By Megan SaylesAFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com Executive Alliance is set to host its annual Women of Excellence event on Oct. 26 at Martin’s West in Baltimore. The event, open to the public, assembles local women professionals and executives to network and celebrate one another. Pinky Cole, Baltimore native and founder of Slutty Vegan, will be the […]
Author Archives: Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer
Megan Sayles is a business reporter for The Baltimore Afro-American paper. Before this, Sayles interned with Baltimore Magazine, where she wrote feature stories about the city’s residents, nonprofits and initiatives. Her love of music inspired her to be a writer. At a young age she realized it was not the melody that she was so infatuated with, but the lyrics that made up the song and connected with listeners. Sayles grew up in Pasadena, Maryland, and is a 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland, where for her senior capstone project she reported on how the coronavirus and inequality intersected in Baltimore. She also worked as a staff writer and copy editor for campus publications, including Stories Beneath the Shell and The Black Explosion. Sayles teamed up with a partner to report on how the pandemic had put many more responsibilities on the oldest child in families. The Associated Press and other news organizations picked up her story.
Posted inBUSINESS
Strike Season: Kaiser Permanente and United Auto Workers unions picket for better pay and job security
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Two major labor unions in the automobile and health care industry have gone on strike. Kaiser Permanente, the largest nonprofit health care provider in the U.S., had more than 75,000 employees leave their posts on Oct. 4 after contract negotiations between the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and […]
Posted inNational News
Senator Cory Booker leads discussion on potential harms and opportunities in artificial intelligence
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com On its face, artificial intelligence (AI) may seem obscure and dubious, but it’s already revolutionizing daily life across the globe. Given its power to mimic human decision-making, many are asking questions about its potential to advance or set back equity. This was the central concern of a panel […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation hosts forum to prepare and advance Black entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com The Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation (CPEAR) hosted a discussion on opening up opportunities in cannabis for Black entrepreneurs on Sep. 20. The panel, “Creating the Conditions for Black Business Owners and Leaders to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry,” took place during the Congressional Black Caucus […]
Posted inNational News
Congressional Black Caucus leaders examine national electric vehicle program and workforce development opportunities for Black contractors
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When President Biden signed the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (ILJA) in 2021, much of the legislation addressed greener, more accessible transportation for all. The bill not only included the largest federal, public transit investment, $89.9 billion, in U.S. history, it sets aside $7.5 billion to […]
Posted inHBCU
AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: Meet Travis Mitchell, the HBCU-made mogul making moves in media
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When Travis Mitchell attended Morgan State University in 1988, his initial intention was to earn a political science degree. He also wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps of playing college basketball. He thought he’d either graduate and continue playing basketball or take up coaching. Then came his […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Associated Black Charities confronts paternalism and patriarchy in the workplace
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Patriarchy and paternalism are two forms of oppression that endure in the workplace. Britannica defines the former as a society where men exercise total authority over a community, while it characterizes the latter as a practice of infringement on personal autonomy by an authority. Both have implications for […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Rhonda Pringle, Baltimore Business Journal’s first Black woman publisher, heads to American City Business Journals to direct diversity initiatives
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Baltimore Business Journal (BBJ) publisher and market president Rhonda Pringle is set to leave her post and join the publication’s parent company, American City Business Journals (ACBJ). She will become the media company’s director of diversity business initiatives. Pringle will take over the position on Oct. 16. In […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Heart disease: Black Baltimore’s number one killer
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In the United States, the scourge of coronary heart disease (CHD) devours a staggering $108 billion in annual health care costs, according to a recent Deloitte analysis. A disturbing $1.3 billion of this total is tied to health care inequities, according to the same analysis. The National Institutes […]
Posted inHealth
Femly’s first-of-its-kind restroom dispenser delivers free organic menstrual care products
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Arion Long was working with MedStar Health when she began experiencing agonizing periods. The New York native had just completed her degree in family and consumer science at Morgan State University (MSU) and she knew she had a problem. Her flow was heavier than normal. She often bled […]
Posted inBUSINESS
SWCreatives works with Black businesses to boost their social media presence
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When Siraaj Woods joined Kappa Alpha Psi at Ohio University, he took charge of the fraternity’s social media. A sophomore at the time, Woods didn’t have experience in social media marketing. He was studying to become a computer scientist. But, Woods quickly realized he had a knack for […]
Posted inNational News
Tuskegee Airmen Museum and Center for Aviation Technology Training prepares Black youth for careers in aviation
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In 1941, the Tuskegee Airmen became the first all-Black flying crew in the U.S. military during World War II. Also known as the Red Tails, the 992 fighter pilots executed more than 1,500 missions, and 15,500 forays, defeating 261 enemy aircrafts and winning more than 850 medals. Despite […]