For decades, Baltimore has often gotten an unfairly bad rap in the media, but ask any resident, and they’ll rebuke that notion.

Outside of programs like The Wire, at least in pop culture, there hasn’t been much representation of Baltimore. And while the HBO drama remains a beloved series, its focus wasn’t necessarily positive. There’s so much more to Charm City than what has been shown in the media. In fact, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have teamed to make it their mission while in office to put a spotlight on Baltimore’s greatness.

For the past few years, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament has been held in the city, bringing thousands of tourists over the four-day event, which provides not only a tourism boost but keeps attendees returning after they see what Baltimore has to offer: a booming restaurant scene, a town filled with successful Black businesses in various industries, Southern hospitality and an ever-growing arts, entertainment and cultural world that’s helping Baltimore become a competing cultural hub.

Just last month, Lena Waithe, Emmy winner and creator of The Chi, debuted her first stage play at Baltimore’s Center Stage downtown. The play has received critical acclaim and is quickly becoming the city’s biggest debut in years. Three years ago, after years of talk, the CFG Bank Arena opened its doors, attracting major sporting, music and entertainment events for the first time in the city in decades. Most of the CIAA events take place at CFG.

The member institutions of the CIAA, affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, consist entirely of historically Black colleges and universities. This year, the Fayetteville State University men’s basketball team and the Winston-Salem State University women’s basketball team won the 2026 CIAA Championships.

Previously held in Charlotte, North Carolina, for more than 15 years, in 2021, Baltimore won the bid to become CIAA’s new host. Last year, CIAA’s contract with Baltimore was set to end. Against cities like Orlando in Florida, Baltimore once again won the bid to host CIAA through 2029. The move continues to help build the city’s economic reputation. 

Brandon Scott on the CIAA being in Baltimore

Some may question why Baltimore, but Scott said it’s a no-brainer.

“When you’re talking about having the Black Excellence of the CIAA, what better place to have it during Black History Month than in good old Black Baltimore,” Scott shared. “We know that the CIAA was in another place for a long time, but here they felt that true Black love. And when you’re talking about not just the economic impact the tournament has had, over the $25 million worth of impact just last year alone, but when you think about stories and the family relationships that have been built for the tournament, for example, the Defensive Player of the Year in the tournament this year, Breasia Coit, is from Baltimore. She was a ball girl the first year the tournament was here, and now she’s playing in the tournament,” he added.

Scott also noted the hundreds of Black-owned businesses and said the tournament is helpful to the city at a time that is normally the driest in terms of tourism due to the weather. With Baltimore having two HBCU institutions in the city, Morgan State University and Coppin State University, it was also a great fit, with Scott explaining that CIAA is helping local students.

Wes Moore on the tourney’s presence in the city

Moore echoed similar sentiments, pointing to the city’s growing presence in comparison to how it previously fared against other larger cities. “Baltimore is a city on the rise, and I think that’s exactly why you want to have CIAA here,” he said. “This is a place where in Baltimore, we have a thriving restaurant scene, a thriving art scene, a thriving economic scene, and we’ve had, over the past couple of years, just the type of renaissance in Baltimore that most American cities just would dream for. You look at CIAA, which really is the preeminent conference that is highlighting Black student-athletes around the country, and you could not think of a better marriage between CIAA and Baltimore City.”

Having the CFG Arena now has worked wonders for the city. Scott said he’s heard talks about remodeling an arena downtown since he was a child. Now in his 40s, he made it his mission when he took office to get it done. 

“We were actually able to get it done in a year, and now you’re looking at one of the top-grossing arenas of its size in the country. And when we talk about not just the CIAA, but the concerts and things that have happened here, any kind of concert you would think,” Scott shared. “For example, the Wu-Tang Clan kicked off their final tour here in Baltimore. We’ll have Cardi B in a few months. We’ve had Bruce Springsteen, Earth, Wind and Fire. Anybody that wants to play at the CFG Bank Arena, because it is such a great facility and it is what is feeding into this already vibrant arts and culture thing that we have here in Baltimore, we welcome. We are showing people that Baltimore is much more than crab cakes and football and much more than TV shows. It’s really a place to be when you want that true authentic experience.”

For Moore, also a Baltimore native like Scott, he’s been proud of what the CIAA has done for the city. With more eyes on Baltimore, the narrative is continuing to change.

“When I became the governor, I was very clear that we were going to put a focus on Baltimore because it’s our state’s largest city. And we knew that Baltimore needed a partner, because when we first came on board, Baltimore was averaging about a homicide a day, and we saw how the downtown area was in receivership,” he explained. “And there were over 17,000 vacant homes inside Baltimore, so we knew that we were going to work closely with the mayor and work closely with community leaders to be able to ensure that we could have the type of renaissance that was necessary and required and right now,” he expressed.

Forbes Magazine recently rated Baltimore as the fourth-best place in the country for young college graduates. It’s now the seventh fastest-growing economy in the United States. The city has seen continuous drops in violent crime. The state of Maryland has among the fastest drops of violent crime anywhere in the United States. Both Moore and Scott say CIAA helps to direct attention to what’s positive in the city.