Frances “Toni” Draper discusses the financial disparity between Black and White families, which can be addressed through education, financial literacy, and policies to ensure equal access to investment opportunities.
Author Archives: Frances Toni Draper AFRO Publisher
AFRO salute: the women behind the 6888th keep pushing
Maryland House Bill 0370, sponsored by Delegate Mike Rogers, would require the governor to proclaim March 9 as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day, honoring the brave service of 855 predominantly Black women who served in WWII.
A time to act: Celebrating the activists who impact the future by honoring the past
By Dr. Frances “Toni” DraperAFRO Publisher and CEO “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or […]
A time to remember: ‘This is Our War’
By Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher When my grandfather, Carl J. Murphy, Ph. D., wrote of World War II as “our war,” it was an acknowledgement of how […]
A time to support: the importance of Black Business Month
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher Nearly 20 years ago, historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. declared August as National Black Business Month […]
Affirmative action, student loans and transparency in government: a note from the desk of AFRO Publisher Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper
On SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling: “The Supreme Court majority’s ruling is a shameful step backwards for equality, education, and the pursuit of prosperity for Black students in particular. This outcome […]
Celebrating Juneteenth
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO Publisher and CEO CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect that June 19, 2023 is the 158th anniversary of Juneteenth. This year we […]
Above and beyond: remembering Mrs. Paysour and the many educators who propelled us to greatness
By Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO Publisher and CEO July 10, 1994 Dear Frances, Having just checked the calendar, I am amazed that it has been almost two months since I […]
From the AFRO publisher’s desk: financial training can’t start too early
By Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO Publisher and CEO It was a colorful 3×5 card (more like a booklet) with patriotic symbols and slogans about money. Every day, I put […]
A time to learn: the importance of cherishing Black history
By Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO Publisher and CEO Over 110 years ago, Booker Taliaferro Washington penned this letter to my great grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr. – AFRO founder and […]
The movement continues: we still ‘have a dream’
By Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper, AFRO Publisher In 1963, the AFRO meticulously chronicled the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered […]
No New Year’s Resolution for me – it’s one minute at a time
By Frances Murphy “Toni” Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher If a doctor gave you 48 hours to live, what would you do? How would you react? Who would you spend […]