(BALTIMORE – April 20, 2026) — When we talk about Black Wall Street, we’re talking about more than business ownership. We’re talking about the full liberation of Black people — economically, educationally, and spiritually. Dr. Mark Cornelius Booker embodies that vision in real time. He is a social scientist, an educator, a former commissioner — and a man who walks into prisons not to punish, but to teach. That work alone deserves our deepest respect. Dr. Booker currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Delaware State University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate students while advising the student sociology club. But his reach extends far beyond any one campus. His life’s work sits at the intersection of higher education, criminal justice reform, and community engagement — pushing systems to do better by the people they too often leave behind. His work in prison education is both personal and profound. Dr. Booker has taught in multiple correctional education programs across Maryland, including the Second Chance Pell Experiment at Jessup Correctional Institution in partnership with Bowie State University and University of Baltimore. He also taught through the Higher Education Programs for Correctional Institutions at Patuxent Institution via Coppin State University, and the Inmate Extension Program at the Maryland Penitentiary through Morgan State University. Three HBCUs. Three programs. One mission: giving incarcerated people a real shot at transformation. He doesn’t just talk the talk. Dr. Booker volunteers with the Brenda Murray Book Group at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. On the national stage, he has served as a co-panelist on Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in Carceral Settings, a national webinar hosted by the American Sociological Association. His scholarship examines how we teach behind bars — and why it matters for all of us on the outside. Before entering academia, Booker led We Teach and Tutor, LLC as CEO, managing a multi-million-dollar budget and a team of more than 200 staff members supporting special education across 70 schools over a decade. He later served as assistant superintendent at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and presided over hundreds of judicial hearings as a commissioner for the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. This brother has been in the room where it happens — and he used that access to fight for those who needed it most. His academic credentials are equally impressive. Dr. Booker recently earned his Ph.D. from Morgan State University in interdisciplinary organizational policy, governance, and administration. He holds a master’s degree with honors from Coppin State University and a bachelor’s degree from Howard University. Morgan. Coppin. Howard. That’s an HBCU trifecta. Dr. Booker’s research focuses on higher education in prisons, organizational policy and governance, and community engagement. His work has been featured on NBC4-WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., The Baltimore Sun, and The Capitol Gazette. And in a detail that says everything about who he is, he is also the co-author of the children’s book Why Our Teacher Wears Yellow — because he understands that building…
(BALTIMORE – April 20, 2026) — Baltimore fight fans, mark your calendars. Professional boxing is returning to downtown Baltimore on…
(BALTIMORE – April 20, 2026) — At Black Wall Street BENEDETTO 2.0 ft. the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards,…
(BALTIMORE – April 18, 2026) – Something is wrong. Maybe it’s just me. But as sine die — the close of Maryland’s legislative session —…
Politics
Featured Videos
Nancy started her own laboratory service amidst COVID pandemic. Still standing! Watch full video on YouTube
Save the Date & Sponsorship Opportunity (BALTIMORE – April 17, 2026) – In a city where second chances can mean everything, Elev8 Baltimore is bringing a…
(WOODLAWN – April 16, 2026) – Unlike most of the people at Mr. Williams’ janaza (Muslim funeral), I only knew the East Baltimorean for the…
The giants who built Minority Business Enterprise didn’t act like this. Not one of them. (ANNAPOLIS – March 8, 2026)…
BMORENews founder Doni Glover reflects on his first year as a doctoral candidate at UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of…
You may have missed
(BALTIMORE – April 16, 2026) – The issue of police violence against Black people has…
(NEW YORK – April 15, 2026) — By all accounts, and by the looks on…
(MILFORD MILL, MD – April 13, 2026) — The Black Wall Street Awards returned to…
2026 SCHEDULE Black Wall Street NEW YEAR SUMMIT — January 3, Downtown Cultural Arts Center,…
Trending News
Advertisement
Arizona’s Junior Senator to Join Rev. Sharpton for One-on-One Conversation on Civil Rights, Immigration, and the Fight for America’s Most Vulnerable Communities (NEW YORK, NY – April 6, 2026) –…
(MILFORD MILL, MD – April 10, 2026) — On Saturday, April 11, 2026 (4-6 pm at IQ Bar & Grill, 8128 Liberty Road), the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards returns to Baltimore County with Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0, a powerful celebration of Black excellence, resilience, and enterprise. RSVP to blackwallstreetmilford.eventbrite.com. This latest installment of the now 15-year movement continues a legacy that has recognized more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, professionals, and change agents across the country. From boardrooms to courtrooms to grassroots organizing, this year’s Milford Mill honorees reflect the depth, diversity, and determination of Black leadership in…
(WASHINGTON, DC – April 9, 2026) — Fifteen years ago, a vision took root in the nation’s capital. What started as a modest gathering of community leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates has since grown into a multi-city movement recognizing thousands of Black entrepreneurs across the country. Now, the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards returns to where it all began. On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Black Wall Street 15th Anniversary Homecoming — Washington, DC will take place at Busboys and Poets — the very city where the first awards were held. RSVP now! Limited seating:…
Attorney Tanya Baña, Esq., is taking on some of the toughest workplace discrimination cases involving employees at Baltimore … Watch full video on YouTube
BMORENews.com · April 2026 · 15th Anniversary 15 Years of Excellence: The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Celebrates a Legacy of Impact Since 2011, a Baltimore-born movement has traveled to nine cities, honored more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, and built something the mainstream economy rarely provides for Black business owners — a room where they belong. They did not wait for permission. No major foundation funded the first ceremony. No national organization sent a directive. In 2011, in Baltimore, a decision was made to do something that sounds almost too simple to be radical: find the people doing extraordinary work…
(BALTIMORE COUNTY – April 7, 2026) — The mission continues. On Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., Black Wall Street WOODLAWN brings together entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders who are building, investing, and creating opportunity across Baltimore County’s west side. First, I have to thank our host, Andre Boyd, for the opportunity to showcase his facility at 6665 Security Boulevard. Alongside his wife, Boyd has invested significant time, money, and energy into creating a space capable of hosting upwards of 200 people—a true asset for the community. A member of the Boyd family basketball legacy—and the brother…
From the West Coast to the East Coast, Politics ’26 brings together influential voices shaping the future of America. This episode … Watch full video on YouTube
(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – There are people who study injustice from a distance. And then there are people who lived it — who carry it in their bones — and chose to turn that experience into a weapon for change. John Royster is the latter. A justice-impacted individual, John Royster knows firsthand what it means to be swallowed by a system that was never designed to rehabilitate — only to contain. But where others might have been broken by that reality, John emerged with clarity, conviction, and an unshakable mission: the eradication of mass incarceration of people of…
(NEW YORK – April 6, 2026) – When you have spent years working alongside one of the most consequential civil rights voices in American history, you either fold under the weight of that legacy or you rise to carry it forward. Gina C. Williams chose to rise. A former corporate employee of the National Action Network (NAN), Gina had the rare distinction of working directly under the Reverend Al Sharpton — frontline warrior, living legend, and unapologetically controversial champion in the fight against racial prejudice and injustice. That proximity to power wasn’t a title. It was a calling. Gina answered…
Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards Continues 2026 Tour Celebrating Excellence Across Communities (BALTIMORE COUNTY – April 5, 2025) — The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards continues its landmark 2026 season with Black Wall Street MILFORD MILL 2.0, set for Saturday, April 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., honoring one of the Baltimore region’s most formidable husband-and-wife legal teams — David and Tonya Baña. Now in its 15th year, the Black Wall Street Awards has become a national platform recognizing entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders who exemplify excellence, resilience, and impact. The Milford Mill installment underscores a continued commitment…
Because he’s called to do so. In a nutshell. He cares about giving back. Watch full video on YouTube
Ukraine Conflict
