Three Los Angeles teachers have been suspended after they gave their students pictures of Dennis Rodman, O.J. Simpson, and RuPaul to carry in a Black History Month Parade, the Associated Press reported. Los Angeles School District spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry told the AP on March 3 that the teachers’ suspension from Wadsworth Elementary School was caused […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
Naomi Campbell Hosts “Fashion for Relief” for Haiti
Superstar runway model Naomi Campbell recently rallied the fashion world with a charity fashion show for Haitian relief efforts, her latest effort to support disaster relief. The event was held on February 12 during New York Fashion Week and drew top models, designers and fashion critics including model Christy Turlington, the Duchess of York. Celebrity […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Obama Sets Deadline on Health Care Reform
President Obama hopes to see his controversial health care reform bill approved by March 18, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said March 4. According to thehill.com, Gibbs said sweeping health care reform should move through Congress before the president leaves for a trip to Australia and Indonesia. “We’re leaving on March 18 and we […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Towson U. Professor Fired for Racial Slur
Towson University has fired Professor Allen Zaruba for using the “N-word” during class. Zaruba, 58, used the racial slur in referencing himself as a worker on a “corporate plantation.” He said he takes full responsibility for using the word, but thinks the university may have gone overboard in his firing. “Yes, I made a mistake. […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Baltimore’s Mo’Nique Might Win
The biggest moment of actress Mo’Nique’s career could happen at the Academy Awards on March 7, as she is among the nominees for Best Supporting Actress. The Baltimore, Md. native currently hosts “The Monique Show” on BET and is best known for her comedic roles in films such as “Soul Plane,” “Phat Girlz” and “Welcome […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
District Enacts Same-Sex Law
The enactment this week of the District’s Religious Freedom and Civil Rights Equality Amendment Act, which gave same-sex couples the nod to apply for marriage licenses, signaled a coup for that community but downplayed the latest efforts of a local group that vehemently opposes those unions. “I hope this sends the message that the District […]
Posted inNational News
Rangel Resigns Chairmanship Amid Controversy
After a series of ethics inquiries threatened to mar his more than 40-year career, New York Rep. Charles B. Rangel, head of the New York Congressional delegation, announced March 3 that he would temporarily leave his post as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. “I have, this morning, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Mayor Hospitalized
After awaking to numbness and minor chest and abdominal pains around 3 a.m. on Thursday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake felt as if she was going to pass out and was taken to Sinai Hospital by her husband, Kent Blake. She was then transported to University of Maryland Medical Center where she underwent testing and observation by […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Howard University Hosts Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Howard University will serve as the backdrop next week surrounding a debate on same-sex marriage. The event, which takes place at noon on March 9, will be held at the university’s School of Law and will feature the justice involved in the controversial Proposition 8 in which the Supreme Court overturned a referendum last year […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Earthquake Cripples Chile
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on the morning of February 27, destroying buildings, highways and killing 708 people according to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The earthquake is one of the largest ever recorded and was felt as far away as Brazil. The earthquake sent a tsunami that barely missed Hawaii and is expected to affect […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
GOP, Dems Remain Gridlocked After Health Care Summit
President Obama’s bipartisan health care reform summit on February 25 failed to provoke any Republican converts, forcing Democrats to turn to a political process called reconciliation, which would sidestep the need for Republican support for the measure. The move would allow the majority-Democratic Congress to approve Obama’s proposed healthcare reform with a simple majority vote, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Elderly Haitians Receiving Makeshift Assistance
Among the hardest-hit victims of the Haitian earthquake in January were elderly residents of Port-au-Prince, but conditions are improving for individuals at one nursing home. HelpAge International took over management of the Municipal Nursing Home for the Haitian government and will run the facility for the next six months. Jonathan Barden, an emergency response team […]