Howard University held its 142nd commencement ceremonies on May 8 amid sunny skies and a stiff wind at the Upper Quadrangle on the school’s main campus. Many luminaries attended the ceremony including former congressman and current NBC News Analyst Harold Ford Jr; former adviser to Pres. Clinton and Howard board member Vernon Jordan; and A. […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
First Lady Hosts Former Presidents’ Families, Military Moms for Mother’s Day Tea
First lady Michelle Obama celebrated Mother’s Day early with a White House tea on May 7, according to USA Today. Guests were scheduled to include former first lady Rosalynn Carter and her granddaughter, Sarah Carter; Anne and Susan Eisenhower, granddaughters of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Tricia Nixon Cox, daughter of former president Richard […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ohio Man Exonerated After Nearly 30 Years in Prison
A 52-year-old Ohio man was freed May 3 after spending close to 30 years in prison after DNA results revealed he did not rape an 11-year-old girl in 1981. “It finally happened, I’ve been waiting,” Raymond Towler said as he hugged family members in the courtroom, according to the Associated Press. Towler had been serving […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Newspaper Features the Obamas as ‘Sanford and Son’ Characters
A New York weekly newspaper recently featured a political satire that depicted President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as characters from the ‘70s series “Sanford and Son,” according to the Associated Press. The Smithtown Messenger of Long Island, N.Y. and its publisher Phillip Sciarello defended the decision to feature the Obamas as junk dealer […]
Posted inNational News
White House Officials to Address Graduating HBCU Students
Several officials from President Obama’s administration are scheduled to give commencement addresses at historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, across the country. In all, 11 commencement addresses are scheduled to be given by White House officials, continuing the commitment Obama has shown to HBCUs. “We’re not only doing this because these schools are a […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Idris Elba Named Ambassador of 14th Annual American Black Film Festival
Film Life Inc. has named England-born actor Idris Elba ambassador of the 14th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), according to a press release sent to the AFRO. The festival will be held June 23-26 in Miami, Fla. The ABFF is an international gathering of Black cinema stars and creative minds. As the event’s ambassador, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Lionel Richie to Speak at Tuskegee University Commencement
Famed R&B singer Lionel Richie is scheduled to speak via satellite at the commencement services of his alma mater Tuskegee University on May 9, the school announced. More than 500 students are set to graduate from the Alabama university. According to the school, it will confer degrees to more Black Ph.D. candidates in the materials […]
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‘The Pill’ Turns 50
On May 9, as mothers around the country are showered with gifts from relatives and friends, America’s must trusted and widely used form of birth control will turn 50. On May 9, 1960, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee voted to approve use of the first oral contraceptive. The pill was formally approved […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Howard Hires Nickleberry as New Basketball Coach
Howard University’s women’s basketball squad had its best season in a long time last year, thanks to the addition of second-year head coach Niki-Reid Geckeler. The Bison are now hoping for the same results with their men’s basketball team as they announced the hiring of new head coach Kevin Nickelberry. A native of Washington, D.C., […]
Posted inSports
Lakers Hold Off Jazz, 111-103
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had the easiest road to defending their NBA title this postseason. After a tough Western Conference first round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the No. 1 seed Lakers are now battling with the young star Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz. But even after Williams nearly […]
Posted inSports
Williams Sisters Return from Injury with Success
Tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams both successfully returned to the pro tennis scene after each suffered knee problems during the early part of the year. They both earned straight-set wins in the opening round of the Italian Open on May 4. Top-ranked Serena beat Timea Bacsinszky in two sets (7-6, 6-1). It was her […]
Posted inSports
Former NFL Player Killed in One-Car Crash
Ex-NFL linebacker Nick Rogers died at age 30 after crashing his car, The Associated Press reports. According to the AP, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office reports that Rogers suffered a fatal one-car accident at about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, May 3. He ran his car into a utility pole in College Park, Ga., not […]
