The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 3.2 million Americans were employed as educators in a public school district last year. In many states, teachers depend on evaluations to gain access to pay increases based on performance. (Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The spring observation season […]
Author Archives: Alexis Taylor
AFRO Staff Writer
Posted inCoronavirus
Public health agencies recognize America’s other epidemic: Racism
(Photo courtesy Marcus Spiske) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO More than a year into the deadly coronavirus pandemic, health experts have identified another public health crisis facing the American public: racism. The nation’s leading public health agencies have declared that centuries of racism in America have weakened the mental and physical health of […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Coronavirus puts standardized assessments to the test
School districts looking to receive federal funding must administer standardized tests this year. The Biden administration has announced that officials can give shorter versions of statewide assessments, extend testing windows to accommodate social distancing and hybrid learning, or test students remotely. (Courtesy Photo) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The Biden Administration is not […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Hopkins forum highlights vaccination and mental health
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Johns Hopkins University put COVID-19 vaccinations and mental health under the microscope this week during the youth forum, Disruptivate: COVID-19, hosted in conjunction with Usher’s New Look, Hip Hop Public Health, and Dew More Baltimore. More than 120 students from around the country gathered virtually to talk about […]
Posted in!Front Page
How Black Greek Letter organizations have furthered the cause of a people
Derek Davis, former Polaris (president) of the Chicago Alumni Chapter, helps induct U.S. Congressman and former Black Panther Bobby Rush into Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. in 1997. (Photo by Dwayne Dixon) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO It is near impossible to examine the advancement of Black people without discussing Black greek letter […]
Posted in!Front Page
How Baltimore’s Black youth furthered the cause of Black press
For decades mere children kept Black Baltimore abreast of pressing issues facing the race, current events, and pop culture.Source: https://laurawmurphy.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/my-dad-the-afro-paperboy/ By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Long before 24- hour news coverage, Facebook feeds, and Tik Tok videos, newspapers kept the masses informed through an intricate network that criss-crossed the nation. Though the information […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: Baltimore teachers decry expansion of in-person learning with caravan protest
Teachers of Baltimore City Public Schools protest the expansion of in-person learning before the opportunity to be fully vaccinated, an upgrade to ventilation systems, and a “robust and proactive testing program.” There are also concerns about the data being used to make decisions about school openings and closures. By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: Parents face tough conversations after attack on Capitol building
“This is something that will be in history books and our children are living through it,” said Mike Hopkins, a licensed counselor. “They should have support and solidarity.” (Photo by Nechirwan Kavian on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Whether you call it a violent protest or an attempted coup- the facts of […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Artists effect change through unique talents
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Moving the country forward, just as much as the likes of Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., activism through the work of Black entertainers has long been a staple of change. Though not always as overt as a March on Washington, Black artists have long nurtured […]
Posted in!Front Page
Students tackle virtual learning and loneliness during the pandemic
As coronavirus continues to ravage the country, students nationwide have taken on the challenges of learning and living during a pandemic. By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The school closures were only supposed to have lasted two weeks. In Maryland, Spring break was already on the horizon. A 10-day recess seemed right on time […]
Posted inNEWS
Supreme Court orders Mckesson case back to lower court
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO As police brutality protests continue across the country this month, the Supreme Court of the United States made a major move in protecting protest organizers and participants from liability for injuries and property damage. In a 7-1 decision the court sent the case, DeRay Mckesson v. John Doe, […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Families give virtual learning a passing grade
Ezekiel Parson speaks with his second grade teacher from home in the more popular virtual learning uniform- his pajamas. (Photo credit/Ama Brown) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Public school students and their families are roughly halfway through an unprecedented semester of virtual learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. Praise and critique have abounded […]
