By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO The school bus driver shortage sweeping the nation gave way to tense operations in Baltimore County this week. Parents and guardians woke up to an alarming email over the weekend, warning that “Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) bus drivers and bus attendants may organize a ‘call out’ that will […]
Author Archives: Alexis Taylor
AFRO Staff Writer
Posted inNEWS
NPR: Nick Charles to Lead as Chief Culture Editor
Journalist and author Nick Charles (Photo: NPR/Nick Charles) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO National Public Radio (NPR) has announced that esteemed journalist and author Nick Charles will be the nonprofit media organization’s chief culture editor. Vice President and Executive Editor Edith Chapin praised the decision in a message to newsroom employees, made public by […]
Posted inNEWS
Sickle Cell awareness and education crucial for Black families in 2021
Sean, Saxton, Shea and Sawyer (Courtesy Photo) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Shea Guillory was shocked when the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia began sending letters one week after she took her newborn home. Yes, she had asked the pediatrician to test for sickle cell disorders prior to leaving the hospital. Yes, she […]
Posted inNEWS
Baltimore’s Voxel returns to in-person showings with Blast of Funk and Black Futurism
Presented by the Baltimore Rock Opera Society, “Funktopia – A Super Afro Intergalactic Tribute To Hip Hop And Funk” features Baltimore-based hip-hop artists Meek S. Blaylock and Dre “Drizzy Tha Don” Thompson. (Photo: Facebook, Baltimore Rock Opera Society) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The Voxel has reopened to in-person shows with a blast […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Sickle Cell awareness and education crucial for Black families in 2021
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Shea Guillory was shocked when the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia began sending letters one week after she took her newborn home. Yes, she had asked the pediatrician to test for sickle cell disorders prior to leaving the hospital. Yes, she was aware that she had the sickle […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Big banks fight proposed IRS reporting on all customer accounts over $600
(Photo by Avinash Kumar on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO Big banks are sounding the alarm on a proposed reporting requirement that would force financial institutions to give the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data on every account with more than $600. The measure is included in the text of the Biden Administration’s American […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Five Colorado officers and paramedics indicted in death of Elijah McClain
In this June 27, 2020, file photo, demonstrators carry a giant placard during a rally and march over the death of Elijah McClain outside the police department in Aurora, Colo. Colorado’s attorney general said Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 that a grand jury indicted three officers and two paramedics in the death of Elijah McClain, a […]
Posted inNEWS
AFRO Exclusive: Secretary Walsh talks new Infrastructure Bill with the AFRO
White House Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Legislators will take a vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal on Sept. 27th now that it has passed both houses of Congress. Billions of dollars will be poured into the goals of connecting […]
Posted inBaltimore News
#WordinBlack: Transportation issues and hot classrooms City School’s return to in-person learning
(Stock Photo) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) did indeed return to “normal” this week, as the first day of classes ended in mid-day dismissals for hundreds of students due to a lack of air conditioning. Many students returned for in-person learning for the first time in 18 months since […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: White House experts: Vaccination key in protecting students and keeping variants at bay
“Everybody who is 12 or up has to be vaccinated so that they can protect themselves, protect their school and protect their communities,” said White House Vaccinations Coordinator Dr. Bechara Choucair. “We have to do everything we can to create a safe environment and protect the twelve and under who aren’t eligible yet to get […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
State of Emergency declared in Baltimore County as Delta Variant infections rise
Baltimore County Logo/Seal By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO Baltimore County Executive John Olszews Jr. has declared another local state of emergency as the delta variant of the coronavirus rapidly spreads through his jurisdiction. Olszewski’s initial declaration of a local state of emergency due to the pandemic was issued in March 2020 to combat novel […]
Posted inNEWS
#WordinBlack: Tutors fill virtual deficits for public school students during the pandemic
(Photo by Ralston Smith on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Lynette Jasper Edwards knew it was time to do something. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic had come into sharp focus for classroom teachers and parents in Fall 2020. And she was both. Some students weren’t adapting well to the virtual […]
