With the dawn of another Mother’s Day, the AFRO has found some women who have discovered that, in addition to the time and energy required to be a mother, there are ways to handle the round-the-clock demands of mothering and cultivate a career. Fallon Smith, 22, who lives in Prince George’s County, said she was […]
Author Archives: Maria Adebola
Special to the AFRO
Posted inNational News
Senate Rejects Bill to Raise Minimum Wage
The Senate on April 30 voted against a Democrat-sponsored bill that would gradually increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. The bill failed to get to the 60 votes needed to open debate on the floor, failing 55-42. Only one Republican joined Democrats in voting to advance the bill. […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Still I Rise Inc. Joins D.C., Md., Va. Churches in Partnership to Combat Domestic Violence
An array of Maryland lawmakers and nonprofit executives came together April 30 to announce a partnership with the region’s faith-based community to address domestic violence against women and children. This new partnership with the faith community involves 42 churches in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia who identify one female and one male in their congregation to […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Attempted Robbery
A D.C. man was sentenced April 23 to five years in prison for attempting to rob a District bank in July 2013. Calvin Kinard Adams, 33, pleaded guilty in January to a robbery attempt that was committed while he was on supervised release of an 11-year prison term for a string of 19 bank robberies […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Gay and Lesbian Couples Challenge Oregon’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Attorneys for four gay and lesbian couples challenged Oregon’s voter-approved prohibition on gay marriage on April 23, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional because it serves no legitimate government interest. The plaintiffs include a Black male couple. Even the state declined to defend the ban, including Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) who has said […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Wounded Warrior Program Highlights Amputee Soldiers Recovery
The 10th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) was celebrated April 22. AW2, joining with the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command (WTC), hosted a media and bloggers roundtable to commemorate the years of successful service. The panel featured three wounded soldiers, each sharing their story on recover and successful transition into Continuation […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
NMA Hosts Interactive Summit on African-American Health Issues
Health disparities among gender and races, and a review of the inaugural summit’s National Action Plan was the agenda for the National Medical Association (NMA) second Summit on African-American Health. The event was held April 17 at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C. NMA, the nation’s largest organization of African-American physicians, and about 20 people […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Howard University Explores Business and Economic Development in South Africa
Approximately 100 students participated in the April 15 panel discussion at the Howard University School of Business. The topic of the day, “Business and Economic Development in South Africa: The Mandela Legacy and the 20th Anniversary of Democracy in South African. The event was organized by the Howard University School of Business, in conjunction with […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Mayor Gray Launches Campaign to Move Homeless Families into Permanent Housing
Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on April 17 kicked off a new campaign aimed at moving homeless families from the city’s shelter into permanent residences of their own. The “500 Families. 100 Days. Quality DC Housing Now” campaign is a partnership between Gray’s administration, the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, the Transitional Housing […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Fisk University Wins 25th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
Fisk University took home its first college quiz bowl championship title from the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge on April 16, defeating second-place finisher Oakwood University. The American Honda Motor Co., Inc. with the College Bowl Company created the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge in 1989 to bring together students from the nation’s HCBUs to battle over […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Eight Nigerian Schoolgirls Still Missing Following Kidnapping by Islamist Extremists
Nigerian military sources told international media that eight of the 129 Nigerian schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School who were abducted by gunmen in March remain missing. The gunmen are believed to be members of the Boko Haram Islamist group who reportedly arrived at the boarding school in Chibok, Borno as the students slept […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Maryland Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Assault
A Silver Spring man was sentenced on April 11 to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman in 2010. In December 2010, a jury found Glenn A. Smith, 37, guilty of two counts of first-degree sexual assault. According to the government’s sentencing memo, at approximately 2:30 a.m. June 13, 2010, the victim […]