...
Maryland’s first Black family-owned wine company is expanding! As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Boyd Cru Wines is led by married couple Matthew and Jon’ll Boyd, who pursued separate career paths for over a decade before collaborating on a shared business venture in the wine industry. For over a decade, Jon’ll worked in the event planning industry, while Matthew built his career in the pharmaceutical and chemistry sectors. In the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, Jon’ll’s industry came to a standstill, leading to a greater focus on what became Boyd Cru Wines in April 2023. “I think the pivotal point for us came right about during the pandemic because that, of course for me, brought my event planning business to a very quick and fast halt as you can imagine with people not being able to gather,” Jon’ll told the Washington Business Journal. “It afforded us an opportunity to delve deeper into the wine industry, and simultaneously, I think at that time, I was seeing that there was some shifting...
In January 2023, Wes Moore became Maryland’s first Black governor as well as the 63rd person to serve in the state’s highest seat. Since his election, Moore has proposed several initiatives that his administration believes improve the overall quality of life for the state’s residents. During AFROTECH™ Conference 2024, Nov. 13-16, Moore brought some perspectives to the Innovation Stage , joining Jeff Nelson, co-founder and COO of Blavity Inc., for a fireside chat called “Work, Wages, and Wealth: State-Led Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact.” While there he discussed navigating Maryland’s political shift after a Republican administration and how his “work, wages, and wealth” mantra drives equitable economic growth. A core part of Moore’s administration is also working to fulfill his vision of making Maryland an innovation hub. Moore and his team have been building out that innovative approach since before the most recent election results. “We’ve been battle planning no matter what the...
At the center of the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area lies Maryland, the Free State. A symbol of political freedom and four HBCUs, all of them were established during or before the year 1900. Located in Baltimore, Bowie and Salisbury, these Maryland-based universities, like many of their counterparts, are publicly supported. They have a combined annual economic impact of over $1 billion. Together, they’ve also created over 10,000 jobs for the areas local to the institutions. The history of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have taught us that creating opportunities and environments that champion higher education for Black students is not only fruitful for admitted youth but for surrounding communities. Here are the four HBCUs in Maryland. Bowie State University Bowie State University (BSU), named after its home city, was the first HBCU in Maryland (1865). Located in Prince George’s County, BSU is in the northeastern region of the state. The...
A grocery store considering its community first has opened in Baltimore, MD. The Baltimore community will now be able to shop at the Pratt Free Market, which will operate as a full-service grocery store following a ribbon-cutting ceremony held by the city’s Enoch Pratt Free Library. The market is inside the library’s Southeast Anchor location in the Highlandtown neighborhood. M’Balu “Lu” Bangura, chief of equity and fair practices at the Enoch Pratt Library, shared on Instagram that no income verification or ID will be required at the grocery store, and all items will be available for free to those living in a state where one-third of the population experiences food insecurity. Per WBAL-11 TV, customers will be able to stock one library-supplied bag each day. “Just come as you are and fill a bag with groceries at NO COST,” Bangura wrote on Instagram. “This market is for the City. All are welcome…I dreamt of this almost 2 years ago, I’m so proud to cut the ribbon on the first 100%...
Vonnya Pettigrew, Hon.D., is concentrating all her interests in one place — a property building located on Baltimore, MD’s Waterfront. But that’s just the start. The Baltimore Times reports Dr. Pettigrew comes from a communications background stamped by a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland College Park. During her time in higher education she landed opportunities to intern under President Bill Clinton as a speech writer. She also interned for a television show. “It was a political show that was produced on Capitol Hill and filmed out of Reuters newswire, and so I fell in love with television and film,” Pettigrew told the outlet. Root Branch Media Group Pettigrew also learned scriptwriting and took her skills to create content for TV One and Discovery Channel. Now, she is investing in her own media empire. In 2006, she launched Root Branch Media Group, which she named for her family’s property in South Carolina. “When I established my business, I wanted it to...
![Angel Reese Fulfills Her Dream Of Owning A Professional Sports Team — 'I’ve Always Had [A] Desire To Invest In A Local Team As A Maryland Native'](https://cms.afrotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Angel-Reese-1568x882-1.jpg "Angel Reese Fulfills Her Dream Of Owning A Professional Sports Team — 'I’ve Always Had [A] Desire To Invest In A Local Team As A Maryland Native'")
This is Angel Reese’s year, and we’re just living in it! According to The Athletic, Reese is officially a “professional sports owner” as she has joined the ownership group of DC Power Football Club, Washington, DC’s new professional women’s soccer team — which will begin competing in the USL Super League in summer 2024. “I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement. “We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.” “Angel’s decision to be a founding investor alongside us in Power FC is groundbreaking,” D.C. United CEO and Co-Chairman Jason Levien added. “As a Maryland native, Angel is so passionate about being a catalyst for positive change in women’s sports in the DMV as well as globally, while inspiring the next generation of female athletes. We’re looking forward to her partnership in the boardroom as an equity partner.” As a native of Randallstown,...
Professors at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland are helping incarcerated men advance their education. In the fall of 2022, Bowie State University became the first HBCU in Maryland to offer a bachelor’s degree program at a correctional facility, per The Baltimore Banner.
Maryland resident Omolayo Adebayo turned a four-year-long dream of hers to help the homeless into an innovative nonprofit for the community. After Adebayo’s nonprofit — The Neighborhood Well — raised $50,000 to purchase a mobile shower, the 32-year-old rolled out the unit in October 2021, Fox 29 reports. According to Adebayo, the vision for an innovative way to help the homeless was first spurred in 2017. “It came from a dream, from God,” Omolayo Adebayo told the outlet. “It was a mobile shower, a man in front of it saying ‘Thank you’ and that was the dream.” She continued: “And that came around the time God was pushing me to start a non-profit,” she continued. “So once I had that dream, it solidified…this is what the non-profit was for.”
Maryland-area Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have just scored a win. According to our sister site, Blavity, Gov. Larry Hogan has finally signed a bill into law that would award $600 million to the state’s HBCUs. The signing of this bill comes after a protracted legal battle between the HBCUs and the Maryland state legislature. Gov. Hogan agreed to guarantee $577 million in additional funding for Bowie State, Coppin State, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore over the course of ten years. The money will be distributed in payments of $57.7 million in extra funding each year for 10 years to each of the state’s four historically Black universities. The money will be used to create and enhance academic programs, bolster its online class offerings, supplement financial aid, build faculty training initiatives, and other academic functions. “I’m pleased to see this fight has finally come to an end,” said Morgan State President David...
Two former University of Maryland basketball players are suing Fortnite creator, Epic Games, over the use of the “Running Man” dance, The Verge reported . Last year, Epic added the “Running Man” emoji to Fortnite, so players can have their characters do the dance. Now, Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens have filed a federal lawsuit claiming Epic Games Inc. is using a dance they popularized online. Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens Back in 2016, the two helped make the “Running Man Challenge” go viral, as reported by Sports Illustrated . According to The Verge, Brantley and Nickens say they created the “distinctive and immediately recognizable dance” and it’s “synonymous” with them. Brantley and Nickens accused Epic of copyright infringement and say the publisher “has consistently sought to exploit African-American talent, in particular in Fortnite , by copying their dances and movement.” This isn’t the first time Epic has been targeted by lawsuits over Fortnite dances. R apper...