Changes to the No Child Left Behind program must be made before the abandonment of America’s at-risk children to failure becomes more deeply engrained, Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a House committee on March 9. “No Child Left Behind is broken and we need to fix it now,” Duncan told the House Committee on Education […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
House Democrat Alcee Hastings Accused of Sexual Harassment
Congressional Black Caucus member Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) is under fire after one of his former employees accused him of sexual harassment. Winsome Packer, a former staff member of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation filed suit in federal court on March 9 against Hastings, the commission and its director, Fred Turner, according to the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
“Halfro Mug: Clipped, Slashed and Nicked by the Fuzz”
A Connecticut man allegedly interrupted his own haircut to assault another patron at a barbershop on March 8. Police said David C. Davis, 21, of New Haven, Conn. was getting his hair cut in Stamford, Conn. when he allegedly slashed another customer with a pair of scissors. According to The Stamford Advocate, Davis was arrested […]
Posted inNational News
Hearing on Islamic Extremism Stokes Emotions
A recent hearing focused on the extent of radicalization among members of the American Muslim community has created a stir among that group. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who conducted the March 10 hearing, said that the threat of Islamic radicalization is growing in the U.S. and he thinks it’s time to address the issue. “This […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Catholic School Community, Archbishop Clash on Paddling Policy
An archbishop has ordered officials at a Black Catholic school in New Orleans to refrain from corporal punishment practices, despite the support of many students and families for the disciplinary measures. Students at St. Augustine High School, a predominantly Black all-male catholic school, are paddled for tardiness, misbehavior and sloppy appearances—a policy that many students […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Philadelphia Teen Accused of Killing Mother Over Loss of Video Games
A Philadelphia teen is facing murder charges after he allegedly killed his mother for taking away his video game console. Kendall Anderson, 16, is being charged as an adult for the murder of his mother, 37-year-old Rashida Anderson. Following a heated argument on Nov. 26 concerning a laptop stolen from school, Anderson’s mother confiscated his […]
Posted inNational News
Baltimore’s “Snoop” Drug Sting Raises Questions about War on Drugs
A federal drug trafficking sting which netted 64 arrests in Baltimore was lauded by federal officials but has introduced new arguments questioning the effectiveness of America’s war on drugs. “Wherever criminal gangs bring violence to our streets, that is where we will direct the resources needed to send them to prison,” Baltimore U.S. Attorney Rod […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ohio Elementary School Apologizes for Mock Slave Auction During History Lesson
A Black Ohio elementary school student claims he was humiliated when his class held a mock slave auction as part of a history lesson. The school has since apologized. According to Columbus, Ohio CBS affiliate WBNS, 10-year-old Nikko Burton was given the role of a slave in a mock auction in his class at Chapelfield […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ill. Governor Ends Death Penalty After Speaking To Desmond Tutu
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation March 9 abolishing the death penalty in that state and in a subsequent speech vowed to commute the sentences of the 15 men currently on death row. He came to the decision—which he called the most difficult he’s made as governor—after conversations with prosecutors, families of crime victims, elected […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Awards to Honor Richard Trumka, Shirley Sherrod, and Joe Solmonese
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights will honor AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, lifelong social justice activist Shirley Sherrod, and Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese with the civil and human rights movement’s highest honor, the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award. The recipients will be honored at the 35th annual Hubert […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NPR CEO Quits Over Hidden Camera Video Calling Tea Party Members “Racist”
National Public Radio President and CEO Vivian Schiller resigned March 9 after reported pressure from the company’s board of directors. The resignation, which was effective immediately, came one day after NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller (no relation) was captured, through a hidden video camera, calling members of the Tea Party political movement “racist” and “xenophobic.” The […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ex-Detroit Mayor Denies Involvement, Obstruction in Murder of Stripper
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick testified in federal court March 7 that he did not destroy e-mails or impede the investigation into the 2003 shooting death of a young stripper. The family of Tamara Greene is suing Kilpatrick, 40, and the city for obstruction of a police investigation into Greene’s unsolved murder. Prosecutors say Kilpatrick’s […]