them smaller and focusing on industry sectors (e.g., science, finance, and business) … a new phenomenon here in the city,” says Dixon, noting considerable changes since the state took control in 1997.
Respondents are dissatisfied with black entrepreneurship. In spite of boasting 1.3 million African American inhabitants, the region’s density of black residents per black-owned business is low. Baltimore also received low marks for crime and relations between the black community and the police department.
Since taking the helm, the city’s police commissioner, Kevin Clark, has been tough on violent crime, which is down 14%. Property crime is down 10%. Clark has increased policing of notorious neighborhoods as part of his war on the drug trade. He has arranged sensitivity and interpersonal skills training for patrol officers and has made the department more accessible to black civic leaders. —C.M.B.
Main Industries
Business services, healthcare, and education
Landmarks
Lexington Market, Blacks In Wax Museum
Annual Events
African American Heritage Festival
B.E. Industrial/Service 100 Companies
Health Resources Inc.
Top Black Officials
Jeanne D. Hitchock, deputy mayor; Sheila Dixon, president, city council; Elijah E. Cummings, U.S. Rep.; Kevin Clark, police commissioner
Websites
www.ci.baltimore.md.us
”It has always been my focus to [live] in Baltimore,” says 39-year-old Carlos Latney. “I have had opportunities to go to other places … but I know the city and what it can be as far as [career] opportunities for African Americans,” adds the Baltimore native. Staying in Baltimore also allows Latney to patronize local black businesses, though he says, “Not as many are in this area as I would like to see.”
After serving a three-year stint in the Army and earning a B.S. from Morgan State University, Latney took a job with FedEx Corp. in 1997. A year later, he was transferred to New Jersey but returned to Baltimore the following year. A corporate securities specialist bringing home more than $70,000 a year, Latney handles crime investigations involving FedEx packages, fraud, workplace violence, and embezzlement.
He is keen on the city’s booming real estate market and ongoing neighborhood revitalization. “There are still a lot of fantastic deals in the city.” In 2000, through a first-time home buyers program, he purchased a house for $130,000 that is valued today at $172,000. “In a lot of the surrounding counties, real estate values are going through the roof. You can’t get a single-family home for less than $400,000,” says Latney.
Though he may be single and childless, the Baltimorean takes issue with public education, which “could use some work.” The crime rate, fueled by drugs, is another major concern. “There are still a lot of outlying areas that are coming under siege by drugs and violence. There needs to be a more concentrated effort to clean up those communities so that the property values in those areas can also go up,” he adds, giving credit to Police Commissioner Kevin Clark and his crime reduction plan. “It is going to take community involvement, not just the police department.”
9
COLUMBUS, OH
A newcomer to the top 10 list, Columbus is set apart by its location. It is bucking the trend of