The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) Feb. 2 rebutted fresh skepticism about whether the Voting Rights Act is still needed in the South and whether it is constitutional. Consider Calera, Ala. and its lone Black councilman just five years ago, LDF lawyers said during oral arguments in federal court in Atlanta involving a […]
Author Archives: Gregory Dale
AFRO News Editor
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Undisputed Queen of Comedy Serves Up ‘Sommore’ Laughs
In the world of comedy, there’s only room for one queen, and comedian Sommore has undoubtedly claimed the throne. After busting onto the scene in 1995 as the first female host of BET’s “Comic View,” the Trenton, N.J. native’s career quickly ascended as she became one of the premier faces of Black female comedy. Following […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Civil Rights Leaders to Voice Experiences Through Facebook Project
Notable men and women of the civil rights movement will share their stories and experiences through a project using the powers of social networking, giving participants an opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from those who made a difference during the famous era in American history. “The Civil Rights Meets Facebook” project will launch on Feb. […]
Posted inMusic Reviews
Rapper Phil Ad: The Newest Face of DMV Hip-Hop
Infectious beats and clever lyrics are the components of tracks constructed by rapper Phil Adé. But while he may be one of a handful of emcees attempting to put the DMV region the map, his material certainly proves that he’s in a league of his own. “My music is free,” Adé told the AFRO in […]
Posted inNational News
House Votes to Repeal Health Care Reform
Just a day after the release of a federal study showing that President Obama’s Affordable Care Act could prevent more than 25 million Americans from being denied health insurance, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted Jan. 19 to repeal the law. According to The Hill newspaper, the Republican-led House voted 245-189, with three Democrats joining […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland Schools Ranked Nation’s Best
Maryland’s public schools were recently ranked the number one public school system in the country by a national education newspaper, the third straight year the state has received the honor. Education Week, the country’s leading education publication, gave Maryland public schools a “B-plus” rating on its “Quality Counts” assessment, which judges school systems across the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Homeowners Urged to Take Action During Radon Awareness Month
January is National Radon Gas Awareness Month, furthering awareness of radon, a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas found in many homes which is the cause of over 20,000 annual deaths in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. According to World Health Organization statistics, in 2010, radon caused more deaths than drunk driving, […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Wesley Snipes Supporters Demanding Retrial
Following the federal imprisonment of actor Wesley Snipes on a three-year sentence for failure to file income tax returns, a collection of celebrities, politicians, friends and supporters are demanding the actor receive a fair trial. A group calling itself The Friends of Wesley Snipes is pushing a petition for the famous actor in order to […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Mich. Man Faces Criminal Charges For Snooping Through Wife’s E-mail
A Michigan man faces up to five years in prison after he allegedly snooped through his wife’s e-mail to find out whether she was having an affair. While Leon Walker, a computer technician from Rochester Hills, Michigan thought the move was harmless; prosecutors have charged him with felony misuse of a computer. According to The […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Nonprofit Aims to ‘Amplify’ Baltimore through Series of Community Discussions
Despite Baltimore’s list of socioeconomic issues and challenges, April Yvonne Garrett, founder and president of the national nonprofit organization Civic Frame, believes the city retains a silver lining. “Every city has something absolutely exquisite about it and I think that there are so many things exquisite about Baltimore,” Garret said during a recent interview with […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Relationship Coach Promises Clients Marriage in Year or Less
While most women rely on fate to meet their future husbands, an Arizona relationship coach guarantees that her program will help participants find a mate in 12 months or less. Christine Pembleton, president of Ready to Be a Wife, said that her company has helped many women across the U.S. find their soul mates in […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore’s Black, Jewish Leaders Discuss Park Heights Beating of Teen
Key members of Baltimore’s Black and Jewish communities met Dec. 8 to iron out some of the tensions left over from a Nov. 19 encounter in Park Heights that left a 15 year-old African American badly beaten and a member of a Jewish community patrol group under arrest for assault. After the meeting, the Rev. […]