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COMMENTARY: What Andrew Young Reminded Me About Baltimore

THE AFRO — When former Mayor Young shared that Baltimore’s Inner Harbor helped inspire Underground Atlanta’s redevelopment in the 1980s, it was a reminder that Baltimore has made bold moves before and that those moves have reached farther than we sometimes acknowledge.
The post COMMENTARY: What Andrew Young Reminded Me About Baltimore appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

5 months ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Mark A. Thomas | The AFRO

Civil rights icon Andrew Young recently came to Baltimore as a guest of the Baltimore Orioles and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership to help celebrate the establishment of the Baltimore Black Sox memorial and lift up another remarkable chapter in Baltimore’s history.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Baltimore’s story runs through so many chapters of the nation’s story: industry, culture, civil rights, labor, education, neighborhood life and baseball. The Black Sox are part of that inheritance. Their story reminds us that Baltimore’s history is not a backdrop. It is a source of identity, pride and possibility for what this city and region can still become.

Like many people, I knew Ambassador Young as a civil rights icon, former U.N. Ambassador, and former Mayor of Atlanta. What I did not realize until his visit was that he once served as Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, effectively the GBC of my hometown.

Ambassador Young understood the work from both sides: as a civil rights leader and as a business-civic leader helping shape one of the country’s most influential regional economies.

When former Mayor Young shared that Baltimore’s Inner Harbor helped inspire Underground Atlanta’s redevelopment in the 1980s, it was a reminder that Baltimore has made bold moves before, and that those moves have reached farther than we sometimes acknowledge.

At the time, Baltimore was one of the larger and more influential markets on the East Coast and across much of the Southeast. The Inner Harbor represented a city thinking boldly about its future and organizing public, private, and civic leadership around that vision.

Atlanta went on to make major long-term bets on itself. Investments in transportation, higher education, downtown revitalization, sports and talent reshaped the trajectory of the city and state. One of them was the HOPE Scholarship, arguably one of Georgia’s most important talent investments and a major policy effort former Mayor Young reminded me the Chamber championed. It changed the lives of countless young people, including mine.

Baltimore has made major civic investments before. The work now is to make that level of ambition show up in the issues people feel every day: jobs, housing, public safety, neighborhood reinvestment and access to opportunity.

Three years ago, the Greater Baltimore Committee began a different kind of work.

Not simply merging organizations or announcing a new agenda, but rebuilding the region’s business-civic table for a moment that demanded more alignment, more ambition and more follow-through.

Baltimore had plenty of voices describing its challenges. What the region needed was stronger connective tissue: a place where leaders could organize around economic growth and investment, and the region’s long-term future.

Over the last three years, GBC and our partners have helped build more of that civic infrastructure, including:

The Baltimore Region’s first 10-year economic opportunity plan, All In | 2035, giving the region a clearer framework for long-term growth.

The region’s first economic brand, BOLD MOVES, which City Nation Place selected as the top U.S. place brand in 2025.

The federal Tech Hub designation and the Regional Innovation Office, strengthening the region’s ability to compete for innovation-focused federal investment.

The region’s first economic investment scorecard, giving us stronger tools to track capital flows, understand investment momentum and market the Baltimore Region for jobs and growth opportunities.

Baltimore’s Transit Future, Downtown RISE, transit-oriented development, and industrial infrastructure priorities tied to Sparrows Point, Curtis Bay, freight, logistics, and the Port of Baltimore.

Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong, BPD recruitment and retention support, and one of Baltimore’s generational vacant housing and neighborhood redevelopment efforts, including the partnership with Enterprise Community Partners announced at Rockefeller’s Big Bets for America convening.

UpSurge Baltimore, BLocal, and the Baltimore Social Responsibility Group, strengthening the region’s capacity around innovation, entrepreneurship, local hiring, procurement, and corporate philanthropy.

We are grateful for the partners across business, government, philanthropy, neighborhoods and civic life who have stepped into this work with us. The progress of the last three years reflects their commitment as much as ours. What GBC has tried to do is help organize that energy around a clearer agenda for economic growth, investment and long-term opportunity.

Re-celebrating the Baltimore Black Sox was a reminder that Baltimore’s history is deeper, richer and more consequential than we often tell ourselves.

But it also reflected something larger in former Mayor Young himself: an understanding that sports, culture, civic leadership and economic opportunity are all connected to how a city sees itself and where it believes it can go next.

That was the dual message of his visit: honor the history that made Baltimore matter, and do the work required to make its next chapter matter just as much.

In these first three years, I hope we have honored that responsibility.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.

Originally published by Afro-American – Washington — https://www.afro.com.

The post COMMENTARY: What Andrew Young Reminded Me About Baltimore appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.