Despite backlash from Republican pundits, Rapper/Poet Common still performed at the White House on May 11 during an evening of poetry. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was among the political critics who blasted President Obama for inviting a socially conscious rapper whose works have drawn criticism. The event—part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s White […]
Author Archives: Erica Butler
AFRO Staff Writer
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Transportation Security Woes Revisited after bin Laden’s Death
In the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, security has been heightened around transportation systems in major metropolitans, including Washington, D.C. Agencies have been warning the public of potential vengeful acts from bin Laden’s followers. Those fears were magnified since during the attack on the al-Qaeda leader’ hideout, Navy SEALs confiscated papers that revealed a […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Organizations, Leaders Fight Abortion Funding Ban
Local organizations say they are already feeling the effects of a move to end government funding for abortions in the District of Columbia. The DC Abortion Fund has seen an outpouring of financial support since H.R. 3, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, was introduced. The House passed the GOP-backed legislation May 5 and it […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Beefs Up Litter Program; Pedestrians and Motorists Targeted
Visitors and residents of Ward 4 beware: that hamburger wrapper you unconsciously throw on the ground may warrant a ticket from D.C. police. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) kicked off a litter enforcement program May 1 for Ward 4 and part of Ward 5, targeting pedestrians and motorists. Ward 4 […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
GOP Makes Inroads in D.C. Politics
The results of the April 26 special election may reflect a changing city that is increasingly open to a more diverse D.C. Council. Patrick Mara, the lone Republican in the at-large race, came in a close second, with 26 percent of votes, after presumptive at-large council member, Vincent Orange (D), who garnered 28 percent. The […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Banks Conflicts Testimony; Whiting and Brown Avoid Cheh Hearing
In the third wave of D.C. Council hearings investigating hiring missteps made in Mayor Vincent Gray’s initial administration on April 29, Sulaimon Brown and Cherita Whiting were no-shows, again. Brown was among several employees caught in a dragnet initiated by the local press, which questioned the hiring practices—including allegations of nepotism, cronyism, excessive salaries and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Call for More Black Feminists in Porn Industry
A handful of Black women have entered the pornography industry as producers and directors, but writer Arielle Loren said their numbers are too low to influence an industry dominated by videos that degrade women and often racist. . Loren, in an essay in Clutch Magazine, called for the emergence of a Black feminist movement within […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Orange Unofficially Wins At-Large Race, Based on Early Results
Vincent Orange (D) will likely be the next at-large D.C. councilman after beating eight other candidates, of whom only Republican Patrick Mara came close in numbers during the special elections on April 26. With more than 55,000 voters at the polls, Orange raked in a little more than 28 percent of the votes, with Mara, […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
In Redistricting, Wards 2, 7, 8 Will Change
The parameters of Wards 2, 7 and 8 must be modified to meet federal requirements, D.C. Council members said in the first Council Redistricting Subcommittee hearing on April 25. The city’s population grew by 5.2 percent since the 2000, totaling 601,723 in 2010. Ward 2 has nearly 80,000 residents with Wards 7 and 8 below […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Bill to Approve All Deputy Mayors Delayed
An emergency bill that would compel Mayor Vincent Gray (D) to approve all deputy mayors has been delayed. The bill, sponsored by Councilmen Jim Graham and Marion Barry, would be the first legislation proposed by the council the mayor publicly opposes. Gray, a former council chairman, said the Confirmation Act requires confirmation of agency directors […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Decimated Detroit Turns to “Urban Roots”
Detroit, a city where the economy once thrived and industrial growth boomed, is now a shadow of its former self. But while the population of the city has declined dramatically, falling to its lowest level since just after the turn of the 20th century, those who are left have not given up. A new documentary, […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Tyler Perry: “Spike Lee Can Go Straight to Hell”
Ahead of the national premiere of his latest project, writer and director Tyler Perry said recently he is weary of deflecting criticism that his work lacks substance and is not an authentic and constructive portrayal of Black Americans. Perry’s latest film, “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” opened across the country April 22. He said during a […]