The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) has released a statement citing “serious concerns” about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ban on menthol cigarettes. NOBLE issued the statement prior to hearings scheduled for Oct. 7 and 8 of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which will issue a report and recommendation on […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
Cheh Proposes Longer School Day for DCPS Student
Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, D-Ward 3, has introduced legislation that would expand the school day in District of Columbia Public Schools. The School Day Expansion Act of 2010 would extend the DCPS school day to seven hours, an increase of 30 minutes per day and 90 hours of classroom instruction per year. “DCPS has the […]
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
Caucus Explores the Afro-Latino Experience with Panel Discussion
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization, the District is home to an estimated 51,000 Latinos as of 2008. A growing minority number of those Latinos are Afro-descendents, commonly known as Afro-Latinos. The DC Latino Caucus, under the patronage of DC Council Members Kwame Brown and Harry Thomas Jr., are inviting the […]
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
Black Astronaut Touts S.T.E.M. in Early Childhood
On Oct. 6, astronaut and physician Mae C. Jemison addressed nearly 200 business, education and government leaders at Fairfax Futures’ School Readiness Leadership Forum. The event, held at the Capital One Financial Corp. headquarters in McLean, Va., allowed Jemison to speak in support of increased science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) education for America’s youngest students. […]
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
Bowie State Receives Grant for Computer Science Doctoral Program
Bowie State University’s computer science doctoral program has been awarded a $753,000 grant by the United States Department of Education. The five-year grant, a result of the Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) Title III program, will be used to provide scholarships to BSU students interested in the doctoral program. “We will utilize the grant for […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Hip-Hop Heads Get Political with Area Concert Launch
District-based hip-hop artist Head-Roc, known nationally as “The Mayor of D.C. Hip Hop,” has teamed with grassroots community organization Empower DC for a series of outdoor concerts urging city residents to turn out in droves for the Nov. 2 General Elections. However, the organizers’ mission doesn’t stop there. The concert series was also established in […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Film Star Transitions to Music with Debut Album
Lance Reddick has carved his niche in the film industry with standout performances in TV series like “The Wire,” “Lost,” “CSI Miami” and “Oz.” While audiences have come to respect the Baltimore-born actor thespian as a master of film, he’s prepared to introduce the world to his musical skills with debut jazz CD Contemplations & […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Legendary Saxophonist Pushes the Envelope with New CD
Jazz and R&B icon Gerald Albright , considered one of the most innovative and successful jazz artists in the past decade, showcases his soulful vibe with the release of Pushing The Envelope and upcoming appearances at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Va., and Rams Head in Annapolis. Released in June, Pushing the Envelope highlights Albright’s musicality […]
Posted inNational News
Florida Man Denies Ownership of Drugs found in Buttocks
A 25-year-old Florida man is claiming non-ownership of what law enforcement officials say was cocaine found lodged in his buttocks. When Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies searched Raymond Stanley Roberts during a traffic stop Sept. 29. they said they found bags of marijuana and cocaine. Roberts reportedly told them “The white stuff is not mine, but […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Wyclef Jean Appointed Visiting Fellow at Brown University
Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean recently accepted an appointment as a visiting fellow at Brown University. According to Newsone.com, Jean will be appointed in the university’s Africana Studies program for the 2010-11 academic year. Leaders of the program say Jean will participate in activities dealing with Brown’s Haiti Initiative, including lectures, faculty conversations and classes. The […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Legendary Gospel Singer Albertina Walker Dies at 81
Often dubbed the “Queen of Gospel,” vocalist Albertina Walker who spent six decades inspiring future gospel artists and inspiring legions of fans with songs like “Please Be Patient with Me,” “Lord Keep Me Day By Day” and “Walk Around Heaven” passed away Fellow gospel artist Yolanda Adams announced on her radio show that Walker, the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
First Amendment Rights at Stake in Case of Serviceman’s Funeral
Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder’s father is still wondering how anybody could disrupt something as sacred as a funeral, and now hopes the Supreme Court shares his outrage. Albert Snyder seeks a court ruling that his son’s funeral was a private event after members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church protested at his son’s funeral. The […]