President George Washington’s name is on numerous schools, buildings, streets, monuments, bridges and people, but is also borne by Black individuals more than any other race. A project using the 2000 U.S. Census data counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. Ninety percent of those were African-American, a far higher percentage of Blacks than for […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inNational News
Shirley Sherrod Suing Right-Wing Blogger Over Video
Still reeling after her public disgrace that lead to a resignation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last July, ex-USDA employee Shirley Sherrod is suing the man responsible for the video that caused her firing. According to the Associated Press, Sherrod’s lawyer issued a statement Feb. 14 saying she was suing Andrew Breitbart, a conservative […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
March to Pre-empt School Segregation in N.C. Draws Hundreds
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Raleigh, N.C. on Feb. 19 to protest the re-segregation of public schools in Wake County, N.C. The rally, called the Historic Thousands on Jones Street or HKonJ, also marked the 102nd anniversary of the NAACP. NAACP president Ben Jealous said that the movement taking place in North […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Minority Gulf Coast Residents Undercounted in Census
Civic leaders believe many minorities in New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta and the Texas Colonias went uncounted in the 2010 Census because of community apprehension, strict bureau deadlines and communication glitches, they said in a Feb. 16 media conference. During the press call, held in conjunction with the release of “The Hard Count: A Community […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins Becomes Oldest Grammy Winner
Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins made history on Feb. 13 when the 97-year-old blues pianist won his third Grammy, becoming the oldest person ever to snag the award. Perkins topped the previous record-holder, beating out the late comedian George Burns who won a statue at 95 in the early 1990s. Perkins and his harmonica-playing collaborator Willie […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Obama Bringing Motown to White House
The Obamas will celebrate Black History Month with a series of performances featuring Motown artists Feb. 24, according to the Associated Press. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host the event, scheduled to include performers Smokey Robinson, Sheryl Crow and John Legend. The event will be taped live and broadcast on PBS March […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Pregnant Woman Beaten to Death Outside of Philadelphia Courthouse
Two brothers have been arrested in the Feb. 7 beating death of a pregnant woman outside of a Philadelphia traffic court. The pair, 28-year-old Walter Williams and 29-year-old Robert Canada, allegedly attacked Tovoyia Owens in broad daylight. Williams was charged with murder and Canada was charged with simple and aggravated assault. Reports say Owens and […]
Posted inNational News
Herman Cain Slams Liberals, Gets Slammed in Return
Herman Cain, the first Tea Party-backed candidate to take the initial steps toward a 2012 presidential run, is already making waves. In a Feb. 11 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Cain, an African-American, ruffled feathers with his thoughts on why he disagrees with the direction of America. “The objective of liberals is […]
Posted inNational News
Republican Spending Bill Eviscerates Key Minority & Low Income Programs
House Republicans on the morning of Feb. 19 passed a spending bill that has many minority Congressmen crying foul and sets the stage for a battle with Democrats and the White House that could wind up with a shutdown of government operations. H.R. 1 would cut $61 billion in government spending, including funding for key […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Developer for New Carrollton Station Chosen
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has selected Forest City Washington to develop the land around the New Carrollton Metro Station according to the Washington Post. Neither officials at MDOT nor Metro would comment on the process but did admit the selection phase is nearing an end. “Metro […]
Posted inBooks
The Greedy Mouth and Upset Stomach
With his new series of children’s books, author and musician Larry Yates encourages children to adopt healthy eating habits early on. The first book in the series, The Greedy Mouth and Upset Stomach, uses colorful images and easy-to-read text that shows how every morsel of food impacts the body. Second in Yates’ series is The […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Maryland Composer Releases Song with DC Boys Choir to Inspire Brotherhood, Love
Judith T. Allen, an arranger/composer in Maryland, has released the song, “You Are My Brother” as an inspirational song for Americans of all backgrounds. “I hope people will sing ‘You Are My Brother’ in villages, towns, cities and even in the United Nations. I want to use the magic of music to heal differences among […]