Senate Republicans blocked a vote on April 9 to open the debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill sponsored by Democrats aimed at drawing attention to the wage gap between men and women in the country. With 60 votes needed to allow the bill to be debated on the Senate floor, Republicans refused to […]
Author Archives: Maria Adebola
Special to the AFRO
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Vigil and March for Missing D.C. Girl
Friends, neighbors, and family of Relisha Rudd, 8, gathered on the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X avenues southeast on March 31. It was just hours after police confirmed that main suspect in the abduction committed suicide. Relisha, however, is still missing. While police remain hopeful, they say they are not certain whether […]
Posted inNational News
Ministers Form National Task Force to Repeal ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws
Enough is enough, says Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, noting the list of young Black people dead or in jail in states where “stand your ground” laws are in place. “Our young Black boys are being senselessly killed just for being Black teenagers,” said Holmes, who on March 25 announced the formation of the National Pastor’s […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
NNPA Luncheon Tackles Economic Opportunities in African American Communities
Approximately 100 community leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial experts convened at The State of the Black Press Luncheon March 21 at the National Press Club in D.C. The primary purpose of the luncheon was discussing the economic disparities affecting Black-owned businesses and the national concern of income inequalities among people of color. Sponsored by the National […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Gray Addresses Barriers for Returning Citizens at Town Hall
The Reentry Network for Returning Citizens hosted a town hall on housing, March 15 at St. Elizabeth East Gateway Pavilion in Ward 8. Courtney Stewart, chairman of the Reentry Network for Returning Citizens, assembled community leaders to engage in a dialogue with District residents on housing and employment barriers faced by people returning home from […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Howard University and Jumpstart to Host Educational Fair for Low-Income Students
Howard University in partnership with Jumpstart, a national non-profit educational organization, will host the 12th annual “Jumpstart for a Day,” an interactive learning fair focused on serving low-income preschool age students in Washington D.C. The event is scheduled for April 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 pm. at Howard University’s Burr Gymnasium. During the event, […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Silver Spring Md’s New African Film Festival Premieres ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’
The 10th Annual New African Films Festival will premiere Half of a Yellow Sun, a film based on Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel of the same title, at AFI Silver Spring Theatre and Cultural Center, in Silver Spring Maryland. The festival hosted by TransAfrica in collaboration with Afrikafe, a Washington, D.C.-area network of Africans, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Rev. Douglas Sands, Baltimore Activist, Preacher, Celebrates 80th Birthday
Members of the historic White Rock Church in Sykesville came together March 1 to pay homage to their pastor, the Rev. Douglas Sands, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Sands, who was at the forefront of Baltimore’s desegregation effort in the 1950s and 1960s, was feted by more than 200 friends, loved ones and […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Town Hall Addresses Faith-Based Medical Partnership
The National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing African-American physicians, hosted its 16th National Colloquium on African-American Health March 8 – 11, at the Marriott Metro Center Hotel in Washington, D.C. More than 160 local and out-of-state medical, civic, and religious leaders attended both sessions. The panelists featured the Rev. Staccato […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Council Approves Promise Scholarships
The D.C. Council on March 4 approved a so-called “D.C. Promise” bill that will provide higher education scholarships to low-income D.C. students. The new tax-payer scholarship would provide up to $7,500 a year to high school graduates to pay for college. The scholarship was introduced by Councilmember David Catania (I-At- Large), who is considering a […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
ASALH Celebrates 88th Annual Black History Month Luncheon
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) celebrated its 88th annual Black History Luncheon Feb. 22 at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Civil Rights in America,” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This year’s luncheon […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Mayor Gray Unveils ‘ForWARD 8’
If D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray gets his way, employment and commerce should soon be looking up in Washington D.C.’s Ward 8, the long-neglected southeast corner of the city, under an initiative called “forWARD 8: Investing in Our Future.” Under the initiative unveiled Feb. 26, Gray said he is calling for $2.5 million in the upcoming […]