An FBI investigation is underway to find who left a backpack bomb along a planned route for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Wash. The bomb was defused without explosion on Jan. 17, according to the Associated Press. An anonymous government official told the AP that the device was the most potentially […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inNational News
Justice Dept. Appeals Judge’s Ruling Against Individual Health Care Mandate
The U.S. Justice Department Jan. 18 announced it is asking a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling by a federal judge striking down as unconstitutional the mandate of President Obama’s health care reform legislation which requires an individual to have health insurance. In his Dec. 18 ruling Judge Henry Hudson, a George W. Bush […]
Posted inNational News
Steele Comments on Future Plans Following RNC Ouster
While politicos continue to debate whether the circumstances surrounding Michael Steele’s withdrawal from the race for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman were fair, he said he is still looking to make a nice living in politics. “He’ll be fine,” said conservative political analyst Raynard Jackson. “He’ll do some TV and probably some book tours.” Reports […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Christian Group Calls for U.S. Foreign Aid Reform
Bread for the World, a Christian organization dedicated to ending world hunger, is calling on Congress to reform U.S. foreign assistance to developing countries, including Haiti and Liberia. The group recently launched the 2011 Offering of Letters campaign, which encourages parishioners to submit letters to congressional members in support of legislation for the hungry and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Two Birmingham, Ala. Officers Acquitted in Videotaped Beating
A federal jury Jan. 18 found two former Birmingham, Ala. police officers not guilty of using unreasonable force and violating the civil rights of a Black suspect who they arrested. Barrett G. Dewitt, who is Black, and David Doran, who is White, were among the officers videotaped beating Anthony Warren after a high-speed chase ended […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
N.C. School Board Abolishes Integration Policy
A Republican-controlled school board in Raleigh, N.C. has abolished a school zoning policy intended to encourage racially- and economically-mixed schools. The Wake County School Board saw new right-wing members elected in 2009 on the platform that integrated schools are having a negative impact on students, and diversity should no longer be a priority for public […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Oldest Living African-American Dead at 113
Mississippi Winn, a Louisiana woman believed to have been the oldest living African-American and the seventh-oldest living person in the world, died Jan. 14 at age 113. Gerontologists believe the vibrant former domestic worker, who died in a nursing home in Shreveport, La., was one of two Americans left whose parents were U.S. slaves. Winn’s […]
Posted inNational News
Wal-Mart, Michelle Obama Team to Offer Healthy, Affordable Foods
While many Americans want to eat healthy, some just can’t afford to, as smarter food options tend to be pricier than their unhealthy counterparts. But Wal-Mart stores recently announced a new initiative aimed at ending this for consumers and providing them with healthier foods at more affordable costs. Wal-Mart’s “Making Foods Healthier and Healthier Foods […]
Posted inNational News
Alleged Kidnapper Surrenders
A North Carolina woman surrendered to the FBI in Connecticut Jan. 23 after being sought by federal and state law enforcement authorities in connection with a 23-year-old kidnapping case that unfolded recently with the reuniting of the victim with her biological parents. The FBI, along with police in North Carolina and New York, were looking […]
Posted inCollege
Darrell Brooks Named CIAA Coach of Week for Third Time This Season
Bowie State University’s Darrell Brooks was named the Central Interscholastic Athletic Association (CIAA) men’s basketball Coach of the Week on Jan. 17 after leading the Bulldogs to conference wins over Winston-Salem State University, Shaw University and St. Augustine’s College last week. This marked the third time this season Brooks has been named CIAA Coach of […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
State of the Harbor Conference Features Noted Filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau as Keynote Speaker
For the Baltimore Harbor to be swimmable and fishable by 2020, we need to start working now. As an initial step, the Waterfront Partnership will host a first-ever State of the Harbor Conference on Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Legg Mason building in Harbor East to provide a comprehensive look […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
BCPS Budget Proposal Addresses Increased Student Body, Economic Challenges
Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston focused on the need to maintain academic excellence for a growing student population as he presented his fiscal year 2012 recommended operating budget to the Baltimore County Board of Education on Jan. 12. In delivering his 11th budget to the board, Hairston said the Baltimore County Public […]