I have always wondered who gets to choose which Black people we celebrate during this month — and just as important, what we celebrate about them. There seems to be an invisible committee that determines who makes the cut and who does not. Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, John Marrant, and Harry Hosier rarely appear in the official narratives. Why not? What standard are we using, and who decided it?
Year after year, new names are added to the list. Sometimes it feels as if the qualification is simply the accomplishment of being Black in a high position. But that raises an uncomfortable question: is representation alone the achievement? Or are we supposed to evaluate what was actually built, protected, or improved as a result of that leadership? Celebration without criteria eventually becomes symbolism without substance.
Let’s examine one of the newer figures frequently elevated in modern Black History conversations: Wes Moore, the first Black Governor of Maryland.
The Weight of “First”
We are told this is historic. And technically, it is. The first Black governor of Maryland marks a milestone that previous generations did not see. But if we are going to place that milestone on a pedestal, it should come with measurable outcomes that justify the celebration.
Being “first” carries weight. It carries expectation. It implies not only breaking a barrier, but raising a standard. If the barrier is broken but the standard declines, what exactly are we celebrating?
Leadership and Protection
Leadership is tested most clearly in moments of tragedy. When Dacara Thompson was kidnapped, murdered, and her body thrown off a bridge, Maryland did not just lose a young girl. A family was shattered. A community was shaken. And the public was reminded that safety is not theoretical — it is deeply personal.
As a father, I do not see protection as optional. It is the baseline expectation. My job is to guard my household from threats — seen and unseen. So when Da’Cara Thompson was kidnapped, murdered, and her body thrown off a bridge, I do not process it as a headline. I process it as a failure of protection. And that is the standard by which I evaluate leadership.
This was his reaction…just a press statement:
“Da’Cara raised her hand right out of high school to join our most recent cohort of Maryland Service Year Option members –patriotic Marylanders committed to public service. She yearned to be part of our mission to solve big problems with bold solutions through her passion for the arts.
Gov. Wes Moore – 9/5/2025 Press Statement – Office of the Governor
We do not need protection from Washington, D.C. We need protection from violent criminals who should not be here in the first place. If immigration enforcement becomes a political game, if jurisdictional disputes take priority over removing dangerous individuals from our communities, then leadership has lost its moral center.
Compassion for the vulnerable should never come at the expense of safety for the innocent. When a young girl loses her life in such a brutal way, the response should not be bureaucratic positioning. It should be unmistakable resolve. The people of Maryland deserve to know that public safety is not negotiable.
Economic Reality
Maryland is shrinking. Businesses are relocating. Residents are leaving. The tax base is under pressure. These are not partisan talking points — they are economic indicators.
High taxes, aggressive regulation, and an increasingly expensive cost of living drive behavior. Capital moves where it is welcomed. Families move where opportunity feels sustainable. If leadership cannot create conditions where growth is natural, it must at least stop blaming external forces for predictable outcomes.
It is entirely possible to make Maryland competitive. Tax reform, regulatory simplification, and a renewed focus on blue-collar and industrial jobs could reposition the state as a magnet rather than a launching pad for departure. That would be historic. That would be measurable.
The Energy Question
Energy policy may be the clearest test of foresight. Maryland does not produce enough power to sustain its own consumption, yet it continues to reduce in-state production while encouraging electrification across transportation and household systems. Electrifying everything while shrinking generation capacity is not innovation — it is arithmetic denial.
Ratepayers have seen electric bills climb dramatically in a short period of time. At the same time, production facilities have been shuttered and dependency on external supply has increased. Becoming an energy importer carries consequences. When neighboring states prioritize their own needs, reliance becomes vulnerability.
Offering rebates funded by taxpayer dollars does not solve the structural issue. It shifts money from one pocket to another while calling it relief. Real leadership would aim for energy independence — or at minimum, energy competitiveness. Becoming a net contributor to the grid instead of a leech would represent vision. That would be something worth commemorating.
Representation vs. Results
The broader issue is not personal. It is philosophical. When we celebrate “first Black” achievements, are we applying the same performance standards we would apply to anyone else? Or does representation become its own insulation from critique?
Black history should not mean automatic applause. It should mean measurable advancement. Safer communities. Stronger businesses. Lower costs. Sustainable growth. If those outcomes are absent, symbolism begins to look like branding rather than leadership.
The slogan “Leave no one behind” resonates differently when people are leaving the state in increasing numbers. If residents and employers continue to relocate, the phrase risks becoming literal. An emptying state is not a legacy of progress. And when leadership eventually moves on, Maryland could be left hollowed out — with no one left behind because no one is left at all.
The Standard We Choose
This conversation is bigger than one governor. It is about the standard we use when we elevate leaders during Black History Month. Are we celebrating resilience, innovation, and economic strength? Or are we celebrating proximity to power?
History is not made by being first. It is made by leaving something better than you found it. If representation is to mean anything, it must be accompanied by results that endure.
Pigment may open the door to history. Performance determines whether the chapter is worth rereading.
