Two HBCUs in Tennessee are in danger of losing their accreditation unless they change their operations. Tennessee State University has a year to meet “measures of institutional effectiveness” and Fisk University must address its budgetary issues in order to maintain accreditation. Both are in Nashville. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission (SACS) on […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inNational News
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Stalled in the Senate
Senate Republicans put the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in jeopardy this week as they stalled a Democrat proposal to end the Clinton-era policy which bars individuals from serving in the armed forces who publicly admit their homosexuality. The delay came despite a Pentagon report issued earlier in December saying that […]
Posted inNational News
New Details Emerge in Murder of Hollywood Publicist
Beverly Hills police have identified the man they believe committed the Nov. 16 murder of popular Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen before turning the gun on himself as police closed in. According to police reports, Harold Martin Smith was a career criminal who shot and killed Chasen during a robbery attempt, and committed suicide with the […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Jazz Musician James Moody Dead at 85
Legendary jazz musician James Moody succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Dec. 9 at the age of 85. The saxophonist was best known for his surprise hit, “I’m in the Mood for Love.” Moody was born on March 26, 1925 in Savannah, Ga. with a hearing impairment. Despite that disability, he began playing music at 16, […]
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
‘AFRO’ Columnist Retires After 37 Years
For nearly four decades, Herb Quarles has written about the regional faith community, the District’s arts scene and bridge, a card game popular among many area residents. At 82, Quarles has decided to retire plans to spend time playing bridge and traveling, two activities he “loves with a passion.” On Dec. 7, AFRO employees convened […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Reginald F. Lewis’ Descendants Honor Legacy of Late Business Mogul
When J. Russell Fugett founded his Maryland-based business consulting company, TLC JR, he had his uncle, the late business icon Reginald F. Lewis, in mind. “As a small business owner, my work is inspired by what my Uncle Reg was able to achieve,” Fugett said in a prepared statement. “My company commemorates the legacy of […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Oprah among Kennedy Honorees
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and dancer/choreographer/director Bill T. Jones—who won Tony awards for his choreography in Spring Awakening and this Fela!,—were among the five persons feted at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 5 in the annual tribute to excellence in art and culture. The pair joined world-renowned singer/songwriter Paul McCartney, country music icon […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
NAACP Alleges School Re-segregation
Jim Crow is rearing its head again, eroding the gains of education parity in school rooms across the nation, according to the nation’s largest civil rights group. The NAACP recently held its annual Daisy Bates Education Summit in Raleigh, N.C., and pointed to the county’s troubles over school diversity as an example of the retrenchment […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
S.C. Teens Batter Toddler
A Charleston, S.C. mother and three teens have been charged in the beating of a toddler that has left the 18-month-old in critical condition. According to police investigators, Shakera Suncelaree Wright, the victim’s mother, told the Department of Social Services that she and her son were visiting her friend Tyrek Varnes, 16, at his home. […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Officer Admits to Burning Man Killed by Fellow Officer During Katrina Aftermath
A New Orleans police officer recently admitted in federal court to setting a man’s body on fire following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 after another policeman shot and killed him. According to the Associated Press, Officer Gregory McRae testified on Nov. 29 that he set the body of 31-year-old Henry Glover on fire after his colleague, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Ivy League Students Claim Club Racially Discriminated Against Them
A group of Black Ivy League students and graduates claim the owners of a popular club in Cambridge, Mass. unfairly kicked them out because of their ethnicity. According to Boston NBC affiliate WHDH, an event was held at Cure Lounge by a group of Black Yale and Harvard students on Nov. 18. But the private […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Va. Judge Tosses Lawsuit Challenging Health Care Reform
A federal judge in Virginia on Dec. 1 threw out a suit brought by Liberty University in Lynchburg against the health care reform act passed earlier this year, ruling that the legislation is legal. In a 54-page memorandum, Senior U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon said the government’s mandate that all Americans have health coverage […]