Throughout his near 20-year career in music, Wyclef Jean has advocated for and espoused the resiliency of his embattled homeland, Haiti, with unwavering intensity. When he catapulted to the upper echelons of hip-hop royalty in the 1990s as a member of The Fugees, Jean waved Haitian flags at awards shows and tied them around his […]
Author Archives: Kristin Gray
AFRO Managing Editor
Posted inAfro Briefs
ESSENCE Defends New White Fashion Editor Despite Readership Concerns
ESSENCE, a celebrated lifestyle magazine targeting Black women, is at the center of a controversy converging matters of race, equality and fashion. For the first time in its 40-year history, ESSENCE has hired a White fashion director, Elliana Placas. “ESSENCE was the first magazine that says in their brand that it is for Black women […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Skin Beauty Lounge Capitol Hill’s Beauty Oasis
Nestled in Capitol Hill’s bustling corridors is a veritable beauty oasis shielded by an attractive, but mundane storefront. Women from all walks of life converge here for a bevy of beauty services – bikini waxing, eyebrow arching, massages, facials – in an ambience that blends urban sophistication with earthy elegance. Skin Beauty Lounge – a […]
Posted inNational News
Verdict in Oscar Grant Case Spurs Violence in Oakland
Hundreds flooded the streets of downtown Oakland on the evening of July 8 after a verdict in the trial of Oscar Grant’s shooting death. Johannes Mehserle, a former White transit officer, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter which could land him in jail for up to four years. However, many in Oakland believe justice had […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Memories, Tears at Funeral of Teen Drowning Victim
Hundreds poured into Hanover, Md.’s Kingdom Builders Church of God in Christ for a somber afternoon funeral service on June 29. Positioned at the front of the church was a pearl white casket holding the body of Walter Dines, a Maryland teen whose life ended thousands of miles away in a frigid Oregon river. Dines,18, […]
Posted inBooks
’32 Candles’ Illumines New Author’s Path
“I ran. I ran as fast as the skirt of that stupid dress would let me. Then I hiked up the skirt, so that I could run even faster. But Cora’s shoes weren’t really designed for running. The heel broke and I fell straight into the mud puddle that I had skirted just moments ago. […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Music Without Michael: The First Year
Nearly one year ago, Michael Jackson’s death created an indelible void in the music industry and silenced a voice that transcended soul, pop, R&B and international music. While he hadn’t dominated radio waves in several years, Jackson became the progenitor of today’s modern pop stars, whose personal lives have become inextricably linked to major headlines […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Omarosa: The ‘Ultimate’ Diva Meets Her Match
Few reality TV stars have crafted their own brand in the entertainment industry. But Omarosa, a former “Apprentice” star whose name has become synonymous with television villainy, is building a burgeoning empire with keen business acumen and her signature no-holds-barred tongue-lashings. But the Howard University alum’s love life has suffered along the way. After divorcing […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
Local Entrepreneurs Turn Part-Time Jobs into Full-Time Profit
As part of a four-part series, the AFRO is profiling up-and-coming entrepreneurs who are growing popular businesses while juggling traditional nine-to-five careers, spouses and children. This month, the AFRO is profiling motivational speaker and multi-business owner Justin Jones-Fosu. Justin Jones-Fosu Justin Inspires, president and founder By all descriptions, Justin Jones-Fosu – a Morgan State and […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fishburne’s ‘Thurgood’ a Triumph
“A child born to a Black mother in a state like Mississippi… has exactly the same rights as a White baby born to the wealthiest person in the United States. It’s not true, but I challenge anyone to say it is not a goal worth working for.” – Thurgood Marshall While Laurence Fishburne’s skin is […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland Loses a Business Icon
The services for Raymond V. Haysbert Sr. begin with the family hour, 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 2 at the Empowerment Temple, 4217-4221 Primrose Ave., Baltimore, MD 21215. The memorial service will immediately follow, beginning at noon, at Empowerment Temple. Raymond V. Haysbert Sr., the pioneering community leader and business giant behind Parks Sausage died May […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Harlem Quartet: An Inspiration in Four Parts
While many entertainment industry hopefuls are hitchhiking cross country for “American Idol” auditions or dreaming of stardom on reality TV shows, a group of young Latino and African-American musicians are taking a decidedly different route to fame. Desmond Neysmith, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, members of classical music ensemble Harlem Quartet, look the […]