Baltimore civil rights activist Leo W. Burroughs Jr. met Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964. Here’s what happened.
When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Baltimore on Oct. 31, 1964, civil rights leader Leo W. Burroughs Jr. was thrilled to meet him. King was in town for a conference and to encourage Black voters to cast ballots in the upcoming election that pitted Democratic President Lyndon Johnson against Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. Johnson would go on to win in a landslide. “It was a great time,” said Burroughs, founder and president of Roots of Scouting Inc., a nonprofit teaching African American youth life skills, leadership and mentoring, according to its website. “I didn’t have much to say other than, ‘How you doing?’ and shook his hand. And he said he was tired, but he was gonna keep moving.”
Ravens plan to add new plazas, relocate press box at M&T Bank Stadium
The Ravens plan to make a number of improvements and additions to M&T Bank Stadium, such as adding a parking garage, relocating the press box to build more suites, and building new plazas on the north and south sides of the stadium, according to a copy of the team’s new lease. The 50-page agreement, which was approved by the state’s Board of Public Works last week, will keep the Ravens playing at M&T for the next 15 years, with two options for five-year extensions. The team plans to develop both the stadium’s north and south plazas to include “fan hospitality areas,” as well as retail stores, according to the document.
Big dreams in a Navy danger zone: Why a painter decided to buy an aging lighthouse
To call it a fixer-upper would be generous. There’s no running water, no heat, no electricity. Once one gets past the romance of buying a historic Chesapeake Bay lighthouse, there’s lead paint, asbestos and toxic benzene. Vandals broke down the door and seabirds died inside. Crap is everywhere. Oh, it sits in about 18-feet of water within a U.S. Navy testing site called a “danger zone.” Who wants the Hooper Island Lighthouse anyway? When the federal government auctioned the 120-year-old lighthouse in September, as a last resort, a bidding war broke out. The price jumped from $15,000 to $38,000. Then $189,000.
Maryland girl finds ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ megalodon shark tooth
A little girl in Maryland got a big surprise for Christmas, but it wasn’t under her tree – it was an ancient fossil hiding underwater. Alicia Sampson wrote on Facebook that her daughters Molly and Natalie asked for insulated waders for Christmas so that they could “go sharks tooth hunting like professionals.” And as soon as they got the waders, that was just what they did. “The only thing Molly really wanted for Christmas was insulated chest waders because she knew she was missing out on some good fossil finds further out in the water,” Sampson told CBS News. “…As soon as they finished breakfast, they got their waders on as quick as they could and headed to the cliffs with my husband Bruce.”
We still have much to learn from the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the country’s great orators, writers and thinkers, and his words continue to shape American views on equity, justice and moral purpose today, nearly a quarter century after the Black civil rights leader was fatally shot on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. While the racist assassin may have taken King’s life, it’s clear that no one will ever be able to silence the wisdom of the Baptist minister and Nobel Prize winner. We suspect that King, who would have been 94 on Jan. 15, might not have approved of all the ways in which his words are being used today, however. He is often quoted out of context by politicians on either side of the aisle seeking to make some point or another — most egregiously by Republican lawmakers who attempt to use King’s thoughts to justify restrictive policies (like ending affirmative action) or to demonstrate concern for racial unity while actively supporting racist members within their party.
Small businesses have long list of challenges to tackle in 2023
Small businesses face a mix of old and new challenges as 2023 begins. A looming recession, still high (although easing) inflation and labor woes are some of issues carrying over from 2022 that small businesses will have to tackle. There are also new regulatory wrinkles, such as a proposed change in how to classify gig workers and more states requiring pay transparency. After three precarious pandemic years, what transpires in 2023 will make a big difference in whether small businesses across the country are able to stay afloat.
Otis Warren Jr., first Black person to construct an office building in downtown Baltimore, dies
Otis Warren Jr., a self-made businessman who became the first Black person to construct an office building in downtown Baltimore, died Tuesday at Sinai Hospital. His son, Otis Warren III, said he died of complications from “a health issue that occurred two years ago.” Mr. Warren was 80 and had homes in the Village of Cross Keys and in Florida. In 1993, he opened his $38 million, 11-story City Crescent building at Howard and Baltimore streets. “I had a philosophical and emotional need to make this happen for my community,” he said to The Sun of the successfully completed structure. “Beyond the money, it was a purpose. It was a cause.”
Maryland Lt. Gov.-elect Aruna Miller brings expansive vision of the job
Aruna Miller at first resisted elective office when a resignation opened a seat in the Maryland state legislature. She worried. “Nobody looks like me that’s elected,” Miller, now 58, recalled in an interview. “No one’s going to vote for me.” Then she thought of what good she could do, she said. So was launched a journey Miller describes as improbable and will culminate next week with her swearing in alongside Maryland Gov.-elect Wes Moore as part of a history-making ticket. Miller’s new post, lieutenant governor, has long been relegated to the tedium of diplomacy: attending ribbon cuttings, filling in at events the boss can’t make. But Miller — and Moore — see the job differently.
Greater COVID protections urged; Baltimore County IG needs more authority
Yet again, Marylanders find themselves amid a winter of spiking COVID-19, influenza and RSV cases and scarce hospital beds — all while employees face mounting pressures to return to the office. It’s a national problem, but without federal safeguards, workplace protections are drastically uneven from state to state. Many Maryland workers have had no protection against retaliation for seeking to avoid COVID exposure, or exposure to other respiratory illnesses, caring for sick children or family members or raising concerns about workplace COVID safety. With a new governor and legislative session kicking off next week, our state has an opportunity to right this wrong.
Gov.-elect Wes Moore planning inaugural events with accessibility in mind
Gov.-elect Wes Moore built his campaign around a central motto — leave no one behind — and the details of the events leading up to Moore’s inauguration this week show how the administration is planning for inclusivity. That, he says, is no accident. “It’s the reason why we wanted to have the most inclusive inaugural gala, the swearing-in, the day of service, the events on Sunday evening,” Moore told The Baltimore Banner. Inaugural events kicked off Sunday, when the incoming administration hosted what they have dubbed “An Evening of Faith and Community,” a non-denominal religious ceremony at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church in Calverton. Marylanders “of all faiths and backgrounds” were encouraged to attend.
