Black Americans across the nation are questioning why Black leaders such as Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) voted for a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who often made disparaging comments about the Black community. This week, AFRO News Publisher and CEO Dr. Frances Murphy Draper speaks on the legislators who voted to honor Kirk, and praises those like Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07) (center) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) (right), who stood against the resolution put before them.
Author Archives: Frances Toni Draper AFRO Publisher
Posted inOpinion
It’s hard to admit it, but I was wrong about democracy
AFRO Publisher and CEO, Dr. Frances Murphy Draper, speaks on how democracy’s promise of protecting every voice has fallen short in her latest reflection and call to action. This week, she urges unity among the Black Press, the Black Church and the community to defend free speech and fight for a democracy that truly values every voice.
Posted inOpinion
What Charlie Kirk’s death reveals about America
Dr. Frances Murphy Draper serves the AFRO as CEO and publisher and is a fourth-generation member of the publication’s founding family. This week, in her call to conscience, she speaks on the brutal death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his record and the culture of contempt that has become the norm in America.
Posted inNational Sports
Purple in a sea of blue: A Ravens fan’s wild Buffalo ride
By Dr. Frances DraperAFRO CEO and Publisher From hotel surprises to tailgate mayhem, Baltimore fans made their mark — even in the NFL’s first-ever 41–40 thriller. Primetime excitement My first ever away trip as a Ravens fan is one I will never forget — for both the highs and the heartbreak. This wasn’t just any […]
Posted inCommentary
Baltimore doesn’t need occupation — or threats
Baltimore City Mayor Bradon M. Scott and Maryland Governor Wes Moore have made it clear that they will not welcome federal intervention in response to threats from the 47th president of the United States– especially given that crime is down, according to 2025 data.
Posted inOpinion
Firing the best and the brightest
The dismissals of trailblazing Black women leaders like Lisa Cook (left) and Carla Hayden (right), along with attacks on Black-led cities and officials, is revealing a deliberate effort to undermine excellence, representation and equity, sending a dangerous message that no achievement by Black Americans is safe.
Posted inCommentary
Defending the African American Museum of History and Culture is defending America’s truth
By Dr. Frances Murphy DraperAFRO Publisher and CEO America cannot afford to whitewash its past. Yet that is exactly what is at stake in the current review of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To question whether slavery and racism belong in the story of this nation is not only dangerous—it is […]
Posted inAfro Newspaper
133 Years—and we’re still telling the truth
The AFRO-American Newspapers, a 133-year-old Black-owned and family-owned business, continues to thrive under the leadership of Publisher and CEO Frances Murphy Draper, blending its historic legacy with modern innovation while fighting for truth and equity in the face of current crises.
Posted inEditorial
The endgame behind the MLK Files — erase the man, then erase the holiday
The sudden release of FBI files on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a calculated attempt to tarnish his legacy and silence the symbols that inspire progress, and is part of a broader reactionary wave aimed at rewriting history.
Posted inOpinion
Independence Interrupted: What Fort Gregg-Adams teaches us this Fourth of July
The renaming of Fort Lee back to Fort Gregg-Adams, and the reversal of progress for Black women in the military and media, are part of a larger pattern of erasing Black history and undermining equity, and must be resisted in order to ensure that freedom fully includes Black Americans.
Posted inCommentary
Celebrating Black music month: From Billie to Gabby, Go-Go to Gospel
Black Music Month is a celebration of the Baltimore-Washington corridor’s rich musical tapestry, from jazz legends Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington to hip-hop artists like Sisqó and Gabby Samone, and gospel choirs like the Howard Gospel Choir and Morgan State University Choir.
Posted inSports
Black women in sports: A personal and collective journey
Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper is publisher and CEO of the AFRO-American Newspapers. This week, she speaks to the contribution of Black women in the world of sports.
