The U.S. Department of Treasury has allocated $41.5 million to Prince George’s County under the Recovery Zone Facility Bond (RZFB) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). And, on May 18 at 10:30 a.m., the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC) will hold an information session discussing the funding and how […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
Harlem’s Apollo Theater Unveils Walk of Fame
The famed Apollo Theater in Harlem unveiled its brand new Walk of Fame on May 10, honoring artists Smokey Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown, among others. The world-renowned auditorium recognized great recording artists with a series of rectangular bronze plaques set into the sidewalk outside the theater along 125th Street. Also honored with plaques […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Philly Police Officer Lied About Being Shot by Black Man
A 21-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department has admitted to fabricating a story about being shot by a Black man, but his reasons for doing so remain unclear, according to media reports. On April 5, Sgt. Robert Ralston radioed that he’d been shot by a Black in a predominantly Black neighborhood in West Philadelphia. […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
White House Unveils Plan to Address Childhood Obesity
Led by first lady Michelle Obama, the White House Childhood Obesity Task Force on May 11 unveiled an action plan to target and solve childhood obesity in America within a generation. “For the first time, the nation will have goals, benchmarks, and measurable outcomes that will help us tackle the childhood obesity epidemic one child, […]
Posted inNational News
NAACP Unanimously Endorses Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan
The NAACP voted to unanimously endorse Elena Kagan, President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, at its quarterly meeting on May 15. “After a careful and thorough review of Elena Kagan’s record, we have unanimously voted to endorse her nomination,” NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a press release. “Elena Kagan has […]
Posted inNational News
Synagogue Buys Philadelphia-Area Swim Club Once Accused of Racism
The Philadelphia-area swim club which 56 Black and Latino children were barred from attending last year was sold at a bankruptcy auction on May 13 to a nearby synagogue, after legal bills racked up in its defense of the incident left it broke. The Huntingdon Valley Swimming Club was sold for $1.46 million to Congregation […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Report: Black Students Carry More Debt than White Peers
Across the U.S., another group of Black students will earn their college degrees in May, and progress to the next stage in their lives. But they do so carrying the burden of greater debt than their White peers, according to a new study conducted by The College Board’s Advocacy and Policy Center. The study revealed […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Marvin Sapp Makes Gospel Music History
Gospel singer Marvin Sapp has made history with his new album “Here I Am,” which debuted at second on the Billboard magazine chart of the 200 top-selling albums, the highest-ever debut for a gospel album in the chart’s 54 year history. Released on March 16, the album sold 76,000 copies in its first week to […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Study Shows: Dwindling Digital Divide, Blacks More Attracted to Twitter
The social messaging service Twitter appears to attract a higher proportion of African-Americans, who make up 24 percent of the 17 million Americans “tweeting”. This number is approximately double the percentage of Blacks in the overall U.S. population according to a report by The Edison Research and Arbitron released April 29. The study surveyed approximately […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Houston Science Teacher Fired for Beating Student
A Houston charter school science teacher has been fired for beating a teenage student in April. Sheri Lynn Davis, a 40-year-old instructor at Jamie’s House Charter School, backed 13-year-old student Isaiah Johnson into a corner for making fun of one of his female classmates and violently beat him, according to CBS News. The incident was […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Alabama State Students, Once Expelled, Receive Degrees 50 Years Later
Nine students from Alabama State University were denied their academic degrees 50 years ago after they participated in a Montgomery County civil rights protest. On May 8, three of the original nine expelled students finally got the chance to walk across the stage at the university’s 2010 commencement, according to BlackAmericaWeb.com. Joseph Peterson, James McFadden […]
Posted inBUT HAVE YOU SEEN THIS YET?
Flooding in Tennessee
Intense rainfall in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi may have slipped under the radar of the public’s conscience, considering the large Oil Spill in the Gulf, and the dramatic fight over immigration rights in Arizona, but it certainly has impacted hundreds of thousands living in the region. The rain caused an incredible amount of damage. Click […]
