Black entrepreneurs have collaborated to create a community they refer to as “The Black Wall Street of Baltimore” on 25th Street in North Baltimore, Maryland, according to WMAR2 News.
The founder of the non-profit Notre Maison Connects, Jacqueline Cummings, owns several buildings along the street that she and other business owners began calling “The Black Wall Street.” Cummings said she wants to invite more Black-owned businesses in the community to join them.
“These are a lot of young entrepreneurs and this is the whisper, this is the Black Wall Street, well now let’s not whisper it, let’s shout it, let’s talk about it, let’s invite more businesses in,” said Cummings.
Cummings said that she and the other business owners on 25th Street want to recreate a place similar to the Black Wall Street originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The street boasts several Black-owned businesses including a clothing store called Waaah attached to a barbershop, a library, a hair salon, a soul food joint called Taste This, a unisex clothing brand store and a restaurant.
“Do you want to learn about hair? We’re gonna send you to Blush to talk to Ashley. We have Taste This, we have Terra Café. You want to learn how to make your shirts and how to produce your brand? We send you to talk to Mike at Skrued,” she said.
Waaah owner Deandre Williams compared 25th Street to Rodeo Drive.
“I just like the Mecca, it’s like Baltimore Rodeo Drive honestly. Me being right here in the center of attention where all of my peers are, all the Baltimore brands, it’s just like together we are better,” Williams said.
Cummings added that she works to uplift young people at Notre Maison Connects to teach them about unity and entrepreneurship.
“We work with 18 to 21-year-olds so we teach them about entrepreneurship, we teach them about unity, we teach them about supporting each other, and we talk. We have the business owners come in and talk to our young people. We’re not gonna push you down and pull you down, we’re gonna lift you up.”