by Elizabeth Weibel, Breitbart News
July 15, 2026
A Maryland Republican state Senate candidate is proposing an education program to teach middle and high school students skilled trades and life skills related to how to file taxes and manage their credit, stating that the “purpose of this program is to put out positivity and skills into our young adults.”
Yahu Blackwell, who is running for Maryland’s state Senate seat in District 8 against incumbent Maryland state Sen. Carl Jackson (D), spoke to Breitbart News about how his program, which currently has about 4o students, teaches kids skilled trades “from electrical work to plumbing to HVAC.” Blackwell explained that if elected, he will “legislate for it” so that the program can be statewide.
“We teach kids skilled trades. I started out with high schoolers, and then I started realizing that middle schoolers were able to do it. We teach every trade under the sun, from electrical work to plumbing to HVAC to hairstylist, you name it, we cover it,” Blackwell explained. “Basically, when they graduate from high school, they will have a certification as an apprentice in whatever trade they selected, and they’ll be able to go straight into the workforce — straight from high school.”
Blackwell, a professional boxer and Rita’s Italian Ice and Auntie Anne’s franchise owner, also explained that the program teaches students financial literacy, home economics, how to manage and build their credit, and how to file their taxes, among other things, adding that “combined with a tradesman skill, these kids will be coming out of school fully equipped.”
“The full purpose of this program is to put out positivity and skills into our young adults, so when they come into society, they’re fully equipped, they have skills, they know how to survive, they know how to take care of themselves, they know how to buy a house, they know how to manage their credit, the whole nine yards,” Blackwell said.
He also pointed out that in order to “get a grip on crime, it starts with education,” adding that “the more positive adults we put out from our school systems, the crime will organically begin to drop.”
While speaking before the Board of Education of Baltimore County regarding the superintendent’s proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget in January, Blackwell spoke about how he “would like to see” the public high schools “transformed into trade schools.”
Blackwell also shared how at his business, the “kids there can’t count money.”
“I own a business in the state of Maryland, and the kids there can’t count money. So, when my employees are giving out change, they don’t know the difference between a quarter and a dime. That’s how bad it is,” Blackwell shared. “So, I think that we need to add financial literacy back into the high school curriculum. I think that children should be graduating with the skill set that will gain and earn them an income. I believe that high school is not preparing our constituents for real life, and I believe that’s why our school systems are failing.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y_q1EiEqbLY?si=li7F531ihxX-3GMD
While Blackwell is running as a Republican, he explained to Breitbart News that he is a moderate and is trying to create policies that will “benefit the entire state of Maryland” no matter what voters’ background or beliefs are.
When asked how his past experience will help him if he gets elected, Blackwell shared how when he was building his Rita’s Italian Ice franchise, he “didn’t have the skills” and he found himself “suffering trying to build” the business.
“One of the things that came to mind was, ‘I wish I knew this in school.’ Every time I had something that blew up in my face or something that hit the fan, or some things I had to learn by trial and error, I just remember sitting back like, ‘why didn’t they teach me this in high school?’” Blackwell shared.
Along with being a Maryland resident, Blackwell is also “seventh-generation Osu GaDangme-American,” The Baltimore Sun reported:
Blackwell, a current Parkville resident and seventh-generation Osu GaDangme-American, is a lifelong Republican.
His Senate bid is the first time he has sought elected office. However, he is also the Osuman Lumor, or king, of the GaDangme people of the Osu monarchy in Ghana.
Blackwell explained to Breitbart News that he also plans to focus on issues such as crime, affordability, and prison reform.
“I’m also going to be looking to eliminate property taxes for homeowners, especially seniors,” Blackwell continued.