Following a Friday night meeting which averted a fearful public Democratic Caucus battle for power, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Nov. 13 asked her party colleagues to support Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., for a newly created “assistant leader” position. The action settles a storm that had been gathering as House Democrats organize themselves as the […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
Cholera; Haitian Challenge Becomes a Florida Threat
Concern about Haiti’s cholera outbreak is spreading to the United States as Florida health officials late last week told doctors in South Florida to watch for signs that the disease is creeping north. State health officials on Nov. 2issued an epidemiology advisory warning doctors that people traveling from Haiti may exhibit cholera symptoms. The advisory […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Bowie State University Theatre Performs ‘Faces: Shades of Survival’
The Bowie State University Theatre in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts has several awe-inspiring performances scheduled for the year including an upcoming production, Faces: Shades of Survival, from Nov. 11-14. Written and directed by local playwright Odell B. Ruffin of Greenbelt, Md., the performance illustrates the struggles that women face when battling breast […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fatheads: Designed for the Ultimate Fan
Kobe Bryant, SpongeBob and Lil Wayne have all become Fatheads – vibrant, life-sized graphics sure to delight any fan. Launched in 2005, Fathead is a unique brand of sports and entertainment graphics. The Detroit-based company transforms licensed images of sports teams, athletes, cartoon characters and music artists into immense, high definition wall displays. Customers can […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Churches Compete for Top Honors at Annual Choir Competition
Winning choirs representing 14 cities around the country will come together for an unforgettable night of joy and praise as they vie for the title of “The Best Church Choir in America” at Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound grand finale. The event will be held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13. […]
Posted inBooks
Reader’s Corner, Nov. 13-19, 2010
‘Til Death From bestselling author Miasha comes Til Death: A Novel, the third and final installment of the Celess drama. The book blends the twists of 2006’s Secret Society with the 2008 release Never Enough. In Secret Society, readers follow Celess and her closest friend Tina as they rise to the top of their game […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Acclaimed Soprano Shirley Verrett Dies
Shirley Verrett, a noted mezzo-soprano and soprano praised for her soaring voice and elegant onstage persona, died Nov. 6 in Ann Arbor, Mich. She was 79. Verrett’s professional debut took place in 1957 with her performance as Irina in Weill’s Lost in the Stars at the New York City Opera. The New Orleans-born singer studied […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
ESSENCE Magazine Editor Quits Job
According to the New York Post, Angela Burt-Murray, ESSENCE magazine’s editor-in-chief, is leaving her post after five years at the helm. Neither Burt-Murray nor the celebrated women’s magazine issued a statement giving details for her sudden departure. The Post reported that Burt-Murray announced her split from ESSENCE during a staff meeting and said she was […]
Posted inNational News
California Voters Reject Recreational Marijuana Legalization
Amid the debate over its pros, cons, and ramifications, California voters rejected Proposition 19, which would have legalized recreational marijuana use for people over the age of 21 in the state. The measure only received 46 percent of the vote, denying it this time around. But proponents believe that the number of favorable votes is […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Doll Found Hanging From Noose Outside Laurel, Md. Church
Authorities in Laurel, Md. are investigating a potential hate crime after finding a doll hanging from a noose outside a Black church on Oct. 31. According to The Washington Post, a maintenance man of City of Zion Church, a church with a predominantly African American congregation, found the doll hanging from a tree in front […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Young Star of “The Lion King” Dies of Leukemia
After touching the hearts of many with her story, 11-year-old Broadway actress Shannon Tavarez died of leukemia on Nov. 1, according to the Associated Press. Tavarez, who played Nala in the Broadway hit “The Lion King,” died at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park in Long Island. The Queens, N.Y. native suffered from […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Six Men Indicted on Terror Charges
Six men in two separate cases stand accused of aiding Somali terrorist organizations. Three men in California and three men based in the Midwest were charged in separate incidents. A federal grand jury in St. Louis charged three men with conspiring to fund a terrorist group in Somalia with ties to Al-Qaeda. FBI agents arrested […]