On Monday night, as the Ravens decimated the Rams in epic style, we were once again reminded (repeatedly) by one of the national broadcasters that so many people’s primary exposure to our great city is limited solely to their past viewership of The Wire.
While The Wire was a masterful series by David Simon with incredible storytelling and character building, it unfortunately also serves to pigeonhole Baltimore in the minds of its audience into a city overwhelmed by constant bad news, corruption and crime; unable to grow and without so many of the positives that residents here know and love. Baltimore indeed has many problems to be addressed but in spite of these issues (and in some cases growing from them), we also have also developed into an extremely “vibrant, resilient” city, as the Baltimore Business Journal notes in its rebuttal to this misguided football commentary.
In the article, the BBJ highlights Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who spoke positively about Charm City on Tuesday during a presentation honoring over 100 small business owners who recently graduated from the company’s entrepreneurship program. Goldman Sachs has been committed to Baltimore over the years, bringing their 10,000 Small Businesses program here as well as partnering in the redevelopment of Port Covington. As Solomon notes, supporting small businesses throughout the city is key to its revitalization, infusing the neighborhoods that make up Baltimore with capital and jobs while also creating a stronger sense of investment and obligation to the success of those areas.
It is reassuring to hear such dedication to Baltimore and we hope that these voices of positivity drown out those with outdated opinions.
#ThisIsOurBaltimore #ProudBaltimorean