The United Health Foundation, a national nonprofit recently awarded scholarships to three local college students to help them pursue careers in health care. Andrea Leiva, Awawu Ojikutu and Alice Yotat were all recipients of the Foundation’s Diverse Scholars Initiative, according to a news release. Leiva, of Silver Spring, Md. plans to make a positive impact […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inSports
Serena and Venus Win Fifth Wimbledon Doubles Title
Just hours after claiming her fifth career Wimbledon singles title, Serena Williams joined her older sister, Venus, to claim their fifth Wimbledon doubles championship on July 7 at Wimbledon, England. The Williams sisters beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. ” very long,” Serena told reporters after the match. “I was […]
Posted inCollege
Norfolk State’s Defeat of Missouri Nominated as ESPY’s ‘Best Upset’ of 2012
Norfolk State University’s men’s basketball team has been nominated for the 2012 ESPY’s “Best Upset” award after pulling off one of the most stunning victories of the year back in March. Norfolk State had captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament title to gain its first appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
12-Year-Old to Be Charged as Juvenile in Beating Death of Two-Year-Old
Prince George’s County officials said July 6 state law prevents a 12-year-old charged with second-degree murder from being tried as an adult in the alleged beating death of a two-year-old girl. According to John Erzen, spokesman for Prince George’s State’s Attorney’s office, the suspect’s age and offense level automatically gets him tried as a minor. […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Boys & Girls Club, Microsoft, NFL Players Host Sport, Tech Camp
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) has teamed up with Microsoft Corporation and several National Football League players to combine athletics and computer/video technology all in a weekend camp. According to the BGCGW, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons players are spending the weekend of July 6-7, […]
Posted inSports
Group of Pro Football Players Sues NFL over Bounty Suspension
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is suing the NFL on behalf of Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove, three of the four players who have been suspended for the 2012 season by the league for their role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. According to the Associated Press, the NFLPA filed […]
Posted inSports
Raiders’ Heyward-Bey to Appear in San Francisco Court for DUI
National Football League (NFL) player and a Baltimore high school football standout Darrius Heyward-Bey is scheduled to appear in court on July 23 on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol , according to reports. NBC Sports reports that the Oakland Raiders receiver was told of his official trial date at a pre-hearing […]
Posted inCollege
Annual Nike Pro-City Basketball Summer League Tips Off at Georgetown
The annual Nike Pro-City Basketball League, one of the premiere summer college basketball leagues in the U.S., tipped off on July 6 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Formerly known as the Kenner League, the Nike Pro-City League is held annually at McDonough Arena on the campus of Georgetown University. Georgetown University Sports Information Director […]
Posted inNational News
Black Unemployment Inches Up to 14.4%
National payroll giant ADP and the Department of Labor both issued job reports this week with differing results. ADP, which reported 133,000 new jobs in May, released a report on July 5 showing that the private sector added 176,000 new jobs in June. That news was lauded by many, including Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Netflix of Africa’ Brings Nigerian Films to the World
Walk into any African hair braiding shop or store in the United States and you’ll probably see a Nigerian film blaring from a television screen. Once only available as pirated DVDs sold by street-side peddlers, the wildly popular Nollywood films will now be as accessible as the click of a button—thanks to fledgling firm iRoko […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Wrongly Convicted N.C. Man Released after 17 Years
Convicted of first-degree murder in 1995, LaMonte Armstrong walked out of a North Carolina prison with a hopeful future June 29. The now-62-year-old Greensboro man had claimed his innocence all along. And with a growing pile of evidence supporting that claim, a judge agreed with defense attorneys and an assistant district attorney that the charges […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
UN Group Seeks Help to Protect Timbuktu Cultural Treasures
The World Heritage Committee, a United Nations group dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, is calling on the international community to help Mali protect its cultural treasures, including the fabled city of Timbuktu, one of Africa’s intellectual and spiritual centers. Mausoleums in Timbuktu and other heritage sites have been destroyed as a result of the renewed […]