Death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal will receive a new hearing on Nov. 9 to review his death sentence for the 1982 murder of a Philadelphia police officer. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Sept. 21 agreed to hear arguments in the case, under a directive from the U.S. Supreme Court to review […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inNational News
U.S. Census Report: The Harsh Reality of Poverty
The national poverty rate has risen and a disproportionately larger percentage of Hispanics and Blacks suffer from poverty than Whites, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. The report, released Sept. 16, found that, annually, the poverty rate is up to 14.3 percent in 2009 from 13.2 percent in 2008. However, the rate increased […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Aretha Franklin’s Son Beaten
Soul icon Aretha Franklin’s son was brutally beaten at a Detroit gas station on Sept. 20, E! Network reported. Eddie Franklin, 52, was allegedly assaulted by two men and a woman. Authorities said Franklin described one of his attackers as being approximately six feet tall with dreadlocks and a dark complexion. He said the female […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Annual Youth Conference at Bowie State Sept 25.
On Sept. 25, approximately 300 students, age 12 – 18, from across the region will converge at the Center for Learning and Technology at Bowie State University for the 12th Annual Youth Leadership Conference. The event is hosted by the Lambda Gamma Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. According to the press release, the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
‘Cosby Show’ Artist, ‘Little Bill’ Creator Dies
Varnette P. Honeywood, a celebrated artist famed for her colorful painting depicting African-American life, died Sept. 12 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. She was 59. Honeywood’s work was prominently featured on popular 1980s and ‘90s sitcom, “The Cosby Show” and the California native went on to produce the popular “Little Bill” children’s […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Minnesota Newspaper Claims ‘Bad Taste’ in Racially Charged Column
The Tribune, a local newspaper based in Lake Crystal, Minn., has come under public scrutiny for a column some say is racially insensitive. The column, which is called “Ramblings,” includes a joke about a golf course replacing its caddies with shiny robots, which are quickly blinded by sun glare. To solve the problem, someone suggests […]
Posted inD.C. Community, Washington D.C. News
The Story of Pr. George’s Ridgley Community Comes Alive
In many ways, the story of Prince George’s County’s Ridgley Community is the story of America’s post-slavery experience. The Arthur and Mary E. Ridgley House, located on Central Avenue in Landover, Md., houses documents and mementos relating to the county’s historic Ridgley family and the emancipated Americans whose influence allowed them to develop farming land, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
FDA Mulls Sale of Genetically Altered Salmon
As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) debates whether genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon should be distributed for human consumption, many media outlets and public health organizations are questioning how the altered seafood would be labeled. Some say the government should require the fish’s origins to be written out on product labels while AquaBounty, the […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Showcase Honors, Entertains Baltimore’s Grandparents
On Sept. 12, Baltimore’s most mature residents visited the Delta Community Center for “Great Blessings: A Grandparents Day Celebration” hosted by MarvaD Events. The program, hosted by ABC 2 News anchor Sherrie Johnson, included a dance performance from The Ava Fields Dancers of Cahill Recreation Center, a musical tribute from The Redeemers of Church of […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Baltimore City After-School Programs Get Financial Boost from Verizon Foundation
During the grand opening of its new office in Baltimore on Sept. 10, Child First Authority celebrated a $15,000 Verizon Foundation grant to support after-school programs for youth at various public schools in Baltimore City. “The Child First STEMulated Minds” program is a hands-on thematic curriculum targeting literacy and math instruction through STEM (science, technology, […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Local Mother Turns Grief into Service
Few horrors can compare to a mother’s grief, something West Baltimore resident Connie Johnson knows firsthand. Her daughter, Bijan Brown, 17, died in her arms after suffering a sudden, massive asthma attack in 2007. She was a senior honors student at Western High School. Since then Johnson, a personal chef, has made asthma awareness a […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Coppin State Opens Health and Human Performance Wellness Center
Coppin State University (CSU) held the grand opening of its new Health and Human Performance Wellness Center on Sept. 20, marking a new era not only for the historically Black school, but for the surrounding community. The Wellness Center, which is housed in the new edifice, will offer memberships to Baltimore City residents and the […]