By Ashleigh FieldsAFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Approximately 75 years ago, President Harry S. Truman desegregated the United States military, forever changing the landscape of defense by blurring racial lines and unblocking life changing opportunities for service members of color. This year, local non-profit Leave No Veteran Behind, invited everyone from soldiers from the front lines to […]
Author Archives: Ashleigh Fields
A fresh perspective has arrived at The AFRO-American Newspapers. Ashleigh Fields has been named the new assistant editor, bringing new ideas to the oldest Black-owned business in Maryland.
Fields’ passion for Black media is one she’s been pursuing throughout her entire college tenure. The North Carolina native is a graduating senior at Howard University, majoring in journalism with a minor in Afro-American studies. The young writer has served as the editor for “The Hilltop,” the nation’s oldest Black collegiate newspaper founded at Howard, and has previously been featured in Rolling Stone magazine.
“Knowing that there are people across the globe and across the nation that care about what happens to Black students is important to me and I was happy to be able to uplift that during my time at Howard,” Fields stated.
She is a second generation journalist, and noted that seeing her mother interact with the people in their community always inspired her. These interactions showed her that she can make a difference through journalism and that’s exactly what she plans to do at the AFRO.
“I’m hoping to bring a millennial audience to the AFRO and help grow our outreach in the D.C area. I really want to focus on telling human stories, featuring people who are living and working in all aspects of life,” exclaimed Fields when explaining some of the goals she’s looking to accomplish while working at the AFRO. “I also want to include more collegiate writers who are eager to get their work published and eager to learn more about journalism.They have a valuable voice to add to the many conversations we’re having in minority communities.”
Fields explained that she thinks Black media is currently under assault that people both inside and outside of the Black community are beginning to value the Black perspective less. Despite this, Fields noted that Black media and the influence it has is still very essential.
Giving recognition to journalism moguls such as Oprah Winfrey and Cathy Hughes, she’s eager to learn more from the many women who work at the AFRO.
“I’m really excited to learn from Black women in leadership within the media realm,” said Fields. “My goal is to combat the misinformation and disinformation targeted at the Black community via social media and elsewhere.”
Posted inMedia
Washington Association of Black Journalists hosts 2023 gala at Howard University
By Ashleigh FieldsAFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Veteran communication professionals imparted wisdom on reporters young and old at the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) Scholarship Gala on Dec. 2. A deserving group of seven individuals were honored for their strides toward inclusivity and equality in news gathering for members of the media across the nation. “ Each […]
Posted inHealth
World AIDS Day Conference convenes in the nation’s capital
By Ashleigh Fields AFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) observed the impact of her 25-year-old Minority AIDS Initiative at 25 through the lens of benefactors at the World AIDS Day Conference on Dec. 1. The initiative was established by Congress in 1998 with the objective to provide evidence-based treatment to HIV patients with primary […]
Posted inReligion
Black women in ministry recognized as ‘Unsung She-roes’
By Ashleigh FieldsAFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, recently celebrated 24 women of excellence in the religious field with the UnSung She-Roes Awards. Among the list of awardees was AFRO Special Projects Editor Rev. Dorothy Boulware, beloved former managing editor of the publication. Journalist Adelle Banks, […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Black artistry highlighted at 46th Kennedy Center Honors ceremony
By Ashleigh FieldsAFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Among a class of five esteemed performers, New Jersey natives Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick were honored by the Kennedy Center for lifetime achievement in the arts. The 46th class of inductees also included Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb and Billy Crystal, each eminent influencers of American culture in their own […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
A pledge for peace: Israel and Hamas cease-fire leads to hostage exchange
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com In the midst of a six-day cease-fire between Hamas and the Israeli government, the release of human captives has been a stabilizing factor of the two entities’ commitment to the temporary truce. Since the brutal Oct. 7 infiltration of the Gaza Strip by Hamas, only 82 of the […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Go-go Museum set to open in historic Anacostia neighborhood next year
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor afields@afro.com Self-proclaimed “guardians of go-go” are working to enshrine the legends and lifestyle of a musical genre birthed in Southeast D.C. Ronald L. Moten and Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D., are co-founders of “Don’t Mute D.C.,” an organization created in 2019 with a goal of spearheading protective clauses that prevent gentrification […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Morgan State University’s D.C. Metro Alumni Chapter hosts 75th commemorative event
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor Morgan State University alumni gathered at Boeing Headquarters in Arlington, Va. on Nov. 13 to celebrate 75 years of service to their institution. The group hosted historically Black college and university (HBCU) presidents from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Tennessee State University (TSU) and Morgan State University (MSU) […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Morgan State Alumni gather to reimagine HBCUs beyond 2024
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com The D.C. metropolitan Area Alumni Chapter of the Morgan State University Alumni Association gathered on Nov.13 to acknowledge 75 years of existence. The group used the occasion to celebrate, network and hold important discussions about the impact and future of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “I would […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Reginald F. Lewis museum hosts AFRO salute to Black veterans
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor The AFRO honored those who have served the country on Nov. 7 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore. Prominent military leaders from around the state of Maryland were in attendance, including Adjutant General Janeen Birckhead, former Adjutant General Linda Singh and Anthony C. Woods, secretary of the […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
AFRO inside look: Sergeant Arthur Martin speaks on his time as a U.S. soldier in Vietnam
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com On the steps outside the Capitol, the place where Congress convenes daily, a significant and selfless hero was honored. The steadfast story of Sergeant Arthur Martin was documented by Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4) on Nov. 6. Martin was celebrated for his service in the United States Military Advisory […]
Posted inNews
AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: Maryland Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead and her legacy of service
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com Along the beaten path that lays on the stretch of land between two exits off Route 113 lives one family’s long-lasting legacy of service. The road measures at two miles and carries the namesake of Fannie Birckhead. A local leader who cultivated the side plot of greenery that […]