WASHINGTON (NNPA) – As historically Black colleges and universities adapt to the rapidly changing educational landscape, advocates say that collaborative partnerships in business, in the community and on campus will be needed to ensure that HBCUs survive and thrive in the 21st century. “My grandfather used to tell me, ‘If someone tells you something three […]
Author Archives: Freddie Allen
NNPA Washington Correspondent
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Women Murdered by Men Three Times Rate of White Females
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Black women are murdered by men, often their present or past husbands or lovers, at a rate that is nearly three times the murder rate of White women killed by men, according to a report by the Violence Policy Center. The report titled, “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2011 Homicide […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Upcoming Washington March Should Again Focus on Jobs
Civil rights leaders will march on Washington, D.C. on August 24 to observe the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Now economists, labor groups and community stakeholders want to make sure that the Black jobs […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Unemployment Rate Lowest Since 2009
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The unemployment rate for Blacks fell from 13.7 percent in June to 12.6 percent in July, the lowest jobless rate for Blacks since January 2009, according to the latest jobs report from the Labor Department. Although economists warn against being too optimistic about one month’s jobs numbers, some economists found it unusual for the Black unemployment rate […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Gun Violence Leading Cause of Death of Black Children
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Gun violence is the leading cause of death among Black children and teens, according to a new report by the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit, child advocacy group. The report titled, “Protect Children, Not Guns 2013,” painted grim picture of the national gun violence epidemic that is the second-leading cause of death among all children ages […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Civil Rights Leaders Meet with Obama on Voting Rights
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The Voting Rights Act is down, but not out and civil rights leaders joined President Obama and Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. at the White House July 29 to discuss renewed efforts in the fight against voter discrimination. In a statement released after the meeting, Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Clergy Stand Their Ground Against Zimmerman Verdict
Just as they did during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the July 20 demonstrations in more than 100 cities around the nation to protest the not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman on charges that he murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, many ministers were in the forefront of protests at federal buildings in their communities. […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Voting Rights Advocates Face Uphill Battle
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, striking down section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights organizations and voting rights advocates are preparing to battle against an expected avalanche of new voting laws to wipe out the incredible gains generated by the […]
Posted inNational News
Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling a Relief to Many
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Civil rights leaders greeted the Supreme Court’s decision in Fisher v. the University of Texas at Austin with lukewarm optimism. “It is not a victory, but it is not a defeat either. It’s in that gray area,” said Martin Luther King, III, civil rights activist and son of the late Dr. Martin […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Activists Urge End to War on Drugs
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Black activists marked the 42nd anniversary of the War on Drugs with a protest in front of the White House aimed at ending a targeted action that has led to the disproportionate arresting, conviction and incarceration of Blacks for decades. The Institute of the Black World 21st Century, an organization dedicated to […]
Posted inHealth
Autism Often Goes Undetected in Black Kids
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Areva Martin watched her youngest child play with growing concern. Marty was almost 18 months old and he didn’t play like other kids his age. Instead of racing toy cars on a track or across the floor, Marty would organize them in lines. He did the same thing with crayons. Instead of […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Adding Shakur to Most Wanted List Baffles Activists
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – When officials from the FBI and the New Jersey State Police called a press conference to name Assata Shakur, a 65-year-old-Black women and political refugee living in Cuba, to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List, the move left many political activists puzzled. Shakur is the first woman named to the list that […]
