EDITOR’S NOTE: This includes a slight update from the January 15, 2026 article, to include some of the reaction from the community to the Board of School Commissioners’ final decision.
The fate of three Baltimore City schools has been decided. The Baltimore City Annual Review of Schools (https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/annual-review) recommended actions to close, combine and change grade configurations at several area schools:
- The first recommendation was to close Dallas F. Nicholas, Sr. Elementary School in June 2026 and combine with Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School for the school year 2026-27; Change the grade bands served at Margaret Brent from pre-K to 8 to pre-K to 5 for the 2026-27 school year; Rezone the portion of the Dallas Nicholas zone south of North Avenue to Johnston Square for future students. (Current students would enroll at Margaret Brent.)
- The second recommendation was to close Renaissance Academy High School in June 2026 with Frederick Douglass High School, Edmondson-Westside High School and Green Street Academy as identified receiving schools for students.
- The third recommendation was for non-renewal of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys’ charter and closure of the school at the end of this school year.
Other actions to reconfigure, renew charters or designate existing schools as receivers for students at schools slated for closure were also outlined in the review report, again available at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/annual-review. Recommendations for renewal of charters can be made, with or without conditions, for 8 years, 5 years or 3 years, or a decision can be made for non-renewal. The recommendation starts with the Charter and Operator-Led Advisory Board to the CEO (Dr. Sonja Santelises), who then passes the recommendation with her concurrence to the Board of School Commissioners for a final decision.
In the end, the Board voted to spare Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School and Renaissance Academy, but chose, after much debate, to close Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, the only school in the state of Maryland that specifically serves young Black boys. Results of the Board’s deliberations on six other charter schools are listed immediately after our report on the Board’s rationale and decision on Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys below.
The discussion and final vote by the Board of School Commissioners was held Wednesday, January 14, 2026. This post serves mainly as a documentation of the testimony given at a January 8 hearing in support of the three schools targeted for closure, to be compared to the Board’s January 14 final decision in each case as a means of determining just how much weight the voice of the people carries with administrators and bureaucrats, especially as far as the education of the city’s children, particularly its Afrikan American boys, is concerned. In the case of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, the ratings metrics (which were harsher than previous review results despite what the school’s supporters insist were marked improvements made since the last review) were given much more weight than the testimony of administrators, students and supporters, as a result of which non-renewal of the charter and closure at the end of the current school year was recommended by the Board of School Commissioners in a somewhat contentious split vote at their January 14 meeting.
The January 8 Hearing
On January 8, 2026, the Baltimore City Schools Headquarters was once again the arena in which the battle to save three area schools threatened with closure was waged. On December 11, 2025, a hearing was held to listen to community comments about the recommended closure of Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary School (201 E. 32st Street; https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/o/bcps/page/39), New Song Community Learning Center (1530 Presstman Street), Renaissance Academy (1301 McCulloh Street; https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/o/renaissance/) and the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys (2525 Kirk Avenue; https://baltimorecollegiate.com/). In part because of the unexpectedly large and vocal support at that hearing, the Board of School Commissioners voted to delay their final decision and hold another hearing on January 8, with a planned vote on January 14. See our article on that December 11 hearing here.
This time, there were only three schools threatened with closure, as apparently New Song’s primary issue was an internal one that was adequately rectified before this follow-up hearing.
Baltimore City Council member Odette Ramos (Baltimore City 14th District, which includes the neighborhoods of Abell, Better Waverly, Charles Village, Coldstream Homestead Montebello, Ednor Gardens-Lakeside, Guilford, Hampden, Harwood, Hillen, Hoes Heights, Homewood, Keswick, Lake Montebello, Oakenshawe, Original Northwood, Remington, Roland Park, Tuscany-Canterbury, Waverly, and Wyman Park), who has been a strong advocate for the threatened schools, made early introductory remarks, as well as City Council member Jermaine Jones (Baltimore City 12th District, which includes the neighborhoods of Ashland Park, Barclay, Broadway East, Central Baltimore, Charles North, Charles Village, Collington Square, Darley Park, Eager Park, Fells Point, Greater Greenmount, Greater Remington, Greenmount West, Historic Jonestown, Latrobe, Little Italy, Midtown, Midway, Mount Vernon Belvedere, South Clifton Park, Oldtown Mall, Oliver, Pleasant View Gardens, Washington Hill) and several parents. In general, early comments called for people in the community to get involved with the schools as mentors, and asked the Board of School Commissioners for “another chance” for the schools for another 2-3 years. The Board also received numerous emails and phone calls from concerned parents and community members, stressing concerns about the “domino effect” of closing these schools, especially at a time when the population in the affected districts is increasing and families are moving into many of these neighborhoods. It was noted that it is harder to open a new school than to support what is already there and that much of the information on school performance may be incomplete or inaccurate (for example, see Ms. Watts’ discussion of the Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary School family satisfaction survey results below) in part because of the problems of accurately interpreting post-Covid data.
These schools include in their services and curriculum a number of specialty programs that are needed for the children, including some with autism or emotional concerns; closing the schools without knowing how to replace those programs would be irresponsible. The overall appeal is to leave the schools open for the children if there isn’t such a cost savings from closing them.
Public comments were limited to those who had arrived several hours early to have their names placed on a speakers’ list, as well as several written comments that were sent to the Board in advance.
Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary School
This school, located at 201 E. 32st Street in the Barclay neighborhood (https://www.greatschools.org/maryland/baltimore/180-Dallas-F.-Nicholas-Sr.-Elementary-School/), is designated as an “open space” school, and is the one public school that was recommended for closure by the Board of School Commissioners.
The Board of School Commissioners’ argument for the closing of Dallas F. Nicholas seems primarily based on the school’s declining enrollment, which has been below 300 students for a number of years. The recommendation was to close Dallas F. Nicholas and send the students to nearby Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School, which has also seen declining enrollment. The claim, voiced in the January 14 Board of School Commissioners meeting, was that students at Margaret Brent were outperforming those at Dallas F. Nicholas. The CEO of the Board recommended the closure of Dallas F. Nicholas, the transfer of students to Margaret Brent for the 2026-2027 school year, and the designation of the Dallas F. Nicholas building for “future academic use”.
At the January 8 hearing, Ms. Smith, who taught special education students at Dallas F. Nicholas for 8 years, took issue with a number of statements made and actions taken regarding the school’s physical plant and offers of assistance. She expressed concern about word that the administration is recommending closing the school to use the building as administrative and storage space for office staff instead of students; new windows and elevators that had been recently installed were evidently for those purposes and not for the students. She also noted that claims that the district offered solutions to improve the attendance at Dallas F. Nicholas are at best disputed and at worst false; two programs were proposed over the last several years, but there has been no other support from the district. The staff at Dallas F. Nicholas had proposed before- and after-care programs to help improve enrollment, as well as partnerships with community organizations and programs. She noted that other “open space” schools were not recommended for closure despite district claims that “open space” schools were not effective. Her plea to the Board and to school administration leaders was to invest in Dallas F. Nicholas instead of closing it and to allow more time for the district to support Dallas as they have not done in the past, and to allow for more collaboration with community partners to show that they understand that “students, community and staff matter.”
The mother of an autistic student testified that her son has made great strides at Dallas F. Nicholas after a transfer from a school where his progress had been limited. She expressed gratitude for “the dedication of his teachers” as a major cause of his progress and development. Closure of the school would mean another upheaval for her son; disruption would bring more consequences for his progress and emotional well-being. “Cuts that destabilize our most vulnerable students … cost greater than any savings on a piece of paper.”
Ms. Watts, an educational associate working with the school family council chairperson, discussed an annual school family survey designed to assess the overall satisfaction with the school to be used for school improvement efforts. She compared survey data for Dallas F. Nicholas, located in the Barclay neighborhood and recommended for closure, with Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School, located in Charles Village (100 E. 26th St., https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/53) and not threatened with closure. The data detailed the satisfaction levels of families of children at both schools from the current year to those from the previous year, so trends from last year to this year were also measured. While absolutely no one was advocating for the closing of Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School (the prevailing points being that no school in Baltimore should be closed, especially those that are performing well for students), several discrepancies between family satisfaction survey results and improvement trends versus the Board of School Commissioners’ recommendation to close Dallas F. Nicholas could not be ignored.
- In the area of academic and career preparation, Margaret Brent School scored 74% satisfaction (a decrease from last year) while Dallas F. Nicholas scored 87% (an increase) and the overall district score was 77% satisfaction.
- In answer to the question “did anyone ask about the student’s learning needs?”, Margaret Brent was 64% (a decrease) while Dallas F. Nicholas was 81%.
- As for family composite scores, Margaret Brent was rated at 75% (a decrease), Dallas F. Nicholas was rated at 90% satisfaction (an increase), while the district overall was rated at 82%.
- In answer to the question “how connected is your family to the school and teachers?” Margaret Brent was rated at 52% (a decrease) while Dallas F. Nicholas was rated at 90% (an increase).
- In the area of family engagement, Margaret Brent was rated at 67% satisfaction (a decrease), Dallas F. Nicholas was rated at 89% (an increase) and the district overall was rated at 84%.
- In answer to “does your school connect you to resources?” Margaret Brent scored 61% and Dallas F. Nicholas scored 94%.
- In answer to “does your school give you ways to support your child’s academic success?” Margaret Brent was 71% and Dallas F. Nicholas was 94%.
- In overall satisfaction, Margaret Brent was 86% (a decrease), Dallas F. Nicholas was 92% (an increase), and the district overall was 83%.
- As for school climate, Margaret Brent was 74% (a decrease), Dallas F. Nicholas was 95% (an increase), and the district overall was 84%.
- In the area of school communication about student progress, Margaret Brent was 70% (a decrease), Dallas F. Nicholas was 85% (an increase), and the district overall was 78%.
“In summary, according to the district data from the school family surveys, Dallas families are more satisfied than Margaret Brent families. In every category, Dallas F. Nicholas has a better satisfaction rating than Margaret Brent and the district average. So the question we leave you with is why are we moving families from a school they are overwhelmingly satisfied with to a school where the current families are dissatisfied? We ask that Dallas is reconsidered for closure so that we can continue to build on our progress. Thank you.”
The parent of a first grader at Dallas F. Nicholas expressed concern that parents were not considered in the recommendation to close the school. Neighborhood differences were also not considered. This is important as the district where Dallas F. Nicholas is located is 75% Afrikan American, while the district where Margaret Brent is located (Charles Village) is 25% Afrikan American. She noted that there is evidence that closing schools in majority Black neighborhoods “accelerates gentrification.”
Dallas F. Nicholas was originally selected as a windowless, “open-plan” school while Margaret Brent, established 3 years later, was designed as a windowed school, which is connected to the neighborhood demographic. “Windowless schools were designed by the architectural elites to disconnect students in majority Black and Brown neighborhoods from what was perceived as blight outside of their school. And isn’t it ironic that that same architectural style is now being used as justification to further disinvest us from our schools? I don’t appreciate that.”
Claims that Dallas F. Nicholas was underperforming in math are contradicted by data that show that it is actually outperforming Margaret Brent over a 3 year average in math; there are similar discrepancies in language learning. Claims that students would be moved from a “2 star school” to a “3 star school” also are contradicted by data that show Dallas F. Nicholas is already a “3 star school” over the 3 year average.
Mark Blackman spoke about the support of the community for Dallas F. Nicholas, the district’s own data which show Dallas F. Nicholas is highly performing and the fact that the neighborhoods are very different; Barclay (Black and Brown and increasing in population) and Charles Village (mostly White, hugging the eastern boundary of the Johns Hopkins University campus). “We do not want our school building to become district administrative offices. … Our neighborhood needs Dallas elementary school, where it is. … Our parents, neighbors, families and kids need this school. … I get it. Baltimore City has a problem. We currently have more public school buildings than public school children to fill them. But identifying and agreeing on a problem does not justify a wrong solution or an incorrect one, and closing Dallas Nicholas would be both. It is an incorrect assessment to say one of these two schools must close, and if it isn’t, they chose the wrong school. You have many reasons to vote no on this recommendation.”
He noted that “for many people in our community 2025 has been a year of trauma and we would like 2026 to be something different. … I do not know how many times in your role as a school commissioner you have to make a difficult decision, but I do know that this does not have to be one. This can be an easy decision of you let it. Thank you.”
Kelly Bryan has taught at Dallas F. Nicholas for 6 years. She questioned the timing of capital improvement funds that the district had poured into the school, “implying that they wanted to provide for our students”. Metal murals reading “Dallas Pride”, a new nurses’ suite with room for children and patients with beds, replacement of brand new windows, lights and elevator in the building, “under the guise that it is for children, and then taking it away.”
A note was read from another parent stating that her child learns better in a school that is not overpopulated and the teachers know her by name. Learning objectives are being met, and her daughter is happy and feels loved.
Darren Kaufman, who works for a local area community development non profit, operating since 2008, said of Dallas F. Nicholas School that “it’s our best opportunity to really meet families where they are.”
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners Vote
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners initial questions around the closing of Dallas F. Nicholas involved Board members asking questions about the process rather than confronting the question of proceeding with the plan to close the school in the first place and the resistance shown by the community against this move. Comments in the January 14 meeting to “preserve the legacy of the closing school” were made. Plans to accommodate students with special needs (such as autism) as a result of the closure of Dallas F. Nicholas would be handled by the Office of Special Education. Some Board members called for “rigorous discussion” around this decision, and the Vice Chair stated that she was “torn” about the proposed closure. Comments were also made about the smaller class sizes and personal instruction that were available in schools, like Dallas F. Nicholas, had smaller enrollments, especially for students facing challenges, and the need to better support schools with smaller enrollments was mentioned. The “intimate feeling” offered by such schools was often offset by challenges in adequately staffing the schools, which could impact the sustainability of the school and its ability to grow in the future. Also, in several cases residents are choosing smaller schools because of the more personal, intimate and individualized instruction especially for the more vulnerable students, and closing such schools cuts against the investment of families to schools such as Dallas F. Nicholas as well as the more general issue of residents’ access to school choice. Concerns about the disruption to be experienced by vulnerable students were also voiced. Meanwhile, one argument made was that “it’s not sustainable, and our funding model is not built that way. … I don’t want to send the message that we can sustain” the funding of smaller schools such as Dallas F. Nicholas. Without supplemental funding, the school could not continue under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), which is not designed for schools under a certain funding level. It was moved that the recommendation be deferred until the following year’s annual review process based on the testimony at the two hearings, the COMAR regulations and other considerations and concerns voiced leading up to the vote. The motion passed, 7 to 4, to defer the decision to close Dallas F. Nicholas until the following year’s annual review, to consider testimony in the hearings, the COMAR regulations and other concerns. A related recommendation to reconfigure Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School (the deferral of the Dallas F. Nicholas closure made this recommendation impractical for Margaret Brent) was unanimously deferred to the following year’s annual review process in a vote taken later in this meeting.
Renaissance Academy
The IEP (Individualized Education Program) Chair of Renaissance Academy noted that most of the arguments to close the school are the same ones he would use to keep it open. Renaissance is the smallest high school in the city, it is an alternative school for those not over age and under credited, and they work hard to ensure students are supported and make it to graduation before winding up in an alternative program. A number of students transfer from Douglass, Carver, Patterson, Edmondson and nearly every other high school because they were struggling in a larger school. Students support each other and accept each other for who they are as well as receiving support from the staff. There is a need for the smaller institutions when the larger ones fail to provide the support students need.
Joshua Collier, a teacher at Renaissance for 3 years, stated that “the primary purpose of a school is student success, not cost efficacy alone. … closing a school that works … contradicts our obligation [to what we’ve] set out to do.” The budget cutting plan represents a “stopgap of $300,000 a year, which is one 3 thousandth of your budget, and you’re proposing displacing one tenth of a percent of your students. That is a 300 percent failure. This school has become a destination for students who have struggled elsewhere, including those larger, better-funded schools. Small class sizes are a requisite for the majority of my students. I have students that will crash out if there is more than 15 people in the room. … We’re not here to balance the budget. That’s not our purpose. Our purpose, as it was instituted by [US president Lyndon Johnson] back in the 60s, our purpose is to teach students. … to teach students where they are. Gotta meet them where they are. So, if we’re gonna meet them where they are, it might cost more, especially students that have needs. So the larger schools are not a proven alternative … so why are we sending them back? … we have an equity and ethical responsibility to our most challenged students.”
Chaplain Denise Reid, parent, spoke about her daughter’s story of success at the school, largely because of the small school size that gave her “space, attention and intentional care. Low enrollment should not be seen as a failure. It should be seen as an opportunity. Small schools require investment, not abandonment. When we allocate funds only to large schools, we send a message that students who need smaller, more personalized environments are less deserving. That is not equity. Renaissance Academy serves students who thrive in small settings, students who need extra encouragement, structure and connection. … Please do not silence a school that helps students find their voice.”
A 12th grader at Renaissance provided testimony from a student’s perspective. High school “students are often overlooked … and are not understood” in larger settings. Preparation “is not measured purely by size or conforming. … Preparation is measured by confidence, resilience, critical thinking and belief that you matter. These are the very qualities that small schools cultivate. Thus, when you question the value of this school, you are questioning the students who attend it. You are questioning their potential, their worth, and their future. Our students are not a problem to be solved or a narrative to be managed. They are the future leaders, workers and creators. Changemakers. Closing our school does not strengthen our community. It fractures it. It sends a message that those who do not fit into their criteria or in a certain mold are disposable. That if you don’t meet a certain criterion, you are cast aside rather than supported. Instead of closing us down, we ask you to stand with us, help us grow, help us improve, help us build stronger community, one that lifts people up instead of pushing them out. One that recognizes real change often begins in small places. Small groups of people that are given a chance to thrive. We are not asking to be ignored. We are asking to be seen for who we truly are. A school where students thrive, opportunity exists, and our future is being shaped every day. Do not reduce us to a number. Do not define us by a narrative. See us as a school, see us as a community, and most importantly, see our students as the future they are. Thank you.”
Steven Thomas of the Judge Alexander Williams Jr Center for Education, Justice and Ethics and the PS103 Thurgood Marshall Amity Center “formally advocates that Renaissance Academy remain open for the next 3 years under a redesigned and clearly articulated model. The discussion before this Board has made clear that Renaissance has evolved into a stabilization, re-engagement and healing environment for students impacted by trauma, many of whom are not well served in larger school settings. Closing the school without an equivalent replacement risks returning students to environments that previously failed them and displacing costs related to transportation, safety and support rather than resolving them. JAWC stands ready and willing to partner with the district and school leadership on a time-limited redesign plan that aligns Renaissance with what it has in practice become: a high-touch model that gives students the opportunities to heal, re-engage and ultimately thrive.”
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners Vote
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners meeting considered the recommendation to close Renaissance Academy. Renaissance has been among the smallest schools in the city for some time in terms of enrollment. Relatively low graduation rates and the low enrollment led to the recommendation to close Renaissance and relocate students to Edmondson-Westside High School, Frederick Douglass High School and Green Street Academy. As for utilization of the building, if the recommendation to close of Renaissance and the transfer of its students is approved, the building would be “occupied some other way”, which was a rather vague answer to the question. The ability of Renaissance to accept students who have struggled at other schools was noted as a concern around closing it. While this fact brought Renaissance some praise from Board members, the question of sustainability with such a small school was still in the forefront, especially with a school that has few, if any, extra-curricular activities for students. As with Dallas F. Nicholas, Board members admitted “struggling” with the decision to close Renaissance. It was stated that “moving forward, we will have to do getter as a district” in delivering the “childhood experiences they deserve” to students, an apparent acknowledgement that the system as a whole has not served the city’s students as well as it should have. Renaissance’s ability to work with over age and under credited students remains a concern that must be addressed when choosing to close a school, however. The motion to also defer this decision, to include finding ways to restructure Renaissance, was passed 10 to 1. Thus, the closure of Renaissance Academy is deferred until the following year’s annual review, similar to the decision to defer the closing of Dallas F. Nicholas, once again to consider public testimony in the December 11 and January 8 hearings, the COMAR regulations and other concerns.
Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys
Maryland Delegate Scott Phillips, 10th Legislative District, Northwest Baltimore County, made a statement of support. He co-founded Black Professional Men in 1991 with the CEO of the organization that runs the school, Mr. Edwin Avent. “The Collegiate School is not just another school, as you know. It is the only all boys school of its type in the state of Maryland. The only one. There are similar schools in Chicago, in Philadelphia and other places around the country, and those schools get a considerable amount of support, because there is an acknowledgement that the pedagogy for educating young black boys can be critical, particularly boys that may be challenged. We all know the data. Black and Brown boys in our city are disproportionately represented in suspensions, special education placements, academic failure, and eventually in the justice system. I actually serve on the Juvenile Justice Reform and Best Practices Commission. And in that role, one of the things I know is that we are over-represented … in that system. So, closing this school will not help to fix those challenges. It also will not be in the best interests, I think, of the parents and the students and the staff, just due to the disruption that it will cause to those who have chosen this unique academic experience. … There are some things that you can’t count, you can’t put your finger on. When I talk to Edwin and I talk to staff and I go there at the beginning of every year and we do this handshake thing where there are probably 100 to 150 men standing around the room with these young boys, offering them encouragement for the year, you can’t put your finger on the impact that that will have on these young men. When you think about the fact that it is my understanding that these young men, after they have gotten out of collegiate school and they end up in one of these high schools, they are actually graduating at a higher rate than the average of Baltimore City, you can’t put your finger on that. So as you’re making these decisions, just understand that there is a sauce in this thing we call male education, that may not be reflected specifically in the metrics that you’re working with, but it tends to work. … When I think about some of the young men we’ve dealt with, many many years ago, a name comes to mind. David Harris, the former chief of staff of Governor [Wes] Moore. He was one of those kids that we worked with 30 years ago. He wasn’t necessarily destined for where he ended up. And so my request is simple … to just keep this school open. We may need to put some additional resources in. I know there’s a model for charter schools, they’ve got to come up with their own money, but I think collectively we want it to be successful. So maybe we get outside the model a little bit, and look at how we keep this school open. We want to give these gentlemen stability, we want to give these families hope, and we want to remain committed to this opportunity to ensure the future of the Afrikan American male. I will end with this last comment; one of my mentors and very close friends, he said it repeatedly: ‘Our children are the messengers to a world that we will never see.’ If we close this school, what message are we sending? I thank you very much.”
Baltimore area activist Bill Goodin noted that Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys has been fulfilling its commitment to produce young men who are “respectful, making sure they respect one another, making sure they become appropriate, accountable professionals … We have to say, why are we trying to close a school that should be an example for other schools to follow? … A lot of times people say keep your eyes on the prize, well they are the prize. … Where are your eyes? … We want to make sure that young guys don’t end up in prison, don’t end up dead, don’t end up on drugs, but when you have somebody come along trying to make sure that doesn’t happen, then we have to fight the educators, the people who are supposed to really be concerned about young people, and we’re doing the same stuff we were doing back in 1950. Why are we fighting for education today for Black people to get educated?” Baba Goodin also criticized the way in which the hearing was conducted, noting that he had arrived several hours before the session to ensure he was included on the list of speakers. “Now, in my opinion, everybody here should have an opportunity to speak, because they’re here because they’re concerned, but you don’t give them that opportunity to be heard. So only a few people have that opportunity to speak for everybody, and that’s not right. … Why do we come up with schemes to make sure that people don’t participate? People waiting upstairs for two and three hours just to have an opportunity to come down here to have five minutes to try to protect a school that everybody should be fighting for. I’m very angry that we’re living in a time in 2026, when we’re doing the same kind of stuff we were doing in the 1950s [when education was often denied to Black people]. Why are we fighting for the right for Black boys to get educated in a Black city? Not just a Black city, but a Black city where most of the administrators in the political entity are Black? … Be conscious of the decision you make, and don’t be a rubber stamp [for revocation of charters and closing of schools].”
An 8th grader at Baltimore Collegiate School talked about how the school has helped him develop as an individual, overcome his challenges and rise to a high achieving group, lifting his grades to A’s and A-plusses. “closing the school will prevent future young Black boys to have a great education.”
A written statement was read from Mark Washington: “Today, we’re not just talking about a school. We’re talking about fairness. We’re talking about truth. Above all we’re talking about young lives whose futures are being shaped by the decisions made in this room. Baltimore Collegiate Charter School exists because this city dares to believe that Black boys deserve excellence, not excuses. When we make an honest, apples-to-apples comparison and look at the data with integrity, the truth is clear: Baltimore Collegiate boys outperform their peers in traditional city schools. That is not opinion, that is fact. … This school transformed a once abandoned building into a place of purpose and possibility. It stabilized the neighborhood, rallied families [through] hard work and community effort. To close it now is to unravel that progress and to send a dangerous message that even when communities succeed, the work can be erased overnight. … What is at stake here is not convenience, it is credibility. It is community trust. It is the future of young men who are already beating the odds. Baltimore Collegiate is not perfect but it is working. It provides structure, safety and opportunity. It anchors a community. And it delivers outcomes we should be strengthening, not shutting down. So today, I ask you to see the full picture. See the students, see the families, see the community. Let us choose truth over timing, progress over politics, promise over paperwork. Because saving Baltimore Collegiate is not about holding on to the past, it is about holding faith in the future.”
Parents also submitted statements attesting to the school’s positive impact on their children who are current and former (graduating) students and pleaded with the Board to reconsider the closing of the school. “Baltimore Collegiate is a source of pride, tradition and hope, a place that has proven time and time again that children can rise when given the right support. … We are ready to advocate, volunteer and partner in any way necessary to help strengthen the school. We simply ask for the chance to preserve this vital resource for our children and future generations to come.”
Edwin Avent, founder and CEO of Baltimore City School for Boys (BCSB), cited the city’s current statistics to highlight the critical role played by Baltimore Collegiate in the education of young Black boys. “Baltimore city graduation rates for Black economically disadvantaged boys is close to 60%. In some years it is lower. That means 4 out of 10 young men never earn a high school diploma. That leads them to the school-to-prison pipeline. Now, let me share what happens to boys who attend Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys. Over the last several graduating classes, BCSB alumni have gone on to graduate high school at rates between 85 and 92 percent. In 2025, 86% of our alumni graduated, in both 2023 and 24, 92% of our alumni graduated from high school on time, and nearly half of those boys are now in a 2 or 4 year college. These are not selected students. These are Black boys from the same neighborhoods facing the same economic challenges reflected in the citywide data. The difference is not who they are; the difference is the school they attended. BCSB works, and it works long after our students leave our building. So I ask the Board, plainly, how does it make sense to recommend closing a school where 9 out of 10 Black boys graduate high school when only 6 out of 10 graduate from [other] schools? But this decision is not just about academic outcomes. This is also about sustainability. I heard you loud and clear when it comes to the finances. Here, too, are some of the facts. BCSB has a clear and realistic fund raising plan projecting over half a million dollars per year over the next two years and more going forward. It includes major gifts, foundation support, community fund raising, and annual appeals. This is not aspirational; it is a structured plan, with identified revenue streams and timelines.” He also outlined a plan to ensure the availability of the building the school occupies through an agreement with a foundation that would obtain the building.
Kelvin Bridgers, principal of BCSB, spoke about the academic data, and shared several graphs comparing academic data at the beginning of the year with middle-of-the-year data, demonstrating the students’ progress. In the 2025-2026 school year, academic data showed an improvement of students from the 29th percentile in the beginning of the year to the 50th percentile by mid-year in literacy and from the 22nd percentile to the 55th percentile in mathematics. In addition, more math teachers have been hired to continue and speed up the progress in academics.
Jibril Berry, a student at Delaware State University who aspires to be a corporate attorney who attended BCSB from 2015-2018, spoke about the importance of the positive male role models BCSB provides to the students and the inspiration that gives them.
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners Vote
The January 14 Board of School Commissioners meeting considered the recommendation not to renew the charter for Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, operated by 5 Smooth Stones Foundation since 2015. The performance ratings consulted in determining the renewal of other charter schools (see below) were not kind to Baltimore Collegiate in the areas of Student Achievement, Climate and Finance/Governance, with “Developing” or “Not Effective” assessments. The recommendation from the Charter and Operator-Led Advisory Board, concurred by CEO Santelises, was non-renewal and closure at the end of the school year. The data seemed in conflict with information from other sources that Baltimore Collegiate was “on par” with other schools, the support of City Council member Odette Ramos, the impassioned testimonies from community members at the December 11 and January 8 hearings, and higher reported graduation rates compared to other schools, all of which at least one Board member found “confusing”. Graduation rates are not considered for middle schools because of the gap between graduation from middle school and graduation from high school, and thus Baltimore Collegiate’s future high school graduation rates, which had been cited as an indicator of the school’s success, were not considered. Several Board members admitted “struggling” with the decision. Cases of students whose progress improved at Baltimore Collegiate complicated the decision, especially considering the importance of supporting schools where young men are affirmed and that parents are sending them to. Is “every other school” really performing better than Baltimore Collegiate as is implied by one of the measures the Board is using for guidance? And are there areas of growth, as attested by supporters of the school, from the renewal review three years ago that are not being reflected in the ratings? Is there no prospect of the school pulling things together, with or without the assistance and guidance of the Board?
In the end, the Board determined, based on the ratings and their financial concerns, that there is a “clear underperformance” and “things are not working” even though they all said they want the school to succeed. The fact remains that “the system has gaps with too many young men” as one supporter on the Board stated, and they are responsible for a city that has young men who need a level of guidance, affirmation and Black male support that is often not provided by other academic institutions but is offered at Baltimore Collegiate School. Still, the weight of the performance ratings and the concerns raised by several Board members ultimately outweighed the passionate support from the community and from some City Council members for Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys. This vote was held after all the other votes (listed below) were completed, and most those who voted for the non-renewal did so “with heavy hearts”. The recommendation to deny renewal to Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys and close it at the end of the school year was approved with 6 in favor, 4 against and one abstention.
Since the Board of School Commissioners vote, reaction from supporters and a number of community activists has been angry but resolute in support of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys. Those members of the community who have sons enrolled in the school, have visited the school, have participated in the annual “handshake” ceremony welcoming students to a new school year and have personally met with Mr. Avent are naturally protective of the school’s efforts, especially since Baltimore Collegiate took on the challenge to “stand in the gap” to catch young Black boys, many of whom come from disadvantaged families and neighborhoods, before they “fall through the cracks” in the city’s educational system and find themselves in the “school to prison pipeline”. Concerns have been heightened by statements from supporters that the “measurements, surveys and evaluations … were higher this time around compared to the last time … but they graded [the school] more harshly”, with ratings of “Developing” in all three major categories in the previous review that were downgraded to “Not Effective” in two of the major areas despite what were described as significant improvements by school administrators and supporters. There is also the question of what the raw data actually say, since what was apparently consulted by the Board of School Commissioners to decide on the school’s charter were data that had already been processed into aggregate scores for English Language Arts and Math under the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) and “Effective”, “Developing” and “Not Effective” ratings instead of the raw data that purportedly led to these assessments. How the raw data was converted into these scores and ratings was not discussed in the online meeting, and may not be well understood by Board members who were depending on these assessments to make decisions on renewals, student transfers and school closures. This could be problematic, especially since the Board’s discussion noted a level of “confusion” with regard to what seemed to be conflicting assessments. These apparent discrepancies between the Charter and Operator-Led Advisory Board, the firm contracted by the Board who conducted the surveys and assessments, and the school’s administrators and supporters who have attested to the school’s importance and improvement efforts have led to some suspicions of an ulterior motive to close the only school in Baltimore city dealing specifically with Black boys.
Other Charter School Renewal Votes
The Baltimore Curriculum Project’s operation of Pimlico Elementary/Middle School was recommended for a 3-year renewal (July 1, 2026-June 31, 2029) with ratings of “Developing” or “Effective” in the three main areas (Student Achievement, Climate and Finance/Governance). The Board voted to accept the recommendation pf a 3-year renewal by a unanimous vote.
The Baltimore International Academy, operated by Baltimore International Academy, Inc. since 2007, was recommended for a 3-year renewal with ratings in the three main areas of “Effective” but with challenges in the area of Programming for Students with Disabilities, which was “concerning” and thus prevented a 5-year renewal. The Board voted to accept the 3-year renewal recommendation by a unanimous vote.
The Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, operated by Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, Inc. since 2009 and became a charter school in 2010. The school was recommended for a 3-year renewal with ratings of “Developing” or “Effective” in the three main areas, and “Highly Effective” in College and Career Readiness, though Not Effective in Math 6-8 and Algebra I. The Board voted to accept the recommendation of a 3-year renewal by a 9 to 0 vote with one absence and one abstention.
Lillie May Carroll Jackson School was recommended for a 3-year renewal with conditions (among them a financial plan), with ratings of “Developing” or “Effective”, and an “Effective” rating in the “5Essentials” survey indicating the school is “organized for success”. Financial issues were described as “concerning”. After discussion, the Board voted to accept the recommendation of a 3-year renewal with conditions by a unanimous 10 to 0 vote with one absence.
Clay Hill Public Charter School, operated by Bluebird Education Network, is up for their first renewal. Based on Effective ratings in all three major areas (Student Achievement, Climate and Finance/Governance), it was recommended for a 5-year (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2031) renewal. It was rated as “well organized for success” with a Highly Effective “5Essentials” score. The Board voted to accept the recommendation of a 5-year renewal by a unanimous 10 to 0 vote with one absence.
Coppin Academy, operated by Coppin State University in grades 9-12 since 2005 and becoming a charter school in 2007, was rated “Effective” or “Developing” in the three major areas. The initial recommendation by the CEO was a 3-year renewal. In view of the commitment of Coppin State University, its outperforming of schools in areas with similar poverty levels and the need to invest in West Baltimore in the same way as has been done in East Baltimore, it was suggested for the Board to consider increasing the renewal to 5 years despite a “Developing” rating in the area of Climate. Another suggestion was a conditional 5-year renewal based on improvement of the Climate rating as opposed to a 3-year renewal with no conditions. The recommendation of a modified 5-year conditional renewal was accepted by the Board by a margin of 6 yes, 3 no, 1 absent and 1 abstention.
Preliminary Conclusions
In a city that, like many urban centers that are economically and politically marginalized, is constantly struggling to save its children from becoming “statistics” to be pushed into the “school-to-prison pipeline”, hearings and meetings such as these often strain one’s sense of logic and justice. When it is time to arm police with increasingly deadly military-grade weapons and welcome “law enforcement” agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into our communities to harass and terrorize residents, the money flows from both federal and local coffers regardless of political corruption or professional incompetence. When corporations insist that they need tax breaks and subsidies to stay in town, political leaders rush to unlock the safe despite the numerous skeletons in these corporations’ closets or the blood on their hands. At election time, we often enthusiastically go to the polls to vote for egocentric, addle-brained or corrupt leaders, often without batting an eye. But when the closing of schools, recreation centers, libraries and firehouses is the topic, often the money is not there to continue to fund them, complicated metrics are trotted out to justify their non-renewal or abolishment without offers of financial options or professional assistance, and when dedicated education professionals and community activists plead to administrators, their entreaties are too often ignored or are drowned out by statistics and regulations. The recent drop in crime statistics in Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburgh and other major cities led now by Black mayors has been closely tied to those administrations’ efforts to provide support to violence-interrupters, schools and related community organizations on the ground. Despite the denials by right-wing politicians who insist on “tough on crime” over-weaponization of police, these community-directed efforts to alleviate citywide suffering and the violence it generates have clearly borne fruit, and strong schools are a major part of that effort. In this case, much of the impetus to close these schools seems tied more to low enrollment (and the smaller class sizes that result) than to performance of the students who attend these schools, and when performance is the concern, the deficits the students face at the start due to poverty or previous education system failures are often overlooked, and school administrators who may have more commitment and enthusiasm than expertise are faced with near-insurmountable obstacles without the needed support from the regulators. For decades, educators, activists and even conservative charter-school advocates have argued that smaller class sizes, more personal instruction and an increase in Black male role models are key to reversing the trend toward marginalization and criminalization of our youth. Now that these schools have reached many of those once-lauded milestones, financial regulators and officials who might not even understand the numbers (as indicated by the discrepancies in family satisfaction data for Dallas F. Nicholas, as detailed in Ms. Watts’ testimony on January 8) have made the recommendation to cut these institutions off at the knees just as they seem to be making hard fought progress with the city’s youth. It’s deeply unfortunate that Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys was not granted a renewal of its charter. It’s also unfortunate that their aggregated performance ratings alone compelled the Board to recommend the non-renewal. At the same time, the decisions to spare Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School and Renaissance Academy, and to renew the other charter schools, were important victories for the city’s children who already struggle to overcome the odds imposed on them without having to face the closing of their schools. Perhaps, in the event that the Board of School Commissioners’ decision cannot be reversed, if alternative funding and expertise can be mustered and the substantive concerns answered, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys can rise from this setback with some of the same heart, grit and determination that has been shown by the community members and activists who have been fighting for them, and will continue to fight for them, with the assistance of the city of Baltimore or without it.
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Maryland on Eutaw Place in Baltimore was the gathering place for a number of activists, organizers and spiritual leaders from different parts of the United States as they paid tribute to Recent Ancestor Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (October 4, 1943 – November 23, 2025), once known to those of us who were “Sixties activists” as H. Rap Brown.
Organized by Sis. Tomiko of Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign (APP-HRC) and the Internet radio programs Africa 500 and The REvolution Is Black Love, the event drew attendees from Baltimore, Washington DC, South Carolina, Philadelphia PA, Atlanta GA, New York NY and Los Angeles CA.
Baba Mike Johnson, one of the co-founders (with Baba Bill Goodin and Baba David Murphy) of BlackMen Unifying BlackMen a decade ago, delivered the welcome and introductory remarks, reminiscing on his early days in the Civil Rights and Black Power marches and how Imam Jamil Al-Amin and other freedom fighters of the day had influenced his activism as well as his development as a Black Man.
Longtime educator and activist Baba Charlie Dugger, who sponsors the annual Garvey Day and Billie Holliday celebrations in Baltimore as well as numerous presentations during Kwanzaa, gave an invocation and libation to the Ancestors.
Imam El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan, a human rights advocate with The Aaria Foundation in the Washington, DC area, spoke about Imam Al-Amin’s transition from Black radical freedom fighter to respected Imam and how this did not mean the end of the repression he faced until his final days: “The opposition understood this as well. H. Rap Brown became a bigger, more closely watched target after his spiritual transition.” He noted Coretta Scott King’s request for a fair trial for the Imam and the vicious backlash that resulted, including predictions from the mass media that he “would die in prison, alone and forgotten. … While he did indeed die in prison, execution by medical neglect is what we call it, the other part of that prediction has proven to be false. Our creator has revealed, in the final revelation for all humanity, the Qur’an, ‘Do not say of those who are slain in the way of Allah that they are dead. They are alive receiving sustenance from their lord, though you do not perceive it.’ A Syrian poet wisely noted, ‘The blood of a martyr is not an ordinary blood. It transfuses itself into the life of a people and energizes them. We didn’t just bury a body on November 26, 2025 in South Florida. We planted a seed, and the struggle continues.” 
Imam Ayman Nassar, founder of the Baltimore-based Islamic Leadership Institute of America (ILIA), who works in youth development and leadership, connected the Imam’s work with Qur’anic passages to show that the beautiful struggle: “Indeed, the believers are those who believe in Allah, in God, and his messenger, and they have no doubts, then they exert effort with their lives, their wealth, for the path of God. These are the truthful ones.” Our lives are a continuum of struggles, and the Imam’s struggle was a lifelong one, “to uphold truth and justice in the face of tyranny.” Imam Al-Amin exemplified “the exertion of effort with no hesitation and no doubt.” He stressed the importance of following the proper principles, the proper spiritual directives, and the proper means, “with no hesitation, with no doubt. … They believed, they walked the talk, and they had no hesitation. They knew that they are on the straight path, and they are going to just keep plugging through. … understanding that it’s going to involve discomfort. Sometimes pain. Sometimes losses. Losses of life, or wealth, or both. … and intentions are sincere …” Imam Al-Amin was in constant transformation, learning, growing and becoming more focused on “what truly counts.” One must be peaceful but must also know when to be strong in the face of oppression. One must work on their personal growth so as to be able to lead through submission and not through domination of others. Baba Nassar related all of this to what he referred to as the Seven Criteria for a Beautiful Struggle, focused on the divine revelation that is perfect, that has no impurities, that has mercy for mankind and follows in the footsteps of the best man who walked on this planet, the Prophet, it must involve discomfort, the exertion of effort, the investment of wealth, and must be sincere.
Baba Khalil Abdulkabbir came from New York to speak about his interaction and work with Imam Jamil Al-Amin. Having been inspired in his teens by the man who was at the time known as H. Rap Brown, he would come into Islam in his twenties in Brooklyn with the Dar al Islam Movement, a network of American Muslims in Brooklyn dedicated to raising the status of the community, build autonomy and establish places of worship, schools and governing bodies according to the tenets 
of Islam, and he began interacting with those who were incarcerated in New York state prisons. He had met H. Rap Brown at that time (around 1972) and was impressed with his calmness, humility and perspective despite his having been targeted, prosecuted and incarcerated in Ossining, New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility at a young age, already branded as dangerous by the powers that be. Imam Jamil was influenced by the Dar al Islam Movement, and “the amazing thing that Imam Jamil did … was 0hat he showed that people of faith can still hold on to and continue on the road to revolutionary change. You don’t have to think that, because you are religious, that you just pray and that you just fast, but also there are also things that are within your faith practice that is about raising your status as an individual …” Imam Jamil would found a number of masjids across the country modeled on the Dar al Islam Movement. His work would help form the 1993 Islamic Shura Council that brought together the four major American Muslim organizations, including Imam Warith Deen Muhammad’s. Imam Jamil Al-Amin was always engaged in helping others, always asking “What can I do for you?”, which is a lesson we can all learn from in seeking ways to work more effectively with each other. He closed his remarks with a quote from one of Imam Jamil’s writings, “Truth is the cry of all but the discipline of the few. There is no worse lie than truth misunderstood by those who say they know. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a treason. Truth is absolute. Truth is never relative. … To speak the truth is a part of faith. In a time of universal deceit, to speak the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Baba Waziri Mustafaa Taqwaa Waliuddin of the Jericho Movement-Atlanta spoke about the political prisoners as “the heartbeat of the struggle”. Having always known him as the Imam he became rather than the SNCC revolutionary he had been in his youth, Baba Mustafa noted that Imam Jamil was always “there in real time … still doing grassroots work in the community” and not hiding in the church or mosque. Having been raised never to compromise, even as he found himself facing a stint of incarceration of his own, he had learned not to talk to the 
police, not to romanticize the struggle, not to romanticize revolution and “not to live in a bubble either”; as he embraced the mantle of being a New Afrikan Muslim, he learned to embrace activism and Islam as a “culture of resistance”, he learned that “just because you lick the slave master’s boot, won’t liberate you, won’t stop him from coming and knocking at your door.” Islam showed him that “the first revolution is inside yourself. … If we don’t liberate ourselves, we can’t liberate nobody. … We’ve got to be accountable for our actions. … We can no longer think we are safe from a diabolical system … that will show you no mercy.” Imam Jamil Al-Amin, as well as all our political prisoners, are “the heartbeat of the struggle, and they need our assistance.” Baba Mustafa challenged us to show up for our communities with the same commitment and enthusiasm that was shown in the recent No Kings Marches. July 4, 2026 will see a mobilization to freedom against ongoing genocide and celebrating 250-plus years of resistance in Atlanta, Georgia.
Attorney Mama Efia Nwangaza began her remarks with excerpts of several freedom songs reminiscent of the marching songs that strengthened the people as they faced batons, rubber bullets, firehoses and police dogs during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, followed by the greeting “Free The Land”. Having been active in the freedom struggle during the Imam’s heyday as H. Rap Brown, she called us all to follow the Imam’s example by noting that “his mantra, ‘To be Black is necessary but not sufficient,’ challenged us all to struggle as did he. … November 23 is not the day he died; in fact it’s the day that he spoke loudest, for which he is echoed and multiplies. It is our duty that we not allow him to be silenced or forgotten.”
Baba Tyronne Morton, longtime prison activist and psychologist, spoke about Tawhid, the Islamic principle of the Creator’s absolute oneness, and drew comparisons to Imam Jamil Al-Amin’s consistent struggle for truth. “When you’re fighting for the truth, you’ve got to be constant. … you’ve got to have patience. … And … the most important thing is sincerity.” He spoke of parables, “the way that Allah communicates with us to get us to understand. … If you’re conscious, you understand. If you’re not conscious, you’re in trouble.”
the devil has distracted us from [everything] but materiality. … And that was done purposely a long time ago. Why? Because when you’re distracted [to] materiality, you have no time for the remembrance of Allah. You have no time because you’re out there hustling, doing what you’ve got to do to survive. So, we live in a world right now where we are basically imprisoned based on somebody else’s way of thinking and doing. If you don’t understand the culture that you are a part of, if you don’t understand American culture, you are an imprisoned person … because culture carries the values, culture carries the principles that give you your perspective on life, what reality is, what reality is not, what’s right, what’s wrong. Culture does that. So whoever set up the culture, set you up. Set me up.” Connecting this to Imam Jamil Al-Amin, he noticed that the system had set up Black men in particular into a certain way of thinking and behaving. “He understood that the culture was set up with a certain message for Black people: ‘Nigger, you ain’t nothing. Nigger, you ain’t about nothing, and we’re going to keep our foot on your neck as long as we can.’ … During the enslavement period, they did it through a system. They locked us in.” Nowadays, the culture does it in a more sophisticated manner, “locking us into a material universe, devoid of Tawhid.” Imam Jamil Al-Amin was “trying to find another mode of thinking and behaving” that he did not find in the Panthers, SNCC, the Civil Rights Movement or the street organizations, that would equip him to discern those who were true from those who were false, and to fight those who practice evil. The prison system tested him in ways that many of us are not prepared to be tested. He understood that to deal with anything, one must deal with Tawhid. “This Brother was true, true to the cause.” We live in a system right now that forces us into a struggle between what is right and what is wrong, and most of us are lost. Imam Jamil Al-Amin was a living parable of jihad, of struggle, and his faith helped see him through, even in prison, helping him leave the materialistic existence behind to live on the plane of spirituality with higher beings. “Allah said when you don’t remember him, he won’t remember you.”
Imam Abdul Salaam Muhammad, Representative of the Honorable Louis Farrakhan in Baltimore from Muhammad Mosque No. 6, also spoke about Imam Jamil Al-Amin. After giving all praise to Allah and thanking Him “for all of his messengers and all of His prophets” and giving thanks for The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Honorable Louis Farrakhan and the “second chance” to get to know Imam Al-Amin, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and the Black Panther Party through the Nation of Islam and Afrikan American Muslims, he likewise thanked Sis. Tomiko and the organizers of this gathering for the remembrance and exaltation of Imam Al-Amin and the opportunity for all of us to participate in it. Reflecting on his first meeting, at age 25, with Imam Al-Amin in Washington, DC at an event in support of Ancestor Kwame Ture as he was battling illness, he noted Imam Al-Amin’s comment that “the essence of love are the principles upon which life in the 
universe are based, and those principles are freedom, justice and equality. And those who truly love struggle, the struggle for these principles, and since these principles are eternal, those who struggle for these eternal principles ultimately find eternal life.” He connected this to Sheikh Saalakhan’s earlier remarks that we should “not speak of those who are slain or die in the way of Allah as being dead; nay, they are alive; we just can’t technically perceive it.” Imam Al-Amin “lived his life for freedom, justice and equality, but he did it in the strongest of ways.” This connects with the platforms of the Nation of Islam and other revolutionary organizations calling for freedom for our Political Prisoners and for the right of People of Afrikan Descent to determine our own path and destiny as a people, to live free from US and western oppression. He urged us all to not “let his work or any other work of our Ancestors or leaders of the modern time die. That is the proper use of social media, to use it to educate. That’s the proper use of podcasts now, to indoctrinate the minds of young people that are binging on foolishness, and the filth and degeneracy and hot topics of the world where they’re destroying Black leaders and Black People at every turn.” He closed with a prayer and an official letter from The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to the family, friends and followers of Imam Jamil Al-Amin, “a great friend and a Brother. … the greatest revolutionary in the Civil Rights Movement. … He is among those who have been falsely accused of murdering a police officer, but he was never a criminal in our eyes, and he died a fierce, uncompromising Brother. We in the Nation Of Islam will always revere him and keep him in our honor as an Ancestor inspiring us to continue in the struggle and until every one of our people and all of those unjustly imprisoned will be set free. May Allah grant him protection and have mercy on him. May the historians write the truth concerning this wonderful Brother. May Allah’s peace surround his wife and his sons and grant peace to all who stand for justice and righteousness.”
Dr. Umar Johnson traveled from Philadelphia to attend the event (“There’s a special energy in Baltimore, Maryland”), noted that he had not had the honor of meeting many of the freedom fighters of Imam Jamil Al-Amin’s time (“I stand on the shoulders of the departed ones”) and spoke at length about our need as a community to honor Imam Jamil Al-Amin’s work by remembering “what we owe ourselves” as well as what the oppressor owes us by becoming more committed to the internal reparations manifested by “teaching our children where they come from … who they are [and] what the struggle was before they were born”, 
important requirements that he sees lacking in our community as a trained school psychologist; committing to our community-building work; establishing our own schools, hospitals, grocery stores and other much-needed infrastructure that our community needs; and less enamored with consumerism among the general populace and empty self-promotion by those who seek to take the mantle of leadership in our community. “Things will only get better when Black People make them better. … We need to get serious, we need to get focused, we need to get organized as a community. … Ancestors will come, ancestors will go, but we have to make sure that the work continues. And the best way to make the work continue is to make sure we’re building institutions for our children in which they can be taught that legacy. The reason that they don’t know H. Rap Brown is we don’t have enough schools that teach them H. Rap Brown. The reason that they don’t know H. Rap Brown is we no longer have the study groups we used to have that teach them H. Rap Brown. … We’ve got to build Councils of Elders in every Black community. The Elders have not done your work yet. … It is time for you to institutionalize your wisdom and give it back to the babies.”
Dr. Maulana Karenga, initiator of the annual Afrikan American Afrikan-centered commemoration we know as Kwanzaa, gave a keynote address online over Zoom. “We must speak truth and justice, and walk in the way of light. … We are here to pay homage … to Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.” He wished health, peace and blessings to the Imam’s family, and he brought greetings from the Organization Us. He thanked Sis. Tomiko for organizing this event. As he gave homage to Imam Al-Amin’s work and legacy, he spoke of the meaning of Imam Al-Amin’s name. “Jamil speaks to his beautifulness, inward and outward. It’s the same as in Swahili, when we say Zuri, or in Zulu … or in Ancient Egyptian, Neter. It’s not just beautiful on the outside, it’s goodness on the inside. He was a good person, and therefore, he was what we would call in the community, “a beautiful Brother”. Second, his name is Abdullah … servant of Allah … his commitment to give of himself to Allah, to offer his life … to submit to the will of Allah for good and justice … his commitment to live a righteous life to reflect God’s will. His name Al-Amin, the sincere one, the genuine one, the trustworthy one, one who we can rely on, and count on in times of need, in times of testing and struggle, and always, and anywhere, at any time. … I will always see him as … a Sixties Soldier, conscious, courageous, committed to the Black freedom struggle … a fearless leader of a generation.” He quoted a line from the Husia that instructs us that “we are all morally obligated to bear witness to the truth, and to set the scales of justice in their proper place among those who have no voice, and he did that.” Imam Al-Amin “raised our people and challenged them to stand up, step forward and continue the liberation struggle. … a shield and a sword, a pillar of peace, and a constant call to righteous and relentless struggle.” He recounted meetings at SNCC Headquarters in different parts of the country, where Imam Jamil Al-Amin did his work, “making sense, doing work as he was 
saying this … making a case for togetherness … a master rapper, skilled in the spoken word … and he lit fire to falsehood.” Dr. Karenga recalled Imam Jamil Al-Amin’s words that we must not expect to be given justice by our enemy, and that “I can find only three places for a righteous man in an evil society: on the battlefield fighting his enemy, in a cell imprisoned by the enemy, or in his grave, free from his enemy.” Dr. Karenga noted that “Imam Jamil committed himself to be both a Shahid and a Mujahid as he became a Muslim. He wanted to be a witness … for good in the world, and he was.” The consciousness for continued struggle is exemplified in the Qur’anic passage, “We are on the battlefield for something good … and for the weak and the oppressed upon men …” Dr. Karenga noted three key and interrelated aspects of the righteous work that Imam Jamil Al-Amin had undertaken: “Mujahid, a righteous warrior; an Imam, a righteous guide; finally, a Shahid, that did not volunteer but was ready to offer, and did offer his life and his death, in witness … to his faith, in witness to his people, in witness to the will and work of Allah God for justice and good in the world.” Dr. Karenga encouraged us all to ask ourselves, “How can we best honor him except by trying to learn the lessons of his life and legacy, and … live them in our own particular way?” Dr. Karenga noted Imam Al-Amin is known and honored for his work as “a spiritual guide, a teacher, a counselor … who continued to work for the people, his religious community and the good of humanity … in work of peacemaking, peacekeeping, mediation, prevention and resolution of conflict, fostering conciliation, and building relationships of mutual respect, mutual commitment and mutual good … keeping of peace to bring good into the world.” The commitment to Islam as a religion of peace reminded Dr. Karenga of passages from The Husia and the Qur’an: “You are committed to fight against those who would fight against you, but do not be aggressive, for Allah loves not the aggressor.” The concept of struggle, often referred to in revolutionary circles as jihad, was also discussed, and the importance that the first level of struggle is within, “to strengthen ourselves, spiritually and ethically, so that we can weather all storms. … As a moral spiritual teaching, Imam Jamil teaches us that ultimately, we are confronted in our struggle for the good of society and the world, with certain questions, because we want a good soldier; we don’t want just any soldier. We don’t want the soldier that we see on a live stream committing genocide, wiping out people without any sentiment except blood lust. We don’t want that. So, we have to ask ourselves, What do we bring in to being a good person? How do we raise a people? How do we [bring] consciousness and awareness among humanity that makes us strive for the best? He concludes, It begins with us. … We have to struggle internally to make sure we’re strong enough to overcome hardship and suffering without compromising and walking away from the battle before the struggle is won.” Imam Jamil Al-Amin exemplified jihad, struggle, as a young man, as an imam, and as a political prisoner, from Mujahid to Shahid, to make the world more humane, and this must be the goal of anyone who considers themselves a revolutionary. As such, Dr. Karenga told us that Imam Jamil Al-Amin left us four key lessons: “The first is, we must be spiritually grounded, ethically grounded, in whatever faith we are, ground yourself in the best of what it means to be Afrikan and to remaking the world. Speak that special truth to the world. Make your own unique contribution to how we reconceive and reconstruct this world. And at the heart of all of it is this … to speak truth, to do justice, to care for the poor and vulnerable among us, to have a rightful relationship with the environment, to constantly struggle against evil, injustice and oppression, and to always raise up, praise and pursue good. … Second, is the practice of the Afrikan ethical imperative to love and serve the people. Service is an ethical imperative. … Serve God, so He can protect and provide for you; serve your Brothers and Sisters, so you can be respected for it, serve a wise person so they can teach you wisdom, serve anyone so you can benefit from it, and serve your mother and father so you can go forward and prosper. … All the great people you know is because they served. They gave their lives and their deaths for the cause of good for all of us. Third thing, is the beauty in diversity. [This is what we called] unity in diversity. And Imam Jamil taught this and practiced this, in his SNCC days, in his early days and in his latter days. He brought us together, as he brings us here, today. … The fourth one, is struggle. … Be able to suffer and persevere without breaking, without compromising, without walking away from the battlefield before the struggle is won, without seeking a comfortable place in oppression while all of our people are suffering. Struggle is part of nature. … We are born in struggle. Struggle is one of the defining aspects of the human personality. We struggle when we come into being; that’s called birth. We struggle to make the most out of things; that’s called life. And we struggle not to go out of being; that’s called quest for immortality. And it is in our doing good in life and our quest for immortality that we are rewarded … in the afterlife. … Let me end by saying this: this is our duty, to know our past and honor it; to engage our present and improve it; and to imagine our own future and to forge it in the most ethical, effective and substantive way. … Our Honored Ancestors teach us, our sacred texts teach us: continue the struggle, keep the faith, hold the line, love and respect our people and each other. Let us practice the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles. Seek and speak truth, do and demand justice, in positive concern for the well-being of the world, and all that are in it. …” 
Several local community activists and grassroots community members also gave brief reflections on the Imam’s life and the importance of a real understanding of the concept of jihad as consistent struggle within oneself as well as within the greater society. Among the local speakers were Nana Akua Akomfo Nyamekye, current Queen Mother of Baltimore City and advocate for political prisoners who had served with Marshall “Eddie” Conway in the Baltimore Black Panthers and the Soul School, and as such was an ally of Imam Jamil Al-Amin, and who reminded us that we must support activists like MOVE’s Mama Pam Africa and that “the work is never done”; Baba Ade Oba Tokunbo, also a member of the Black Panther Party from his days in New York and is the founder of the Baltimore-based Organization of All Afrikan Unity Black Panther Cadre (OAAUBPC); Baba Charlie Dugger, longtime Baltimore area educator, activist and sponsor of the annual Marcus Garvey Day an Billie Holliday celebrations; Baba Bill Curtis, local activist and vendor of Afrikan-centered paraphernalia including the red, Black and Green flags seen across the city; Mama Kilolo Watkins, member of the Maryland Council of Elders; Ras Tre Subira, community activist, educator and photographer who provided the photography and videography of the event through his company Black Mission Media; Bro. Vernon Streater, founder of Unity TV and provider of the livestream of the event; Baba King Teasdell of the Souls of Life Society; and several others, some of whom had known him as younger people.
Much gratitude to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Maryland, 1307 Eutaw Place in Baltimore that made this event possible by providing the space, and their representative, Baba Marc Rollins (pictured above, second from left), who was present to assist throughout the event.
On December 11, 2025, a hearing was held at the headquarters of the Board of Commissioners, Baltimore City School Board to listen to initial testimony on behalf of four Baltimore City area schools: 
The December 11 hearing drew an overflow crowd of community activists, concerned families and educators who had gathered at the school headquarters to voice their support for the four schools. After delaying their appearance for the hearing by close to an hour, an act that had many of those in attendance growing increasingly impatient with what they saw as a bureaucratic stall tactic designed to discourage many of the attendees, led to numerous call-and response chants (“It’s 5:52. Where are you?” and “It’s 5:58. Why are you late?” are two examples) and comments that students who report late to class are sent to detention, the board members finally appeared and informed the gathered crowd that the hearing would not begin because there were not enough chairs for everyone. Most of those who had come to voice their support for the schools were sent to “overflow rooms” where they would wait until the specific school foe which they were advocating was scheduled to make its presentation. This not only inconvenienced the public, but it also had the effect of dividing them so that advocates for one school could not see and hear the proceedings as they impacted the other schools. By “cutting” the gathering into four parts, the board members spared themselves the impact of facing such an intimidating crowd of supporters all at once and were also able to paint these four cases as “isolated incidents” and blunting the perceived impact that these closure decisions would have on the greater community.
Supporters are urged to write letters to the Baltimore City School board and Board of Commissioners, support the petitions that have been launched at support Web sites for the schools, to make donations to these institutions as they face possible defunding by the Baltimore City School Board, and to make plans to attend the follow-up hearing at the Baltimore City Schools headquarters on January 8.
“I speak to you as a man–a Wampanoag Man. I am a proud man, proud of my ancestry, my accomplishments won by a strict parental direction (“You must succeed – your face is a different color in this small Cape Cod community!”). I am a product of poverty and discrimination from these two social and economic diseases. I, and my brothers and sisters, have painfully overcome, and to some extent earned the respect of our community. We are Indians first–but we are termed ‘good citizens.’ Sometimes we are arrogant but only because society has pressured us to be so.
Trump administration. In Baltimore, the Pan-African Liberation Movement (PLM) is holding an 
The Pan Afrikan Liberation Movement (PLM, 
The Pan Afrikan community lost a mighty voice for freedom on September 25, 2025 with the passing to the Honored Ancestors of Assata Olubgbala Shakur. A veteran of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and Black Liberation Army (BLA), wounded in a May 2, 1973 shootout on Interstate 95 that also took the lives of fellow BLA member Zayd Shakur and New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster, tried and convicted of murder despite physical evidence and medical testimony that she was not holding a weapon and was shot in the back with her hands raised, tortured in the hospital as she recovered from her injuries, imprisoned in an all-male US gulag until her liberation and escape in 1979, aided by other BLA members and White revolutionaries, and finally settling in Cuba under the protection of the Fidel Castro government, she finally passed on to the ancestors at age 78, living the life of a free Black woman in exile from the United States with her daughter.
I am hardly qualified to speak about the immeasurable courage, dedication and sacrifice that she embodied. My words would so inadequately describe the life and legacy of New Ancestor Assata Shakur. So I will leave this task to others, from the lyrics of a tribute song by recording artist/actor Common (above) to news articles to tributes on several youth-oriented and pro-Black Web sites to a couple of quotes from Assata herself.
We share here links to several Web sites that have published short biographies and tributes to her, including an article about the reaction of US FBI Director Kash Patel’s remarks and the “Black backlash” that erupted in response to his disrespectful words. We start with the news article from the Associated Press.
