By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
While some business owners are merely motivated by the chance to gain financial freedom, a number of Black entrepreneurs in Baltimore have used their businesses to pour into their neighbors. From hosting back-to-school drives to supporting vulnerable populations, their aim is not solely to make a profit but to empower their communities.
Baltimore natives Erin and Lena Bowman started Sistahs’ Sweets, a gourmet cupcake bakery, in 2019. But, their purpose was more than just pursuing a passion for crafting homemade treats.
“I feel like Sistahs’ Sweets has always been bigger than cupcakes. It’s always been about instilling hope and love,” said Erin Bowman. “That’s honestly our mission with what we do.”
Fueled by their faith, the Bowmans described serving people in need as being synonymous with serving God. The duo has partnered with organizations, like House of Ruth and Women Empowering Women Food Distribution Center, to do cupcake giveaways. They’ve also supplied cupcakes and delivered hat and glove sets to unhoused people in Baltimore.
Beyond baking, the Bowmans have also leveraged their vocal talent to participate in a free concert supporting victims of domestic violence. Their penchant for community service even extends to their personal lives—regularly buying groceries for neighbors experiencing hardship.
“Because we grew up in the city, I feel like we’ve seen different levels of poverty our entire lives,” said Lena Bowman. “Our parents always instilled in us that we’re never above anyone and that in any moment, we could be in the same situation.”
Another local entrepreneur, Tia Hamilton, has used her North Baltimore bookstore to advocate for returning citizens, house grassroots organizations looking for safe meeting spaces and advance literacy.
Established in 2019, Urban Reads Bookstore specializes in highlighting Black and formerly incarcerated authors and providing access to banned books.
“My bookstore is that space where people can come to seek advice, see themselves and be awakened at the same time,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton routinely utilizes her space to hold conversations about legislation related to criminal justice reform. Each year, she also hosts a youth summit to promote reading and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to give away school supplies.
Improving literacy among youth and incarcerated populations across the city is Hamilton’s chief objective, though. The Baltimore City Youth Data Scorecard reports that just 30.7 percent of eighth graders tested proficient in English Language Arts in 2025, nearly 18 percentage points lower than Maryland’s average. Meanwhile, across the country, 85 percent of youth who appear before the juvenile justice system are low literate, according to the World Literacy Foundation.
Recently, Hamilton launched a philanthropic arm to her bookstore, the Urban Reads Foundation. On May 23, she will unveil the “Black Star Line” literacy bus, a moniker inspired by Marcus Garvey’s shipping company.
The bus will be giving away 500 culturally-relevant children’s books and is set to tour 55 Baltimore communities this summer. With it, Hamilton hopes to revive Baltimore’s identity as “The City That Reads.”
“The literacy bus is going to be a big deal. The money that I raised didn’t come from a politician or anyone with money—all of it was grassroots fundraising straight from people like you and me,” said Hamilton. “They believe in the mission, and they believe in me.”
