A man in the stands of an exhibition basketball game in the Philippines sported a cap with the words, “Yes, Dennis Rodman is my son.” The former star forward with National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons finally reunited with his father after a 42- year separation July 18. Philander Rodman, Jr., who […]
Author Archives: Jessika Morgan
AFRO Staff Writer
Posted inAfro Briefs
FBI Raids, Searches Trenton Mayor’s Home
Trenton, N.J.’s city hall was closed to the public at noon July 19 as FBI agents scoured municipal offices in an investigation of Mayor Tony Mack and his administration. The search of city offices came a day after a July 18 early morning raid of Mack’s home and the homes belonging to his brother and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Torch Passed to Ft. Myer’s First Black Female Commander
U.S. Army Col. Fern O. Sumpter has served in the reserves and active duty. She was deployed to Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and recently, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Her experience ranges from personnel to intel. On July 17, she became the first African American women to command Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington. The […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Colleges See Street-Like Incidents of Black-on-Black Violence
In Tallahassee, Florida A & M University board members accepted the resignation of university President James Ammons July 11 as they ponder how to quell a scandal that has tarnished the school’s reputation in the aftermath of the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion, allegedly by other band members. The Auburn ( Ala.) University […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Pepco Faces D.C. Council Scrutiny, Pressure to Place Lines
Pepco is still in the hot seat over how one of the region’s principal electric power providers responded to massive power outages throughout the Metropolitan Washington area in the wake of a violent summer storm June 29. If a July 13 hearing conducted by the D.C. Council is any indicator, Pepco executives will be sweating […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Education Company, HBCU Student Funder to Create Schools
A program that raises funds to help educate students at HBCUs has announced a partnership to create a network of public secondary schools to better prepare Black students to enter college. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Connections Education will launch TMCF Collegiate Academies, which will pair classroom and online learning techniques. Baltimore-based Connections […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Traffic Web Snags Non-Residents, Too
Ed Ellis of Temple Hills said when both he and his mother were issued speeding tickets in Washington D.C. while driving downhill, it wasn’t the $150 fines that bothered him as much as the unfair location of the speed camera—at the bottom of a hill on Branch Avenue. The problem is, according to Ellis, that […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Bronx Mom Allegedly Poisons Two Children in Jealous Rage
A five-year-old boy and a four-month-old baby girl lost their chance at life after their mother suspected her husband impregnated another woman, leading to her apparent jealous murder-suicide plot. A Bronx, N.Y. schoolteacher, Lissette Bamenga, 29, was accused of mixing Trevor Noel, Jr. and Liliane Noel’s juice with de-icing fluid, killing both children, according to […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Alicia Keys’ Foundation to Honor Oprah
Singer Alicia Keys will honor television mogul Oprah Winfrey in a charity ball slated for Nov. 1 at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. Keys will pay tribute during the Black Ball hosted by Keep the Child Alive, an organization that provides life-saving treatment to underprivileged countries. In a statement, Keys said Winfrey is “a personal inspiration […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Black Contributions Should Be Honored by History
They came out early on the Fourth of July—men, women and children, many dressed in patriotic red, white and blue. Before the parade, barbecue and fireworks, they gathered at the National Archives in Northwest Washington to kick off the holiday with a reading of the Declaration of Independence by four descendants of original signers. But […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Florida A&M President Steps Down
Two things happened that affected the Florida A&M University community on July 11—slain band member Robert Champion’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college in the slaying of their son and beleaguered university President James Ammons resigned. Champion, 26, died in November after being beaten allegedly by fellow Marching 100 band members in […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Linked to Surge in Dating Sites
The erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” has heightened traffic to “sugar daddy” dating sites, according to Business Insider. In “Fifty Shades,” Christian Grey, a billionaire, gives Anastasia Steel, a significantly younger woman, an enormous amount of cash and a new car after making her sign a non-disclosure agreement. SeekingArrangement.com website founder Brandon Wade is […]