Volume 134 No. 44
THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM
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MAY 30, 2026 - JUNE 5, 2026
‘We Only Keep Excellence’: Thousands of Maryland HBCU grads embrace next chapter By Dr. Deborah Bailey AFRO Contributing Editor dbailey@afro.com Across the state, thousands of students from Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities walked across the stage and stepped into their future this graduation season. From Morgan State University (MSU) to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), scholars donned their caps and gowns with pride, as words from various commencement speakers inspired all in attendance.
UMES Hawks soar
Maryland State Sen. Corey V. McCray, who represents East and Northeast Baltimore’s District 45 in Annapolis, helped close out the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s (UMES) banner year in a speech to the 319 graduates for the school’s 139th spring commencement. The state senators’ strongest message was offered in the story of his rise from serving time in the juvenile justice system, to becoming a certified electrical technician, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and now, the State Senate. McCray encouraged the graduates to take advantage of every opportunity. “Exposure creates opportunity, but opportunity only matters if you do something with your time. If you want
Photo courtesy of Bowie State
Thousands of Black students across Maryland are now degree holding scholars, putting Black excellence of full display this graduation season. Shown here, Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, president of Bowie State University, with members of the Class of 2026. a different life, you’re going to have to be uncomfortable,” said McCray, to those assembled May 15 in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. Black students from Baltimore
and beyond represent a growing student population for UMES. The HBCU campus, spread across more than 1,000 acres in historic Princess Anne, Md., has extended its reach
in recent years to students across the Eastern United States and to 40 countries, attracting both undergraduate and graduate students to an institution with research opportunities,
experiential learning and the unique extra-curricular life of an HBCU. A contingent of Baltimore students receive an annual scholarship from the Ozzie Newsome Scholars program, underwritten by Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and wife. Others are attracted by unique academic offerings not seen at other universities across the state, like UMES’s iconic Aviation Sciences Program, several programs in agricultural and food sciences, and a unique hospitality and tourism program featuring the university’s own fully functional hotel and banquet facility. Some of the graduates were attracted to the break from the fast pace of city life. Students from smaller towns like David Martin, who received his degree in exercise management, enjoyed the closeknit relationships he forged and felt UMES was the right place to take a chance on his dreams. “I am the little island boy who dared to dream,” said the Caribbean native. “I left Jamaica with nothing but faith, ambition and the belief that I could become more than what my circumstances suggested.” Dr. Heidi Anderson, president of UMES, is finishing her eighth year at the school’s helm and has worked collaboratively with faculty and staff Continued on A5
Byron Allen expands Black AFRO News to honor nine Baltimore institutions preserving ownership visibility in history, truth and culture during late-night television Juneteenth Breakfast By AFRO Staff
By AFRO Staff
afro.com
AFRO News will honor nine Baltimore-area institutions during its 2026 Juneteenth “Stewards of Legacy”
Breakfast, recognizing organizations helping preserve the stories, struggles, achievements and cultural contributions that shape both Black history and the broader American experience. The organizations will be recognized Thursday, June 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway in Baltimore. This year’s honorees are the Maryland State Archives; the Baltimore Museum of Art; The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum; the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum; the Reginald F. Lewis Museum; the Baltimore Museum of
Industry; the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum; the Maryland Center for History and Culture; and the Sankofa Children’s Museum. Leaders from each institution will join guests from across the region to celebrate the vital role these organizations play in preserving historical records, amplifying Black voices and fostering a deeper understanding of the nation’s shared history. Together, the institutions represent a broad commitment to preserving history, Continued on A3 AFRO Photo
Nine Baltimorearea organizations, including museums and archives, will be recognized by AFRO News during its annual Juneteenth celebration on June 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, honoring stewards of history and cultural preservation.
Media mogul Byron Allen has expanded his late-night television presence after CBS moved his comedy series, “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” into the former “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” time period. Allen’s show had already been airing on CBS before the network elevated it into the flagship late-night slot following the end of Colbert’s program, giving a Blackowned media company a higher-profile position within network television. Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, has said he is not attempting to recreate Colbert’s politically driven style. “I created and launched ‘Comics Unleashed’ 20 years ago so my fellow comedians could have a platform to do what we all love — make people laugh,” Allen said in CBS’ announcement. Unlike traditional late-night talk shows built around celebrity interviews and political monologues, “Comics Unleashed” features comedians seated together sharing jokes, stories and observations about everyday life. Allen has also
AP Photo/ Richard Shotwell
Media mogul Byron Allen is slated to bring his “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” to CBS during time period for former “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” said the program will focus on humor rather than politics. The move comes during a period of major change for late-night television as networks grapple with declining ratings, rising production costs and growing competition from streaming platforms, podcasts and social media. Several reports have
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described Allen’s arrangement with CBS as a lower-cost programming model for the network. For decades, Black entertainers have appeared on late-night television, but ownership and control of major media platforms have Continued on A3