By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com On a picture-perfect summer day, hundreds of children and their parents attended an event in District Heights, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 23, which helped families gear up for the return of classes with free school supplies, health screenings and vaccines and food and entertainment for all. The event, […]
Author Archives: D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the NNPA from The Miami Times
Posted inMaryland Sports
Maryland Cycling Classic returns Sept. 6 with men’s, women’s races held for the first time entirely within Baltimore City limits
The Maryland Cycling Classic will return on September 6th, with the debut of men’s and women’s races on a course contained entirely within the City of Baltimore, and the Benin National Team making history as the first all-Black African women’s national team to compete in a UCI-ranked race in North America.
Posted inReligion
Rev. Bryant urges Black Church to spark a moral revival, confront White supremacy on March anniversary
At Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C., clergy and community members marked the 62nd anniversary of the March on Washington with prayer, reflection, and a fiery sermon from the Rev. Jamal Bryant. Bryant urged the Black Church to confront White supremacy, embrace protest over silence, and lead a renewed movement for justice.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Survivors of Katrina find strength, solace through the efforts of extraordinary people
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com When the first official public warnings of a tropical depression, then located over the Bahamas, were issued on Aug. 23, 2005 by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fl., few could have predicted that it would become one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. But by the […]
Posted in!Front Page Baltimore News
Greater Baltimore Urban League placed on immediate probation
The Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) is officially on probation according to an Aug. 15 letter sent from the National Urban League. The communication, recently obtained by the AFRO, details 11 alleged violations by the GBUL Board of Directors.
Posted inNational News
Black attorneys respond to president’s executive order calling for elimination of cashless bail
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com On Monday, August 25, the 47th president of the United States signed two executive orders to end cashless bail – a decision which he asserted will protect Americans. In the two executive orders, one focusing on the District of Columbia, where the president has declared a “crime emergency,” […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
New Orleans clergy say 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, Black communities still waiting for promises to be fulfilled
Two decades after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, members of the Black communities say they still haven’t fully recovered from the storm.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Community split as D.C. residents debate federal takeover, with opposition outweighing support
Since the president took control of D.C.’s police force and deployed nearly 2,000 armed National Guard troops on Aug. 11, residents remain deeply divided. A Washington Post/George Mason poll shows nearly 80 percent oppose the move, with many calling it government overreach and questioning the justification given falling crime rates. Others, however, support the action, citing concerns about youth violence and safety on city streets and public transit.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Lewis Ferebee shares priorities for D.C. schools in new academic year, beginning Aug. 25
As D.C. Public Schools students return to class on Aug. 25, Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee outlines new initiatives to boost academic success, address chronic absenteeism, and modernize school facilities. In an interview with the AFRO, Ferebee highlighted gains since the pandemic, strategies to strengthen attendance, and DCPS’s approach to AI in classrooms, while reaffirming Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $180 million commitment to school modernization.
Posted inBaltimore News
Black families push past barriers to save lives through swimming and water safety
Barriers like cost, access, and generational fear continue to prevent many Black youth from learning how to swim, contributing to a disproportionately high rate of drowning deaths. Through programs like Baltimore’s 4M Swim Club, families are working to change the narrative—embracing water safety, building confidence, and developing a new generation of Black swimmers and lifeguards.
Posted inArts & Culture
Baltimore continues salute to August Wilson as ‘The Piano Lesson’ debuts Aug. 31
Ten Baltimore theater companies have united for a three-year August Wilson Celebration, presenting his entire American Century Cycle to highlight Black history and culture through live theater. The next play, “The Piano Lesson,” opens Aug. 31 at Everyman Theatre, inviting audiences to engage deeply with Wilson’s legacy and storytelling.
Posted inDMV News
Black men’s spiritual healing circle negates impact of toxic masculinity
Members of CREWS (Communities Respecting Everyone’s Will
To Survive) work with small community-based organizations in the Greater Washington Area to help Black men and youth overcome the debilitating impacts of crime and self-hatred.
