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David Thomas, co-owner and chef at H3irloom Food Group, prepares fried catfish in the restaurant kitchen. Thomas is preparing for their annual NYE dinner platters.
Black-eyed peas, fried fish, collard greens: Soulful dishes rooted in Black culture are in high demand during New Year’s holidays
For Black chefs, bakers and caterers in the Baltimore area, New Year’s Day has become a busy and lucrative time.
A plate of empanadas accompanied by a glass of coquito sits on the counter inside Elisa Milan's restaurant: the Empanada Lady.
The Empanada Lady’s culinary empire celebrates Puerto Rican and Black heritage
Elisa Milan, owner of The Empanada Lady, has been able to build a loyal following by incorporating her Black and Puerto Rican heritage for a flavorful combination for traditional Puerto Rican treats such as empanadas and the seasonal coquito.
Brendon Huffman, a bartender and manager at The Manor, has been roofied four times in the past seven years. He is vigilant in making sure that the same doesn't happen to others. He is pictured here at The Manor, a bar in Mount Vernon.
Is there a growing risk of being ‘roofied’ at a gay bar?
Baltimore police aren’t seeing an uptick in reports, but a Pride Center of Maryland survey found a rising concern in the LGBTQ community about being drugged in a drink at gay bars.
Lee Carpenter, a Baltimore-based lawyer, said he has noticed a significant uptick in inquires following opinions of Justice Clarence Thomas that there could be a reverse of same-sex marriage.
Maryland’s LGBTQ communities cautiously optimistic as Congress passes same-sex marriage act
President Joe Biden is expected to sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.
Photos are from Morton Street Dance Center's performance of The Nutcracker, cast--particularly cast members of color who are in lead positions. The Snow Queen and The Nutcracker should be highlighted.  (Snow Queen) NaTori Blackman-Gray.
Black ballet dancers get opportunities to shine in Baltimore-area productions of ‘The Nutcracker’
Diverse dancers are finding lead opportunities in the iconic ballet ”The Nutcracker” in the Baltimore area this holiday season.
Ron Legler is the President France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. Legler is also founding co-owner of Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which was the site of the deadliest mass shooting at an LGBTQ establishment in American history. On June 12, 2016, more than 50 people were killed and 53 were injured by a lone gunman.
Shooting in Colorado Springs gay nightclub unsettling for Baltimore’s LGBTQ community
The shooting deaths of five people at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado has been unsettling for Ron Legler, the president of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. Legler was a founding co-owner of Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was the site of the deadliest mass shooting at an LGBTQ establishment in this country’s history.
A Native American celebration of food, culture, and heritage took place at the 46th Annual BAIC PowWow at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium on November 19, 2022.
‘The true meaning is kind of hard’: How American Indians in Maryland observe Thanksgiving
For Maryland’s American Indian population, Thanksgiving can be a complicated — and oftentimes painful — reminder of lost lives, land and culture.
Illustration for The Baltimore Banner's gift guide
Where to shop to support minority-owned businesses
Support these local minority-owned businesses as you knock out your holiday shopping.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore declares victory at an Election Night event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on Tuesday, November 8. Democratic candidates Wes Moore, Aruna Miller, Chris Van Hollen, Anthony Brown and Brooke Lierman held a combined event beginning at 8 p.m. as the polls closed.
Moore supporters relish building a network that can lift other Black candidates to victory
Wes Moore’s historic win puts Maryland on the national map in discussions about Black electoral politics at the statewide level, according to a political expert.
The exterior of Parkway Theatre.
Maryland Film Festival cancels next year’s event
The annual Maryland Film Festival will return in 2024 for its 25th anniversary.
Dr. Nia Banks was one of the hosts of a fundraiser for Wes Moore in April at the Ritz Carlton Residence where she owns The Art of Balance Spa. Dr. Nia Banks I'm a group with Wes and Dawn Moore
In Black professionals, Wes Moore finds strong support and generous donors
Black professionals have traditionally been an ignored group. They are Wes Moore's “secret weapon,” according to political experts.
Illustration of students throwing Native American feather regalia and afro wig into trash bag held open by teacher
Parents, students urged to ‘use common sense’ when picking out Halloween costumes
Here’s a look at how schools throughout the state will address culturally and ethnically insensitive costumes this Halloween.
Stylist Ericka Cherrie styles Torre McKiver’s hair working with her natural texture. Cherrie says she has seen an uptick in clients requesting more natural hairstyles since the Crown Act was passed.
Awareness raised, confidence built since Maryland’s version of the CROWN Act took effect 2 years ago
A state delegate says more people feel empowered since Maryland joined other states two years ago in banning discrimination against Black hairstyles such as Afros, locks and braids.
Atman Smith, left, and his brother Ali Smith, two of the authors of Let Your Light Shine, stand in front of their Baltimore office. The book comes out Tuesday, October 18.
Baltimore trio stresses value of yoga, meditation in new book
The trio launched their company Holistic Life Foundation in 2001 after meeting at College Park. Since then, they have taught the benefits of yoga and meditation to more than 50,000 people.
Jen White-Johnson, a Baltimore-based artist, designed a tumbler ($10) and a now sold out t-shirt ($13) for the Latino Heritage Month collection at Target.
Baltimore-based artist has work included in Target’s Latino Heritage Month collection
Jen White-Johnson sees collection as an opportunity to spotlight her Afro-Latina culture.
Azikiwe Deveaux, 47, is founder of Events 4 Good People (E4GP), an event coordinator and event productions company.  This year, his event at Rye Street Tavern is expected to attract 1,000 people. In all, this weekend, he will throw five Morgan State homecoming related events. (Paul Newson for The Baltimore Banner)
Homecoming at Morgan State University, other HBCUs is a cultural phenomenon
Homecoming at an HBCU represents an opportunity to see familiar faces and new ones and experience the promise of a safe space where Blackness is celebrated.
Linda and Floyd Taliaferro and David and Tonya Thomas aim to return Maryland’s foodways back to its Black roots with their purchase of a 68-acre farm in Upperco. They are pictured here on the future farmland.
Black Baltimore couples look to transform farmland to honor Black foodways
The couples envision transforming 68 acres and creating an an opportunity to return Maryland’s foodways to their Black roots.
Jeremy LaMaster, former director of FreeState Justice, a Baltimore-based legal advocacy organization.
Former director of FreeState Justice alleges transphobia and white supremacy by members of board of directors; group flatly denies claims
The organization, which has filed for a temporary restraining order against Jeremy LaMaster, categorically denies the allegations, which it says were made only after LaMaster was terminated.
Asma Naeem, The Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator, stands in front of recent works on paper by Salman Toor in the exhibition Salmon toor: No Ordinary Love, on view through October 23, 2022.
Asma Naeem: From NYC prosecutor to chief curator at the Baltimore Museum of Art
As the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator, Asma Naeem knows the pivotal role that museums play in fostering important conversations surrounding hot-button issues like cultural competency and the racial reckoning.
Baltimore School for the Arts alum Moses Ingram returned to her school to chat with current theater students. Ingram is in Baltimore filming Lady in the Lake.
From ‘Queens Gambit’ to ‘Star Wars’ and a Whitney Houston biopic, Baltimore native and actress Moses Ingram is making a name for herself
Moses Ingram talks about the backlash she received for her role in Obi-Wan Kenobi and other topics as she continues her ascent in the acting world.
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