Historic First: African-American Woman Buys Entire Baltimore Waterfront Block

Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, CEO of Root Branch Media Group, acquired an entire block in Baltimore.

Root Branch Media Group’s CEO, Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew has acquired an entire block in Baltimore to house her media hub in one building. Pettigrew’s landmark purchase establishes her as the first African-American woman in Maryland to own a waterfront block.

The 14,400-square-foot building housing RBMG’s expansive operations, formerly owned by Barcoding, Inc., spans the length of a full block in Canton Harbor. According to The Baltimore Times, Pettigrew, a University of Maryland College Park alumna, owns all four sides of the commercial building. She financed this media hub, known as “The Root Branch Multiverse,” through the Reinvestment Fund without external investors or grants.

Under the RBMG umbrella, the building houses multiple entities, including the award-winning media production firm, a soon-to-open coffee shop (Root Branch Press Coffee & Co.), a property management company (Root Branch Office Solutions), and a nonprofit supporting education and training initiatives (Root Branch Arts and Outreach Institute Inc.).

RBMG’s website describes the media hub as a “100% African-American owned, certified woman-owned full-service media production firm.” Since 2006, the media company has offered a wide array of services, from video production and creative development to motion graphics and web design. RBMG’s mission targets students of color and through its notable Film Academy, has committed to giving them “the voice they deserve and the chance to use media in a meaningful way that rewrites the narrative of how they are seen in and depicted by the media.”

Pettigrew brings 27 years of media experience to this venture, with a background spanning filmmaking, TV production, directing, and casting. Her work has been featured on networks like Discovery and TV One; clients also include government agencies and corporations. The former White House intern is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Association of Black Journalists, Baltimore Association of Black Journalists, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Women Business Owners DC.

The Root Branch Media Group building is named after Pettigrew’s family property in South Carolina.

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