By Ericka Alston BuckSpecial to The AFRO
At Baltimore’s Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Corridor, music met mission as United Manner of Central Maryland celebrated its a centesimal anniversary with an evening of reflection, rhythm and group. The Centennial Profit Live performance, headlined by multi-award-winning artist Frequent, honored a century of service to households and neighborhoods throughout Baltimore and the broader Central Maryland area.
For United Manner, the night wasn’t only a live performance — it was a milestone second to honor a legacy of affect that stretches throughout six Maryland counties and Baltimore Metropolis, serving to 1000’s of people annually discover stability, alternative and hope.
A century of service and a way forward for hope
This system started with WJZ-TV anchors Denise Koch and Tim Williams, who served because the mistress and grasp of ceremony for the night. Koch opened by reminding company, “Collectively, we’re united for our future,” and inspired anybody in want of help to dial 2-1-1, United Manner’s year-round helpline connecting Marylanders to important sources.
They then welcomed Franklyn Baker, president and CEO of United Manner of Central Maryland, whom Williams launched as “the center and soul of the group.” Baker mirrored on the milestone with gratitude.
“For 10 a long time, we’ve offered assist and hope by means of occasions of disaster — from wars and financial downturns to well being emergencies and social challenges,” he mentioned.
He added that the group’s new strategic plan focuses on “stabilizing communities and serving to each single particular person we are able to to thrive by means of schooling, housing, well being, and financial development.”
That imaginative and prescient was echoed all through the evening, as every efficiency paid homage not simply to the group’s previous, however to its enduring position in serving to Central Maryland households construct brighter futures.
The sounds of unity
Baltimore-based band Whiskey Feathers opened the present with a high-energy fusion of rock, Americana, and digital rhythm that set the tone for an evening grounded in pleasure and collaboration.
They have been adopted by Elyscia Jefferson, the soulful alum of “The Voice” season 25, who captivated the viewers along with her unique tune about “defending your peace.” Her efficiency, tender but highly effective, mirrored her message of perseverance. “I need folks to stroll away with pleasure, ambition, and inspiration,” Jefferson mentioned earlier than the present. “No matter obstacles you face, there’s all the time hope.”
Her phrases struck a chord with the viewers, lots of whom nodded alongside as if in settlement along with her message of energy by means of self-care.
When CeCe Peniston stepped on stage, the room lit up. The legendary vocalist — and United Manner worldwide ambassador — delivered a show-stopping set that includes her traditional hits “We Obtained a Love Thang” and “Preserve On Walkin’.” Halfway by means of, she slipped off her footwear, declaring, “Now we are able to actually groove!” The gang erupted as she danced and belted out each be aware with easy pleasure.
Her remaining quantity introduced the evening’s first standing ovation as she was joined by the Baltimore Metropolis School Choir, directed by Marcus D. Smith, for a transferring rendition of “United Is the Manner,” United Manner’s official anthem.
Smith mentioned the second was as significant for his college students because it was for the viewers. “Metropolis School has had a choir for generations, however performing right here, as a part of one thing this vital, it’s unforgettable,” he mentioned, watching his college students beam underneath the stage lights.
Frequent: A poet’s objective
After intermission, Frequent took the stage to a roar of applause. The Grammy-, Emmy-, and Oscar-winning artist commanded the room with a set that blended his signature introspection along with his unmistakable stage presence. He carried out fan favorites, delivered excerpts of spoken phrase together with “To Be -Younger, Gifted and Black,” and spoke passionately about objective, group, and love.
At one level, he invited viewers member Nakia Brown to hitch him onstage for an impromptu freestyle — a second that left the gang cheering because the pair shared a heat hug.
All through the efficiency, Frequent confirmed deep appreciation for Maryland, shouting out landmarks and neighborhoods from Park Heights to Mondawmin Mall, Jimmy’s Seafood, and Moe’s. His tribute to the pioneers of hip-hop — with snippets of “Situation,” “Nuthin’ However a G Thang,” Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” and Biggie’s “Juicy” — had the gang on its ft. His DJ closed with “It Takes Two,” filling the corridor with nostalgia and unfiltered pleasure.
Then, in a gesture that summed up his artistry and humility, Frequent left the stage and walked the aisles, remodeling the Meyerhoff into one thing much more intimate than a live performance corridor.
Faces of the longer term
Within the viewers, Walker Marsh mirrored on what the evening meant to him. “Frequent was the rationale I received into rap,” he mentioned. “He made me notice rap was poetry — storytelling that strikes folks.”
That very same spirit of inspiration was shared by many in attendance. “When CeCe sang with these college students, I received chills,” one visitor mentioned. “It felt just like the sound of hope.” Felicia Jordan added, “Tonight reminded us why we give and why we keep united.”
Among the many night’s most heartwarming tales was that of Jaden Jackson, a highschool scholar whose connection to United Manner runs deep. Jackson participates in Younger Males United and the HYPE Program, two initiatives supported by United Manner of Central Maryland that use mentorship and music to empower youth.
“United Manner is a companion at my college, and thru HYPE I’ve discovered how one can specific myself by means of music,” Jackson shared. “We write, we rap, we speak about our tradition — it’s remedy.”
His dedication and management earned him a particular shock: the prospect to fulfill Frequent in particular person on the live performance. “I can’t wait to ask him how he received began and the way I can get to the place he’s,” Jackson mentioned, his pleasure radiating as he spoke.
The night additionally marked the debut of Takia Warden, United Manner’s new senior vice chairman and chief improvement officer, who expressed her pleasure about becoming a member of the group at such a pivotal time. “For the previous 100 years, United Manner has been a cornerstone of hope in Central Maryland,” she mentioned. “Now, our focus is on sustainable affect and all the time maintaining folks first.”
United for what’s subsequent
As the ultimate notes pale, applause lingered within the air — not only for the artists, however for the trigger. United Manner’s century of service was honored not by means of speeches or statistics, however by means of the shared expertise of music, gratitude and collective objective.
It was, at its core, an evening about what’s attainable when a area comes collectively — Baltimore Metropolis, Howard, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, and Baltimore counties — united by one mission: to make sure that everybody in Central Maryland has the prospect to thrive.
For United Manner of Central Maryland, the celebration was not a finale — it was the overture to a brand new century of affect.
